Sheikh Ahmad (nobleman of Siam)

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Tomb of Sheikh Ahmad of Qom, in Ayutthaya.

Sheikh Ahmad (ca. 1543–1631), sometimes referred to as Ahmad Qomi or Ahmad Kuni, among other variations, was a Persian-born merchant who settled in the Siamese Ayutthaya Kingdom in the early 17th century. He became a powerful official in the Siamese court, where he was given the name and title of Chaophraya Boworn Rajnayok (Thai: เจ้าพระยาบวรราชนายก). He was the ancestor of the powerful Bunnag family.

Origins and early life[edit]

Ahmad was born in Persia about 1543. He is sometimes said to be from the city of Qom, south of Tehran.[1] However, this is disputed by his descendant Tej Bunnag, Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, who claimed his ancestor hailed from a town called Guni in the Mazandaran/Astarabad region south of the Caspian Sea.[2] He had a brother, Muhammad Said, who would later immigrate along with him to Siam.[3] They may have arrived in Siam as early as 1595[4] or possibly in the early years of the 17th century.[3] He set up a trading establishment in the Ghayee landing district, took a Thai wife, and became quite wealthy and prosperous.[1]

Siamese official[edit]

During the reign of Songtham, Ahmad was appointed to high positions in the royal administration. He was appointed Chao Kromma Tha Khwa ("Lord of the Right Pier"), which gave him authority over trade and resolving disputes involving foreigners other than the Chinese, and was made the first Chula Rajmontri (Shaykh al-Islām) of Siam's Muslim population.[1] Later in the reign of Songtham, Ahmad was appointed Samuhanayok (one of the king's two chief chancellors), with the rank of Chao Phraya; his son Chun and grandson Sombun would later be appointed to the same position.[5]

Shaykh Ahmad crushed and defeated Japanese merchants who attempted a coup against the Thai king in 1611.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

Descendants[edit]

Some of Ahmad's Muslim descendants continued to hold the position of Chula Rajmontri until as late as 1945, but the bulk of his descendants converted to Buddhism.[17]

One of Ahmad's descendants, Bunnag, married a sister of Queen Amarindra, the consort of King Rama I of the Rattanakosin era. His descendants, who took Bunnag as a surname, held powerful positions within the Thai government and cultural establishment from the 19th century to modern times. Among these descendants were Tish Bunnag (Prayurawongse), regent for King Mongkut, Chuang Bunnag (Somdet Chaophraya Sri Suriwongse), regent for King Chulalongkorn, Kham Bunnag (Chaophraya Thiphakorawong), Minister of State and Minister of the Treasury for King Mongkut,[18] and Marut Bunnag, Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1992 to 1995.[1]

Cultural legacy[edit]

Ahmad is sometimes credited with introducing the popular Massaman curry dish to Thailand.[19] This dish, along with others inspired by Persian dishes, is among the recipes in the funeral cookbooks of the Bunnag family.[20]

Ahmad founded the Takiaayokin Mosque (granted its current name by Mongkut) in Ayutthaya in the 1620s.[4] The Iranian embassy in Bangkok houses the Shaykh Ahmad Qumi Library, and in 2005 organized a Conference on Shaykh Ahmad Ghomi.[21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Marcinkowski, Muhammad Ismail, "From Isfahan to Ayuthayya: Contacts Between Iran and Siam in the 17th Century", pp. 85-87
  2. ^ Persia-Siam connection clarified
  3. ^ a b "History of Ayutthaya"
  4. ^ a b Sthapitanond, Nithi, and Mertens, Brian, "Architecture of Thailand: A Guide to Tradition and Contemporary Forms" pg. 112-5
  5. ^ Christoph Marcinkowski, Persians and Shi’ites in Thailand: From the Ayutthaya Period to the Present, Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre Working Paper No 15 (Feb 2014), pp. 7-8
  6. ^ "TOMB OF SHEIKH AHMAD QOMI". History of Ayutthaya.
  7. ^ MARCINKOWSKI, M. ISMAIL. “IRANIANS, SHAYKH AL-ISLĀMS AND CHULARAJMONTRIS: GENESIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSTITUTION AND ITS INTRODUCTION TO SIAM.” Journal of Asian History, vol. 37, no. 2, 2003, pp. 187–204. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41933340. Accessed 30 Jul. 2022.
  8. ^ M. Ismail Marcinkowski. “The Iranian-Siamese Connection: An Iranian Community in the Thai Kingdom of Ayutthaya.” Iranian Studies, vol. 35, no. 1/3, 2002, pp. 23–46. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4311436. Accessed 30 Jul. 2022. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00210860208702010?journalCode=cist20
  9. ^ The Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Siam Through the Ages (Bangkok, Institute of Asian Studies, 2017). January 2017.
  10. ^ "The Japanese riot at King Song Tham's Royal Palace in Ayutthaya in 1611". V. M. Simandan. 8 November 2012.
  11. ^ "Reign of King Songtham (1610/11-1628)". Ayutthaya History.
  12. ^ Vu Duc Liem, Duc Liem. "Japanese Military Involvement in Ayutthaya, 1600-1630". Asian Research Center for Migration ARCM, Institute of Asian Studies (IAS), Chulalongkorn University: 1–22. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ^ THALANG, JEERAWAT NA (16 April 2017). "The truth about Ayutthaya". Bangkok Post.
  14. ^ "Historic City of Ayutthaya". UNESCO.
  15. ^ Backe, Chris (May 12, 2013). "Destination: the old Portuguese settlement (Ayutthaya, Thailand)".
  16. ^ @HistorianofIran (May 17, 2020). "8/The account includes 4 parts: (a) initial part of the journey; (b)from India to the port of Tanasuri in Siam;(c)…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ^ Christoph Marcinkowski, Persians and Shi’ites in Thailand: From the Ayutthaya Period to the Present, Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre Working Paper No 15 (Feb 2014), pp. 4-5
  18. ^ "Historical Dictionary of Thailand", pg. 54
  19. ^ Wongcha-Um, Panu (2010). What is Thai Cuisine? Thai Culinary Identity Construction From The Rise of the Bangkok Dynasty to Its Revival (MA Thesis). Singapore: National University of Singapore. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  20. ^ Nualkhair, Chawadee, "In Thailand, Funeral Cookbooks Preserve Recipes and Memories"
  21. ^ Christoph Marcinkowski, Persians and Shi’ites in Thailand: From the Ayutthaya Period to the Present, Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre Working Paper No 15 (Feb 2014), pp. 15-16
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