Intharatcha

Intharatcha the Great อินทราชาใหญ่
King of Khaunban Lord of the Ten Directions Great King of the East
King of Khaunban and dominions Sippom (1649-1673) Kyin States (1651-1673) Lue States (1651-1673) Taraotung (1653-1673) Tchin Kingdom (1654-1673) Akhir States (1657-1673)
Reign	1 April 1647 - 11 July 1673
Coronation	11 July 1647 at Khaunban 12 February 1661 at Rongzhuo
Predecessor	Mahathammarachathirat
Successor	Borommarachathirat
Suzerain of Lanhok
Reign	9 March 1652 - 11 July 1673
Predecessor	Office created
Successor	Borommarachathirat
King	Nodthakorn II (1652-1668) Kirakorn (1652-1681)
Suzerain of Chensae
Reign	16 July 1652 - 11 July 1673
Predecessor	Office created
Successor	Borommarachathirat
King	Sukonthor (1652-1652) Chettha (1652-1654) Ang Chan I (1654-1670) Satha I (1670-1672) Chey Chettha I (1672-1673)
Suzerain of Myiang
Reign	19 September 1652 - 11 July 1673
Predecessor	Office created
Successor	Borommarachathirat
Suzerain of Muendap
Reign	3 February 1653 - 11 July 1673
Predecessor	Office created
Successor	Borommarachathirat
King	Kathawut (1653-1666) Pralop II (1666-1668) Nirund (1668-1673)
Suzerain of Vihkenadebau
Reign	8 July 1653 - 11 July 1673
Predecessor	Office created
Successor	Borommarachathirat
Prince	Saw E (1653-1671) Khon Law (1671-1673)
Suzerain of Sipmueang
Reign	21 May 1655 - 11 July 1673
Predecessor	Office created
Successor	Borommarachathirat
King	Pichai (1653-1659) Thongchai (1659-1673)
Suzerain of Namoset
Reign	18 August 1655 - 11 July 1673
Predecessor	Office created
Successor	Borommarachathirat
King	Phrom-Borirak (1655-1673)
Suzerain of Namkwon
Reign	28 April 1658 - 11 July 1673
Predecessor	Office created
Successor	Borommarachathirat
King	Thảo Thánh Tông (1658-1658) Thảo Nhân Tông (1658-1663) Thảo Cao Tông (1663-1667) Thảo Chiêu Hoàng (1667-1673)
Suzerain of the Great Jiao
Reign	17 December 1660 - 11 July 1673
Predecessor	Office created
Successor	Borommarachathirat
Emperor	Taizong Emperor (1660-1667) Taichu Emperor (1669-1671) Taian Emperor (1671-1673)
Born	Supsampantuwongse Chaowas Nai-Thim 10 March 1624 Khaunban
Died	22 November 1673(1673-11-22) (aged 49) Juancheng
Burial	Khaunban
Consort	Neungluthai
Consorts	Thao-Ap Thảo Liên Hoa Tanaka Sai Liu Nüying (Over 50 more, see Consorts)
Issue Detail	Norrapan Borommarachathirat Chariya (Over 90 more, see Issue)
Full name Intharatcha Thirakkhongchakho Hokkhongmueang Chaohaengthongfalaelok Lukchailangkhaen Phrachaokhonglok Regnal name Intharatcha
Dynasty	Khaunban
Father	Mahathammarachathirat
Mother	Manya-Phathon
Religion	Zohism

Intharatcha the Great (Thai: อินทราชาใหญ่, RKGS: Inotrachayai), was the 6th monarch of Khaunban and the 1st Khaunban Emperor, from 1647 to 1673. He was a highly intelligent, ruthless, and militaristic monarch whose 26-year reign saw the rapid creation of one of the largest empires in Coius. At his empire's height in 1665, his rule stretched from Rongzhuo in the west to Sungai Baru in the east, and he received tribute from both the Agudan and Senrian Empires.

Intharatcha spent most of his ruling years on an unprecedented military campaign throughout Southeast Coius, and by the age of 35 he had subjugated most of it. Until his expedition into Xiaodong he remained undefeated in battle, and continued to win the vast majority of his battles. He is regarded as one of the most significant military commanders in history, with his campaigns and battles still being regularly studied in Coius. While known less for it than his military achievements, his political, cultural, and religious legacy has made him one of the most celebrated monarchs of Kuthina, though he remains controversial in Xiaodong and elsewhere in Southeast Coius.

Born Supsampantuwongse Chaowas Nai-Thim, a prince of Khaunban, a modest city-state under the suzerainty of the Kingdom of Sippom, he came to the throne in 1647 after his father, Mahathammarachathirat, was murdered by Kraisingha of Sippom. In response he led a successful revolt against Sippomese rule which placed him in control of the Lueng river valley. He undertook the creation of his Grand Army and used it to great effect over the next 11 years conquering and subjugating much of Southeast Coius, including the Kingdoms of Chensae, Lanhok, Myiang, and Namkwon. Their integration into his empire remained loose, and he would spend much of his reign dealing with revolts and internal strife.

The collapse of the Jiao dynasty in 1659 presented an opportunity to Intharatcha, and in 1660 he invaded Xiaodong and captured Rongzhuo. The Jiao princes vacillated between opposing him and requesting his aid, which, along with rebellions back home, greatly hampered his ability to commit to the Xiaodong campaign. In 1667 Rongzhuo was taken during his absence, and in 1668 his reputation suffered greatly after a devastating loss at the Battle of Yuan'an. He spent the remainder of his reign dealing with revolts in his unstable empire, which would continue to plague his successor and help cause the rapid decline of his short-lived empire.

Intharatcha built an empire on a scale not seen in Southeast Coius before, one which in his mind rivalled and outshone that of the Svai Empire, and the concurrent Xiaodongese and Senrian empires, which he sought to subjugate. Unlike previous, and later, Kasi monarchs, who were largely adherents of the Badi faith, he was a zealous Zohist, and he built, converted, and patronised over a hundred temples. While his empire did not last, his unification of the Kasi Kingdoms of the Upper and Lower Lueng endured, as did the Kasi suzerainty of the Svai and Niah kingdoms. He remodelled the concept of Kasi kingship from that of a paternal father and personal ruler, to that of a divine autocratic monarch, a system which would endure until the Khanompang Revolution and institution of constitutional monarchy in 1961.

Name

While he was born Supsampantuwongse Chaowas Nai-Thim, he is most commonly known by his regnal name, Intharatcha. Intharatcha is a compound name, of Intha and Ratcha. Intha derives from proto-Pardaro-Satrian *Indras, which is became the name for the deity Indra. The worship of Indra was once widespread across Zorasan, Satria, and the Great Steppe, but he is more commonly known as as the Zohist deity Yìndù. His name is synonymous with the symbolism of a divine chariot. Ratcha derives from the Parbhan rājan (राजन्), meaning king, which was translated into Xiaodongese with the meaning of deity or divine, as Lājiǎ (拉賈). Compounded together Intharatcha translates to 'Chariot of the Gods'.

His ceremonial name, which was used on decrees and is present on statues dedicated to him and on his tomb is:

Intharatcha Thirakkhongchakho Hokkhongmueang Chaohaengthongfalaelok Lukchailangkhaen Phrachaokhonglok

อินทราชา ที่รักของชาโค หอกของเมือง จ้าวแห่งท้องฟ้าและโลก ลูกชายล้างแค้น พระชายาโขงโลก

This translates to:

Chariot of the Gods, Beloved of Shako, Spear of the City, Master of Sky and Earth, the Avenging Son, the Divine King of the World

Invasion of Xiaodong

Main article: Transition from Jiao to Toki

Administration

Foreign policy

A contemporary Jiao print of subject kings and foreign ambassadors kowtowing to Intharatcha at his second coronation in Rongzhuo, 1661

For Intharatcha policy towards Southeast Coius was less 'foreign' and more 'domestic'. He considered himself to be the rightful suzerain of the area, and so treated the rulers of all the nations therein as he treated his own subordinates. This was his policy even before he began his conquests, which earned him the enmity of his neighbouring states and necessitated a militaristic approach to enforcing it. He adopted the Xiaodongese model of tribute, although he took an active interest in the domestic affairs of his subject states, often replacing disloyal kings and executing officials who urged resistance to his suzerainty. He would often reside in the main palaces of his subject monarchs, relegating them to lesser palaces or even humiliating them by sending them out to their provinces to act as governors.

His policy towards the Jiao dynasty was largely pragmatic. It is clear that from 1655, and perhaps even earlier, he intended to invade Xiaodong and likely usher in his own dynasty, but until 1660 he played the part of a loyal tributary. He sent lavish gifts after each of his conquests, in return the Jiao would recognise his new sovereignty over said areas and thus grant him further legitimacy. After the fall of Baiqiao to Red Orchid rebels in 1659, he invaded in 1660 and captured Rongzhuo that same year. After this the Jiao became both allies and enemies, and as both they ended up frequently hindering his plans in Xiaodong. This infighting allowed for the rise of the Toki dynasty, who would continue their unification of Xiaodong after his death in 1673, and would later sack Khaunban in 1682.

Relations between Senria and the Khaunban Empire were typically warm, if of a lesser nature due to the distance and divergent interests of the two nations. Senria was in the midst of the bloodiest part of the Tigoku period and so their court had little interest outside of their isles, as shown by their refusal of Intharatcha's offer in 1655 to jointly invade the Jiao. Intharatcha's main policy towards Senria was ensuring that they remain unresponsive to his affairs, and he benefited from their crises through the hiring of many tankenhei. While he had tentative plans to invade Senria or demand their subjugation, this was always envisaged to happen after a successful invasion of Xiaodong, which after 1668 became highly unlikely and so was largely forgotten.

The rise of Intharatcha's empire coincided with the height of the Agudan Empire. The two states had a tense relationship, made worse by Intharatcha's subjugation of the Akhir states, cities which had previously been under the protection and suzerainty of the Agudans. Intharatcha was also a fanatical Zohist, and his liquidation and conversion of Badi temples and shrines further strained relations. Despite this both empires had shared interests in combating the various polities of the Great Steppe, including the Togoti Khaganate, and this along with complications elsewhere meant that they never came to blows. The flow of trade, skilled artisans, as well as mercenaries between the states, particularly cannoneers and musketmen from Aguda, and elephantry from Khaunban, also helped keep the peace.

Satria was largely under Togoti control by the mid 17th century, and so Intharatcha's primary concern in this area was with the Togoti, an empire which he considered his main rival and threat and yet one which he never came to blows with. His correspondence with Aryabhata Pandya, a prominent Togoti official and Satrian prince, reveals that after dealing with Xiaodong, Intharatcha intended to 'liberate' Satria from Togoti rule. This is further supported by his patronage of, and dealings with, anti-Togoti Gukdongs in the Ansan Empire. After 1665 and the Gurkhan's death the Togoti Khaganate fell into a civil war and began losing control over Satria, and by 1668 dialogue between Aryabhata and Intharatcha had ended along with any talk or plans to invade Satria.

The Khaunban embassy to Francois II led by Tian Thassapak in 1662, by Timoléon de Chaumont

Intharatcha proved keen to open up relations with Euclean nations, particularly Gaullica. Gervasius Jacquet, a Gaullican Catholic priest had become a favourite of Intharatcha's soon after his arrival in 1658, and taught the king much about Euclea. Jacquet was never able to convey his own ideas about Gaullica's importance to the king, who also listened to Estmerish and Povelian courtiers, but he was able to convince him to send an embassy to Gaullica in 1662. Intharatcha wrote a personal letter to Francois II, and gave him lavish gifts, exceptionally including a white elephant. The Khaunban ambassadors to Gaullica worked hard to ensure the Gaullican reciprocal gift would be lesser in value, thus establishing Gaullica in the traditional manner as a client state of the Khaunban, unbeknownst to the Gaullicans. Euclean influence in Intharatcha's itinerant court would gradually decrease as his war in Xiaodong and fracturing empire outweighed foreign policy towards a very far off land.

The New World was a place that fascinated Intharatcha, and he requested his ambassadors to Gaullica acquire for him as many maps as possible. From his writings it is clear that the concept of terra nullius confused him, and he assumed that the Eucleans were attempting to mask failures to conquer extant and great native empires. His attempts to purchase land in the New World never came to fruition, and it is clear that he considered the land as military outposts for future invasions instead of as colonies for settling or for profitable enterprises. He made tentative plans to invade the Asterias from the west, after conquering Xiaodong and Senria, and subjugating Satria, but paid little attention to the idea or the Asterias after 1667.

Religious policy

Intharatcha undertook significant renovations and expansion of the Zohist temple Wat Photaram in Sippom

Unlike most Kasi kings, the rulers of Khaunban held a preference for Zohism over that of Badi or the folk religion still practiced by many of their subjects. Intharatcha was a particularly devout Zohist of the school of Busothaq, which emphasised spirituality and mysticism. He envisioned himself as a living Chakela, and believed that his conquest of Southern Coius would bring him to an enlightened state of near-divinity as a conscious Chakela. Further to this end he patronised many Zohist temples, and constructed over a hundred during his reign. In the capitals of each state he conquered he constructed vast temples, sometimes demolishing entire areas for them, some of which still survive to this day, albeit often as Badi temples, or museums.

While Intharatcha largely continued the tolerant policies of his predecessors, it has been noted that he often took a harsh stance on Badi and its practitioners. He regarded it as a 'foreign atheistic religion', and a threat to his political position as a divine monarch. Major Badi temples suffered from liquidation or conversion after his conquests, rarely gave permission for the building or restoration of Badi temples, and Badi clergy suffered spontaneous persecution.

The Khaunban embassy to Urban XII in 1662

Intharatcha took a great interest in Sotirianity, particularly Solarian Catholicism, which was introduced to his court by Gaullican and Povelian priests and merchants. The Catholic Priest Gervasius Jacquet tutored the king on the religion, hoping to gain a convert, but was disappointed in these efforts. Intharatcha saw similarities between his own faith, Zohism, and that of the Eucleans, Sotirianity, and began to believe that Soucius' disciples had spread their underground communities all the way to Adunis. He further identified Jesus Sotiras as an emanation of Yi, the brother of the semi-divine legendary Xiaodongese emperor Kela Keshi who introduced Zohism to Southern Coius, as having much the same role but for Northern Coius and Euclea.

His embassy to Pope Urban XII in 1662, which followed a previous meeting with Francois II in Gaullica, was largely a failure for both sides. Urban XII invited Intharatcha to convert to Sotirianity, while Intharatcha had personally prepared a lengthy treatise to persuade the Pope that Sotirianity was a misunderstood form of Zohism. He also gifted Urban gilded copies of four of Zohism's higest scriptures, the Chingtze, Te Pipan, Zouching, and Fangzi, which have been kept on display in Apostolic Palace since 2017 in a show of Interfaith dialogue by Pope Josephus I. Intharatcha was unaware that his efforts had been in vain, however, as his returning ambassadors falsely informed him that both Francois and Urban had converted, something which pleased him greatly. Sotirians remained in high-standing in his court, and that of the short reign of his successor, a policy which would not continued by his later successors

Intharatcha's Grand Army

The Senrian tankenhei Tanaka Tunemasa became a trusted general and advisor of Intharatcha

The creation of the Khaunban Empire had primarily been through military means, and lacking longevity or legitimacy outside of its constituent rulers' personal ties to Intharatcha, required a strong military to remain consolidated. At the start of Intharatcha's reign his army was largely composed of Kasi peasant levies, supported by cavalry, largely from the nobility, and a small elephant corps. It was with this army that Intharatcha was able to overthrow Sippommese rule of Khaunban and establish Khaunban as the new power in the Lueng river valley. This small nucleus would form the basis of the later ' Grand Army' (kongthap thiyingyai)

As the empire expanded so did the diversity within the army. The majority of the levies remained ethnically Kasi, but they were joined by Namkwonese, Svai, Kyin, and Niah conscripts, largely from subject kingdoms. In 1557 Intharatcha divided the levies between the thammada (basic, or general) troops, who were raised for a specific campaign for short-term cyclical periods, and the phiset (extraordinary, special) soldiers, who constituted one of the first standing professional armies in Kuthine history. The phiset soldiers were entitled to a monthly salary, were given a uniform, underwent three years of training, and were expected to serve a minimum of 15 years. Villages which provided a certain ammount of phiset soldiers were excluded from the thammada registry.

While the infantry levies formed the core of the army, the various special branches proved key for Intharatcha's continuing successes. These were the the elephantry, cavalry, artillery, and navy. The elephantry grew substantially with the army, becoming a major part of Intharatcha's war strategy despite never being more than one percent of his total force. The cavalry diversified into several branches, from light Myiang skirmishers to heavy Merket lancers. For artillery and muskets the Grand Army was largely reliant upon Gaullican and Estmerish merchants and mercenaries for cannon and officers respectively. Other notable mercenary regiments included Senrian veterans from the Soukou War, led by Tanaka Tunemasa, and cannonneers from the Aguda Empire.

In order to keep together a vast and ethnically diverse army, Intharatcha had to rely upon a competent officer corps. In his initial reign he was forced to rely upon the aristocracy and gentry for leadership, but as the empire grew he established a permanent Kalahom Department to oversee the training of officers and creation of strategy. Three of his five 'Gods of War', his most famed generals, Kriang Krai, Natthapong, and Chuthamani, came from peasant backgrounds and were able to rise on merit. The officer corp was equally as diverse as the army, with generals such as Vĩnh Nhật Tấn, Tanaka Tunemasa, Binnyadala, and Tian Thassapak achieving high rank and status.

During Intharatcha's campaigns in Xiaodong, his army expanded considerably both from the recruitment of local Xiaodongese, and the addition of irregular conscripted bandit and rebel militias, as well as allied Jiao armies. In contrast to his earlier policies, these units were rarely mixed with the rest of the Grand Army and were often under the command of local leaders or allied Jiao generals. This was likely due to Intharatcha's lack of trust in the loyalty of these troops, many of whom had served under various dynasties and rebel leaders in quick succession.

The Gaullican Gervasius Jacquet, in his letter to Francois II, wrote that the army of "Indharache" numbered "in the millions" with "hordes of beasts and no less than 100 cannon". Though an exaggeration, at its peak the Grand Army may well have had a strength of over one million, although more conservative estimates vary its wartime strength between 300,000 and 650,000.

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  A Chanwan horseman from the Kingdom of Myiang

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  An elephant and accompanying crew from Namkwon

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  Mural paintings of Kasi infantry during Intharactha's reign

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  Contemporary painting of the mercenary army of Senrian tankenhei Tanaka Tunemasa

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  Agudan double barrelled cetbang on a carriage