The construction of the Grand Palace began on 6 May 1782, at the order of King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I). Having seized the crown from KingTaksin of Thonburi, King Rama I was intent on building a capital city for his new Chakri Dynasty.
He decided to move the seat of power from the city ofThonburi, on the west side of the Chao Phraya river, to the east side at Bangkok.
The new capital city was turned into an artificial island when canals were dug along the east side. The island was given the name 'Rattanakosin'. The previous royal residence was the Derm Palace, constructed for King Taksin in 1768.
The new palace was built on a rectangular piece of land on the very west side of the island, between Wat Pho to the south, Wat Mahathat to the north and with the Chao Phraya river along the west. This location was previously occupied by a Chinese community, whom King Rama I had ordered to relocate to an area south and outside of the city walls; the area is known today as Yaowarat (Chinatown).
No comments:
Post a Comment