Abstract:
Historiography, along with the philosophy of history, is the essential core of historical study. While the latter acts as the ideological foundation, the former helps to realize that ideology into concrete historical writings. Besides, historiography is also the important means of the well-organized and systematic historical study which enhances the development of the subject as a whole. The thesis describes Thai historiography during 1932-1973. Collecting data from various Thai historical writings published and playing an important role during that period, the author analyses the method, characteristics and style of the mainstream and other schools of Thai historiography. Moreover, since historiography is but one form of social intellect which interacts relatively with other social conditions, the economic, political as well as other cultural backgrounds are also closely scrutinized. The author finds out that the mainstream of Thai historiography is the one that was centralized on nation-state, kingship and/or nationalism which nevertheless has continuously developed from the former chronicle tradition. At the same time, there emerged the other school of historiography which has adopted socialist methodology. Development of both schools of historiography has led to the characteristics and style of Thai Historiography after 1973, although both the former lines of approach are still prominent at the present period.