Abstract:
The purpose of this research is to provide an analytical study of the administration of Songkhla in Ratanakosin Period from 1782-1896. During this period Songkhla took charge in governing the nearby provincial towns and Southern vassal states and came to replace Nakornsrithammarat in importance. The central governments administration of Songkhla was related to its interest in increasing control over the Southern provincial towns. In other words. Songkhlas groving importance was due to the central governments policy of acquiring control over the Southern provincial towns. It was the writers intention to carry out this study along with a study of the policy over the Southern vassal states in order to point out the various problems arising from the administration of provincial towns. This made it necessary for the central government to establish a more cautious policy. What is more, controversies among the provincial rulers themselves and between these rulers and the central government as well as immediate circumstances were responsible for the governments change in policy in order that the control could be more effective. The final result was that the central government could reform its administration of Monthon Nakornsrithammarat. The study covers the reign of King Rama I to the reign King Rama V in 1896 when Songkhla, Nakornsrithammarat and Patthalung were constituted as Monthon Nakornsrithammarat. We can see from the research that the administration of Songkhla in the early Ratanakosin Period (1782-1851) tends to be based on short-term peoblem-solving policies depending to a large extent on the king, the provincial rulers capabilities and the circumstances in the South. Later, in the reign of King Mongkut, the policy tends to establish a closer relationship with the provincial towns. The central government also seeks to improve its control over these towns by introducing the Monthon Dhesapibal system in the reign of King Rama V in 1896. In this year Nakornsrithammarat, including Songkhla, becomes part of the new Dhesapibal system.