Narai Crowned King of Ayutthaya

1656

Prince Narai ascended the Siamese throne at Ayutthaya after a brief succession crisis. His reign would open the kingdom to European merchants and missionaries to an unprecedented degree, and his Greek adventurer favorite Constantine Phaulkon would briefly direct court policy in a wildly cosmopolitan experiment. The era ended abruptly when a palace revolution overthrew foreign influence and sealed Siam's borders.