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King Songtham () also known as King Borommaracha I () was the king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1611 to 1628, of the Sukhothai dynasty. His reign marked a period of prosperity for Ayutthaya following the restoration of independence from the Toungoo Empire after the reign of Bayinnaung. It also saw the beginning of expanded overseas trade, particularly with the Dutch and the Japanese. Songtham employed foreign mercenaries as royal guards; most notably the Japanese soldier Yamada Nagamasa ( Okya Senaphimuk), commander of the Japanese volunteer corps.
Prince Chula Chakrabongse (1908–63) states, "the king went insane before he died...His younger son, who had killed the elder brother when their father was alive but helpless, now seized the throne." He became King Songtham, "The Pious" or "The Just", after he repented his act.Chakrabongse, C., 1960, Lords of Life, London: Alvin Redman Limited
During his reign, Cambodia and Lanna revolted and became independent once more.
Songtham signed a treaty with the Dutch on 12 June 1617. All trading however, was through the King's government. Colonies from China, Malay, Japan, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam were tolerated.
Songtham sent four embassies (about 20 people each) to the Japanese shōgun in 1621, 1623, 1626 and 1629 to Shoguns Tokugawa Hidetada and Tokugawa Iemitsu.
In 1624, captain Fernando de Silva (not to be confused with governor of the Philippines Fernando de Silva) led a Spanish contingent to sack a Dutch ship near the Siamese shoreline. This enraged Songtham who held the Dutch in great preference and ordered the attacks and seizures of all the Spaniards. The Portuguese, who were united with the Spanish in a personal union at the time, were also caught up in this order and all the Iberians were technically disgraced from Siam after nearly a hundred years of royal support.
Foreign relations
The English first arrived aboard the East India Company ship Globe in 1612, delivering a letter from King James I. They were given a place between the Japanese and Dutch in Ayutthaya, and were later joined by the French East India Company. An English ship called the Tryal sank in 1622 off the coast of western Australia after losing its course on the way to Ayutthaya. The ship's manifest noted gifts as 'spangles for the king of Siam'. In the following year, the English closed their factory.
Successor
Songtham wanted his son, Chetthathirat, to succeed him, though he was young. He therefore asked Phraya Siworawong (later Prasat Thong), to protect him from danger. After Songtham's death, Siworawong arrested and executed all those who had been opposed to Songtham's wishes.
Ancestry
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