Chiang Mai's Royal Crematorium: Siamese Influence Evident in Lanna Cremation Heritage

Abstract

The Chao Luang crematorium was a temporary architecture made for the cremation and funeral of Chao Luang Chiang Mai (King of Chiang Mai). The creation of the Chao Luang crematorium reflected the social and political pressures of Siam that influenced Lanna territories during the reign of Phra Chao Inthawichayanon in 1873 till 1932 (coup d’etat), resulting in a change in the architectural style of these funeral structures. This research aims to study the architectural style changes of Chao Luang crematorium in Chiang Mai from the moment when Siam began to draw power from Lanna to the central part of the territory. The study results reveal that, originally, the funeral rites of Chao Luang followed a specific form of Lanna rituals. However, during the reign of Phra Chao Inthawichayanon, the 7th Chao Luang of Chiang Mai, new power from Siam was imposed on Lanna, which resulted in changes to the Lanna architecture and cremation traditions, aligning them more closely with Siamese traditions. Eventually, the traditional Lanna rituals were amalgamated into the style of Siam. The evolving architectural style of the Chiang Mai Royal Crematorium provides evidence of Siamese colonization’s ongoing impact on Lanna.