|
Constance Phaulkon, born Κωσταντής Γεράκης or Costantin Gerachi〔These are the Greek and Italian spelling forms of his name and family name as found in local archives of Cephalonia. Cangelaris 2011, pp.66-68〕 (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος Γεράκης, ''Konstantinos Gerakis'', "γεράκι", is the word for "falcon") also known by the French simply as ''Monsieur Constance'', the Thai noble title เจ้าพระยาวิชาเยนทร์, ''Chao Phraya Wichayen'' and the Portuguese ''Constantino Falcão'' (1647 – June 5, 1688) was a Greek adventurer, who became prime counsellor to King Narai of Ayutthaya,〔(When Bangkok was just a French fort )〕 assuming the title Chao P'raya Vichayen.〔Chakrabongse, C., 1960, Lords of Life, London: Alvin Redman Limited〕 Born within the fortress of Asso in the region of Erisso (pertinenza di Erisso) on northern Cephalonia (then under Venetian rule) to Greek Orthodox parents. The Γεράκη / Gerachi (''Gerakis'') family was already established there, in the village of Plagia (Πλαγιά), since the 16th century.〔Cangelaris 2011, pp.67, 89-91〕〔Cangelaris - Kefalonitiki Proodos No.3, pp.14-18〕 Phaulkon came to Siam (today's Thailand) as a merchant in 1675 after working for England's East India Company. He became fluent in Thai in just a few years and began to work at the court of King Narai as a translator (he was also fluent in English, French, Portuguese, and Malay). Due to his experience with the East India Company, he was soon able to become a prime counsellor of the king. He worked in the Treasury.〔http://www.cosmicelk.net/eclipsesinSiam.pdf〕 In 1682, Phaulkon abandoned Anglicanism for Catholicism〔Rajanubhab, D., 2001, Our Wars With the Burmese, Bangkok: White Lotus Co. Ltd., ISBN 9747534584〕 and soon after married a Catholic woman of mixed Japanese-Portuguese-Bengali descent named Maria Guyomar de Pinha.〔Smithies 2002, p.100〕〔Smithies, p.183〕 They lived a life of affluence as Phaulkon rose to become highly influential at the Siamese court of king Narai. Their marriage brought two sons, João and Jorge, the first of whom died before their father.〔Cangelaris 2011, p.91〕 Following troubles with the English and the Dutch, Phaulkon engineered a Franco-Siamese rapprochement leading to the exchange of numerous embassies between France and Siam, as well as the dispatch of an expeditionary force by the French in 1687. Phaulkon, called ''Monsieur Constance'' by the French and addressed ''Cher ami'' by their king, was their main ally for several years. In recognition king Louis XIV of France awarded him with the knighthood of the Order of Saint Michael, a hereditary title in the French nobility as well as the French citizenship for him and his family.〔Cangelaris - Kefalonitiki Proodos No.7, pp.36-38〕 The Abbé de Choisy, who was part of the first French embassy to Thailand in 1685, wrote about M. Phaulkon's character: Phaulkon's closeness to the king naturally earned him the envy of some Thai members of the royal court, which would eventually prove to be his undoing. When King Narai became terminally ill, a rumor spread that Phaulkon wanted to use the designated heir, Phra Pui, as a puppet and actually become ruler himself. As unlikely as this was, it provided an excuse for Pra Phetracha, the foster brother of Narai to stage a coup d'état, the 1688 Siamese revolution. Without the king's knowledge, both Phaulkon and his followers as well as the royal heir were arrested and executed on June 5, 1688 in Lopburi. When King Narai learned what had happened, he was furious—but was too weak to take any action. Narai died several days later, virtually a prisoner in his own palace. Phetracha then proclaimed himself the new king of Siam and began a xenophobic regime which expelled almost all foreigners from the kingdom. The different interpretations of Phetracha's motivation for ordering the arrest and execution of Phaulkon have made the Greek's position in Thai history somewhat controversial. Supporters of Phetracha's actions have depicted Phaulkon as an opportunistic foreigner who sought to use his influence to control of the kingdom on behalf of Western interests. More skeptical historians believe that Phaulkon was simply a convenient scapegoat - a means for Phetracha to seize the throne from the rightful heir by capitalizing on the envy and suspicion Phaulkon had engendered. == Notes == 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Constantine Phaulkon」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|