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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand

Volume XVI-2024 (Special Issue)

4. Restoration and Establishment of the Foundation of Society, Culture, Governance,

Law and Economy of Rattanakosin
This operation was guided by the royal intention expressed in King Rama I’s literary work

Nirat Tha Din Daeng in 1786 during the royal visit to Kanchanaburi, which states in part:
“My intention is to protect and promote Buddhism,

to defend the borders and safeguard the people and officials.”

Such royal intention led to the adherence to three key principles reflecting his royal vision
in leadership and direction for governance and administration of the country:

1. Preservation of the Buddhist Order: Ensuring the purity and righteousness of Buddhism
and the monastic community.

2. Maintaining the Kingdom’s Security and Stability
3. Promoting the well-being and revitalizing the minds of the people along with creating

efficient government officials
The King employed strategies to balance the Buddhist realm and the secular realm.

This balance, once achieved in the Kingdom, “the people and the ministers,” meaning the
people and government officials, would certainly benefit from this administrative system.

As can be seen below:
4.1 Restoration and Promotion of Buddhism

King Rama I was deeply committed to fostering the Buddhist faith, ensuring its purity
and completeness both in terms of theory, that is, maintaining the purity of the scriptures

and teachings, as well as the strictness of the monks’ conduct. In 1788, His Majesty ordered
a revision of the Buddhist scriptures (Tipitaka), a process completed in only five months.

This revision, recognized as the ninth council in Buddhist history, produced the Golden Tipitaka.
As for the issuance of rules for monks, he regularly monitored the behavior of monks. When

any violations of monastic discipline were identified, the King ordered the enactment of specific
regulations, resulting in ten monastic issues. Furthermore, His Majesty encouraged royals and

nobles to construct temples, restore damaged Buddha images in provincial cities and enshrine
them in temples in the capital. The royal initiatives in restoring and maintaining Buddhism

established a lasting foundation for Buddhism for the country and its people up until the present.
4.2 Revival of Traditions and Cultural Heritage

King Rama I aspired to make Bangkok beautiful and prosperous just like in “the glorious
time of the Ayutthaya period.” His Majesty reinstated such important royal ceremonies as the

Coronation Ceremony and the Oath of Allegiance Ceremony. The King also commissioned the

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