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Going Beyond the Tropes of ‘Friendship’ and ‘Modernization’ : Internal Colonialism in Siam and Scandinavia in the Age of Empire

Ivarsson, Søren LU ; Hongsaton, Preedee LU and Zackari, Karin LU orcid (2025) In Scandinavian Journal of History 50(1). p.52-76
Abstract

This article contributes to a reconceptualization of the relationship between Siam and Scandinavia at the turn of the twentieth century. At that time, the relationship was manifested by the presence of a large group of Scandinavian, mainly Danish, entrepreneurs and professionals in Siam and repeated visits between the royal houses in Siam and the Scandinavian countries. The tropes of friendship and modernization dominate the main representation of the relationship. In accordance with this representation the Scandinavians were not perceived as a colonial threat to the Siamese rulers but co-producers of a modern and independent Siam. This narrative, created both by the Scandinavians and Siamese, reproduces a dominant royalist narrative in... (More)

This article contributes to a reconceptualization of the relationship between Siam and Scandinavia at the turn of the twentieth century. At that time, the relationship was manifested by the presence of a large group of Scandinavian, mainly Danish, entrepreneurs and professionals in Siam and repeated visits between the royal houses in Siam and the Scandinavian countries. The tropes of friendship and modernization dominate the main representation of the relationship. In accordance with this representation the Scandinavians were not perceived as a colonial threat to the Siamese rulers but co-producers of a modern and independent Siam. This narrative, created both by the Scandinavians and Siamese, reproduces a dominant royalist narrative in Thai historical writing that presents the absolute monarchy as a disinterested elite who launched a series of reforms to modernize Siam and safeguard the country against foreign encroachment. With reference to a revisionist tradition in Thai historical writing, we argue that Scandinavian–Siamese relations at the turn of the twentieth century needs to be accentuated in relation to the Siamese royal elite’s project of internal colonialism.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Colonialism, empire, Scandinavia, Siam
in
Scandinavian Journal of History
volume
50
issue
1
pages
52 - 76
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85199965934
ISSN
0346-8755
DOI
10.1080/03468755.2024.2381478
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a89db59d-529f-411b-95e9-7f565a73cba6
date added to LUP
2024-12-02 10:48:16
date last changed
2025-01-21 11:52:51
@article{a89db59d-529f-411b-95e9-7f565a73cba6,
  abstract     = {{<p>This article contributes to a reconceptualization of the relationship between Siam and Scandinavia at the turn of the twentieth century. At that time, the relationship was manifested by the presence of a large group of Scandinavian, mainly Danish, entrepreneurs and professionals in Siam and repeated visits between the royal houses in Siam and the Scandinavian countries. The tropes of friendship and modernization dominate the main representation of the relationship. In accordance with this representation the Scandinavians were not perceived as a colonial threat to the Siamese rulers but co-producers of a modern and independent Siam. This narrative, created both by the Scandinavians and Siamese, reproduces a dominant royalist narrative in Thai historical writing that presents the absolute monarchy as a disinterested elite who launched a series of reforms to modernize Siam and safeguard the country against foreign encroachment. With reference to a revisionist tradition in Thai historical writing, we argue that Scandinavian–Siamese relations at the turn of the twentieth century needs to be accentuated in relation to the Siamese royal elite’s project of internal colonialism.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ivarsson, Søren and Hongsaton, Preedee and Zackari, Karin}},
  issn         = {{0346-8755}},
  keywords     = {{Colonialism; empire; Scandinavia; Siam}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{52--76}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of History}},
  title        = {{Going Beyond the Tropes of ‘Friendship’ and ‘Modernization’ : Internal Colonialism in Siam and Scandinavia in the Age of Empire}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03468755.2024.2381478}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/03468755.2024.2381478}},
  volume       = {{50}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}