Mahatthai

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Seal of the Mahatthai / Ministry of the Interior

Mahatthai ( Thai : กระทรวง มหาดไทย , Krasuang Mahatthai , [ kraˌsuaŋ ma.hàːtˈtʰaj ], today: Ministry of the Interior ) has been one of the main ministries of the Siamese (today: Thai ) government since the middle of the 15th century . At first it was mainly responsible for civil administration, while the Kalahom was responsible for the military sector. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Mahatthai was responsible for the northern provinces, while the Kalahom was responsible for the southern provinces. Since the administrative reform of 1894, the Mahatthai has been the Ministry of the Interior of Thailand.

Mahatthai before 1894

When King Borommaracha II conquered Angkor Thom in 1431 , he was able to kidnap many Khmer specialists as prisoners of war to Ayutthaya. They were mostly trained statesmen who stood by the king's later successor when he developed his new system of central and differentiated administration modeled on the Khmer.

King Borommatrailokanat finally reorganized the Siam government from the ground up according to this system. He divided the administration into two large areas, a military area under the direction of a Prime Minister, the Minister of the Kalahom ( กระทรวง กลาโหม ) and a civilian area under the Prime Minister of the Mahatthai. Each area has been subdivided into numerous other departments, into sections and subsections, each with its own specific duties. The civil area of ​​the Mahatthai, for example, was divided into the capital ministry, the palace, agriculture and treasure ministries. Each of these ministries was further subdivided into so-called Krom ( กรม ), with separate Khroms, for example for foreign trade and foreign policy, both of which were subordinate to the Minister of the Treasury.

The head of the Mahatthai, which at first could be translated as "Ministry of Civil Affairs", bore the title of Chaophraya Chakri . He was the president of the royal council and consequently the highest ranked nobleman in the country with a sakdina of 10,000. Like the king and his Uparat , he was allowed to put his personal seal on official documents. It showed an Asian mythical animal called Rajasiha ( ราชสีห์ , Ratchasi ; "Lion King").

The Chaophraya Chakri was responsible for the provincial cities north of the capital, so its ministry was also called the “Northern Ministry”. At council meetings, each minister was assigned a special seat in the audience hall. Those with the highest Sakdina were about 20 paces from the window in which the king appeared at audiences, and those with lower Sakdi Na were further back. To the right of the throne were the officials of the military , the Kalahom Ministry, to the left those of the civil administration, the Mahatthai. The Mahatthai was sometimes referred to as the "Ministry of the Left".

Ministry of the Interior since 1894

As a result of the Siamese crisis with the Pak-Nam incident in 1893 and the forced cession of Laos and parts of Cambodia to France, King Rama V (Chulalongkorn) accelerated his modernization policy and subjected the country's administration to a comprehensive reform. In 1894, the traditional Mahatthai, which had been led by Chulalongkorn's half-brother, Prince Damrong Rajanubhab , since 1892 , became a modern interior ministry based on the European model. The civil administration of all provinces was subordinated to him.

At the same time, the country's administration was streamlined and centralized. From partially autonomous Müang , ruled by local rulers, provinces ( Changwat ) and large districts ( Monthon ) were formed. These were supervised by agents of the Ministry of the Interior.

The headquarters of the Interior Ministry is in a representative building on Atsadang Street in the central Bangkok district of Phra Nakhon . It is located next to Wat Ratchabophit , diagonally across from the Ministry of Defense (Kalahom), not far from the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang .

Subordinate authorities of the Ministry of the Interior are the offices for provincial administration , for local administration , for community development, for disaster control, for public works and for land. The state utilities for electricity and water supply as well as the market administration are also subordinate to him.

literature

  • Tej Bunnag: The provincial administration of Siam, 1892-1915. The Ministry of the Interior under Prince Damrong Rajanubhab. Oxford University Press, 1977.
  • Sarasin Viraphol: Law in Traditional Siam and China: a Comparative Sudy. In: Journal of the Siam Society, January 1977, Volume 65, Part 1. The Siam Society , Bangkok 1977. ( online PDF, last accessed November 1, 2012; 5.50 MB).
  • Horace G. Quaritch Wales: Ancient Siamese Government and Administration . Paragon Book, New York 1965 (reprint of the London 1934 edition).
  • David K. Wyatt: Thailand A Short History . Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai 1984, ISBN 974-7047-44-6 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Nigel J. Brailey: Two views of Siam on the eve of the Chakri reformation. Kiscadale, 1989, p. 40.
  2. ^ Volker Grabowsky : Regions and National Integration in Thailand, 1892–1992. Harrassowitz-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1995, p. 2.