Call Him by His Name: The Politics of Regnal Names in the Siamese Dawn of Modernity

This study explores the politics of regnal names in Siam during the nineteenth century, a time of major modernization and interaction with colonial powers. By examining how three Siamese monarchs—King Rama III, King Mongkut, and King Chulalongkorn—invented and organized royal naming traditions, the article exposes the intricate relationship between traditional beliefs, internal political forces, and external influences. It argues that regnal names, originally based on religious and cosmological ideas, were reshaped into a means of fostering modern historical awareness, strengthening royal authority, and shaping national identity. The research also considers how an emerging public sphere and the growth of nationalism challenged these elite-driven naming customs. The findings show that not all actions by the elite are permanently practical, especially in the realm of cultural politics, and demonstrate how cultural practices in Asia are often uniquely influenced by both internal circumstances and external factors such as colonialism. This work adds to the broader discussion of Siam’s progress and offers a foundation for comparative analysis of identity politics in other Asian countries.