Phya Anuman Rajadhon: Self made academician and influential writer

Phya Anuman Rajadhon (Stock2You / Shutterstock.com)

Phya Anuman Rajadhon พระยาอนุมานราชธน (1888-1969), who became known by his pen name Sathiankoset, can be regarded as one of the most influential pioneers, if not the founder, of modern Thai anthropology.

At the same time, he was also one of the most important writers of his generation and with his refined writing style, he took a unique place in Thai literature. Even more remarkable was that he was not a trained academic but one self-made man, who formed himself from a personal interest as a philologist, anthropologist, folklorist and ethnographer.

He was born Yong on December 14, 1888 in Bangkok to a humble family of ethnic Chinese-Siamese origin. His parents, Nai Lee and Nang Hia, sent their eldest son to Assumption College founded in 1885 by French Catholic missionaries for a few years until he got a job at the Oriental Hotel. When he was tired of this job, he opted for job security and went into government service as a clerk at the Customs services in the Siamese capital. This turned out to be a good choice as he rose to assistant director general of the department, received the title of Khun Anuman Rajadhon and a promotion to Phya.

After the coup d'état of 1932, however, he had to give way to a favorite of the new government. The latter, however, recognized his abilities because he was not dismissed but almost immediately appointed as the head of the Culture Department of the newly established Fine Arts Department and would end his remarkable career as Director General of the Fine Arts Department. Despite the fact that he had no university studies, he combined this job with that of a part-time philology lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Arts. This university awarded him an honorary doctorate after his retirement. The same goes for Silpakorn University, which he helped found and which awarded him an honorary doctorate in Archaeology.

Phya Anuman was fascinated by the social norms and values ​​of the Siamese-Thai culture, the folk customs and oral tradition. From the XNUMXs onwards, he extensively studied and described the rich Thai folklore and religious festivals at a time when traditional forms of social and community organization came under increasing pressure from a wave of modernization largely driven by economic objectives. Folk beliefs and folklore were developed by the Hi so and the rapidly gaining importance of the middle class after the Second World War were regarded as expressions of an outdated and even backward way of life that should be abolished as soon as possible. Phya Anuman devoted herself for decades and with unrelenting energy in word and writing to save and protect this heritage.

It can be reassured that if he had not been there, much of this cultural heritage might have been irretrievably lost. His studies on, among other things, the spirits, amulets, fertility rituals or the auspicious waving Nang Kwak set the tone and are now regarded as standard works. In addition, Phya Anuman produced a variety of literary work. This often happened in close collaboration with Phra Saraprasoet (1889-1945) with whom he translated a number of works into Thai.

Phya Anuman's work slowly but surely sparked a new interest in Thai folklore and culture in academic circles. He was certainly not only driven by nostalgia, but tried to save the soul of the highly diversified cultural identity of the country and people from certain destruction. Phya Anuman Rajadhon, however, was not a sant in his own country. Until well into the twentieth century, Thai historiography was a monopoly of princes and court dignitaries. They were not exactly thrilled with the arrival of an articulate and passionate historiographer of low birth.

Recognition for his very valuable and especially pioneering work came at a late age when he was allowed to give lectures at various universities and was invited abroad. His years of selfless dedication were rewarded when in 1968 he became the first non-noble Thai to be appointed president of the prestigious cultural-historical Siam Society.