Home Region: Mainland Southeast Asia (Southeast Asia)

Rattanakosin

1782 CE 1873 CE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 th_rattanakosin / ThRattn

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

1593 CE 1767 CE Ayutthaya (th_ayutthaya) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

General Description

After the destruction of the city of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767, the Chao Phraya Basin was briefly ruled by Phaya Taksin, a charismatic warrior-king of obscure origins who chose Thonburi as his capital, near Bangkok, an old Chinese trading settlement. In 1782, what remained of the old Ayutthaya aristocracy staged a coup and put their leader on the throne. This leader took the name of Rama I Chakri and moved the capital to Bangkok, known at the time as Rattanakosin or Krungthep. ^[1] Under Rama I, the kingdom rapidly expanded to the south (where it extended its control to the Malay peninsula), the north (where Chiang Mai became a new tributary), and the east (taking control of Vientiane and much of Cambodia). ^[2] It could be said to have reached its peak between 1793 and 1810, when it found new stability, regained control over important Asian trade networks, and witnessed a literary florescence, with the translation of several classics from different Asian languages. ^[3] Our ’ThRattn’ polity spans the 89 years between 1782 and 1873, when Rama V began a comprehensive series of modernizing reforms. ^[4]
Population and political organization
The Rattanakosin kingdom was ruled by the Thai aristocracy. The king was simply a primus inter pares ‒ indeed, some kings, such as Rama II and Rama IV, actually retreated into a ritual role and left the administration of the kingdom entirely to the nobility. Even during the reign of more active kings, such as Rama I and Rama III, the aristocracy still monopolized the key posts in the central administration. However, the king always led the country in spiritual matters: he was seen as a bodhisattva, a spiritually superior superhuman being tasked with preserving Buddhism and aiding his subjects in their ascent toward nirvana, for example through moral laws banning sinful pursuits. ^[5]
Evidence for the size of this polity’s population before 1911, the year of the first census, is sparse and unreliable. However, a reasonable estimate would be that, following slow growth beginning in the 1780s, the population reached just below 5 million by the middle of the 19th century. ^[6] It is not clear whether this estimate includes tributary states and cities.

[1]: (Baker and Phongpaichit 2009, 27, 31) Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit. 2009. A History of Thailand. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[2]: (Baker and Phongpaichit 2009, 27-28) Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit. 2009. A History of Thailand. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[3]: (Wyatt 1984, 154-55) David K. Wyatt. 1984. Thailand: A Short History. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

[4]: (Wyatt 1984, 194) David K. Wyatt. 1984. Thailand: A Short History. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

[5]: (Baker and Phongpaichit 2009, 31-32) Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit. 2009. A History of Thailand. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[6]: (Dixon 2002, xxxii) Chris Dixon. 1999. The Thai Economy: Uneven Development and Internationalisation. London: Routledge.

General Variables

Identity and Location

4 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

2 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

2 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

2 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

2 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 General Postal Service

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions

5 Power Transition

Instability Events

12 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin) was in:
(1782 CE 1873 CE)	Cambodian Basin

Home NGA: Cambodian Basin

General Variables

Identity and Location Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	47 P	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Utm Zone	47 Q	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Utm Zone	48 P	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Utm Zone	48 Q	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Original Name	Rattanakosin	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Capital	Rattanakosin	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Alternative Name	Bangkok Empire	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Alternative Name	Krungthep	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Temporal Bounds Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[1793 CE ➜ 1810 CE]
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Duration	[1782 CE ➜ 1873 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	vassalage to [---]	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Supracultural Entity	Indianized Southeast Asia	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Succeeding Entity	Rattanakosin - Reform Period	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction	2,175,000 km²	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Preceding Entity 1593 CE 1767 CE	Ayutthaya (th_ayutthaya) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	confederated state	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Language Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Tai-Kadai	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Language	Thai	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Religion Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[50,000 to 100,000] people	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Polity Territory	513,120 km²	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Polity Population	[1,000,000 to 3,000,000] people	1800 CE
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Polity Population	[4,000,000 to 5,000,000] people	1850 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Religious Level	6	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Military Level	5	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Administrative Level	6	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Professions Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Absent	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Absent	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Merit Promotion	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Examination System	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Law Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Judge	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Court	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Irrigation System	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Absent	1782 CE 1857 CE
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Road	Present	1857 CE 1873 CE
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Port	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Canal	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Bridge	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Information / Writing System Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Script	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Sacred Text	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Religious Literature	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Practical Literature	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Philosophy	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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History	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Fiction	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Calendar	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Information / Money Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Precious Metal	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Paper Currency	Absent	1782 CE 1862 CE
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Paper Currency	Present	1862 CE 1873 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Foreign Coin	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Article	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Information / Postal System Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
General Postal Service	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Information / Measurement System Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Modern Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Moat	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Earth Rampart	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Ditch	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Long Wall	unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Military use of Metals Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Iron	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Copper	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Bronze	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Projectiles Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Sling	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Self Bow	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Javelin	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Crossbow	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Composite Bow	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Handheld weapons Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Sword	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Spear	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Polearm	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Dagger	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Battle Axe	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Animals used in warfare Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Elephant	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Donkey	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Dog	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Camel	Absent Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Armor Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Shield	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Scaled Armor	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Plate Armor	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Limb Protection	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Leather Cloth	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Laminar Armor	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Helmet	Present Inferred	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Chainmail	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Naval technology Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Absent	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Present	1782 CE 1873 CE
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Human Sacrifice Rattanakosin (th_rattanakosin)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More