Chiang Senn
Previous
Phya Muang Rai.-This King,
after three years' reign, founded Chieng Rai in the year 624 (A.D.
1263
), and in 636 founded M. Fang. He then waged war with Lampun,
and after a seven years' siege took the place. In five years
he built Wieng Kum Kan, it is supposed, on a site between the
present Chieng Mai and Lampun. At this time the wife of the King,
Nang Paiko, went to Ava, and brought back with her a gong-maker
to Chieng Rai, and in 657 (A.D. 1296) Chieng Mai was founded.
The King died, being struck by lightning, at the age of eighty
in the year 680.
He was succeeded by his son,
Kun Fu, who reigned seven years.
Kun Fu was succeeded by Phya
Sen Pu
, who lived at M. Nguan Yang two years, and founded Chieng
Senn
in 692 (A.D. 1331). The city was 1,250 wahs long and 700
wahs broad. There were eleven chief officials. The chief; two
to look after the granaries; one to look after powder; one to
look after soldiers; two to look after the palace; one in charge
of the country outside the city; one in charge of the city; one
in charge of boundaries; and one in charge of temples and religion.
The heads of revenue were ivory,
men and women, cattle, bees-wax, turtles, spirits, cakes, anything
dug out of the earth, charcoal, insects, anything that hangs to
trees, sealing-wax, bamboos, fields, orchard and garden land,
all land, all water; and the heads of divisons collected the taxes.
In 727 the Haw (chinese) came
to Chieng Senn and were defeated; and in 767 they again invaded
Chieng Senn. The angels were invoked by Tao Sam Phya, and the
Haw were struck by lightning and dispersed. An astrologer and
priest, by name Maha Sari Wong So, who helped to bring about the
destruction of the Haw, was given the island Dawn Ten, on which
he built some beautiful temples.
In 918 (A.D. 1557) Upa Yao Wa
Raja
came from Lan Chang , and went back after three years.
In the year 954 (A.D. 1593)
Hupa Acha invaded Siam with 1,700,000 men, and from that time
Chieng Senn became a part of Burmah.
In 987 M. Nan and Chieng Kawng
rebelled, and in 988 were re-conquered. The same year Chieng
Rung
was conquered. In 1017 the King of Burmah made a division
of territory between two brothers. The younger brother was Chao
Ing Ku Tia Wong Na-Kwa
. His head-quarters were Chieng Senn, and
the following countries placed under Chieng Senn: M. Kai, M. Lai,
M. Len, M. Palao, Chieng Lap, M. Luang Puka, M. Puka.
Then there is a list of Governors,
with an item thrown in that a pig was born of an elephant, and
the history winds up as follows:
Since 1168 (A.D. 1807) there
has been no Chieng Senn.
About 1880 the present Kralahom,
when Phya Mahamat, arranged for the re-settlement of Chieng Senn,
which was carried out in an unostentatious and effective manner.
The son of the Chao Luang came
in to tell me that some Indians were coming. As Indian surveyors
have been working in the Neighbourhood, I thought it not impossible
that they were coming again after having completed their boundary
work. I was rather surprised to find two Europeans put in an
appearance; one was M. Massie and the other M. Vagcle. M. Massie
was from Luang Phrabang, from which place he had been to Sai,
and thence to the tea-gardens at the head of the Nam U Ipang and
Ingu. In this region he was joined by M. Vagcle, a resident of
one of the Tonquin provinces, but before they reached the place
Mr. Scott had already left for Chieng Tung.
They came down by M. Lem. They
were much interested with their journey, but felt somewhat disappointed
that the English mission had been over the ground before them.
They had the new French Colonial coins, the piastres de commerce,
about the size of a Mexican dollar. They could not, however,
use them, and I exchanged the good old rupees for a few. I do
not think the piastre de commerce will ever travel as the rupee,
which up to a few years ago I have seen current nearly to the
shores of the Gulf of Tonquin.
Continued
|
