208 MAN : PAST AND PRESENT. [CHAP. 



the disastrous wars with Burma, which twice captured and finally 

 destroyed Ayuthia (1767), now a picturesque elephant-park visited 

 by tourists from the present capital, Bangkok, founded in 1772 

 a little lower down the Menam. 



But the elements of decay existed from the first in the institu- 

 tion of slavery or serfdom, which was not restricted 

 s<fciaTsystem to a particular class, as in other lands, but, before 

 the modern reforms, extended in principle to all the 

 kings' subjects in mockery declared "Freemen" by the founders of 

 the monarchy. This, however, may be regarded as perhaps little 

 more than a legal fiction, for at all times class distinctions were 

 really recognised, comprising the members of the royal family- 

 a somewhat numerous group the nobles named by the king, the 

 leks or vassals, and the people, these latter being again subdivided 

 into three sections, those liable to taxation, those subject to forced 

 labour, and the slaves proper. But so little developed was the 

 sentiment of personal dignity and freedom, that anybody from 

 the highest noble to the humblest citizen might at any moment 

 lapse into the lowest category. Like most Mongoloid peoples, 

 the Siamese are incurable gamblers, and formerly it was an every- 

 day occurrence for a freeman to stake all his goods and chattels, 

 wives, children, and self, on the hazard of the die. 



Yet the women, like their Burmese sisters, have always held 



a somewhat honourable social position, being free 



Woman.' to wa lk abroad, go shopping, visit their friends, see 



the sights, and take part in the frequent public 



feastings without restriction. Those, however, who brought no 



dower and had to be purchased, might again be sold at any 



time, and many thus constantly fell from the dignity of matrons 



to the position of the merest drudges without rights or privileges 



of any kind. These strange relations were endurable, thanks to 



the genial nature of the national temperament, by which the hard 



lot of the thralls was softened, and a little light allowed to 



had brought back from its renowned capital, Angkor Wat, over 90,000 captives. 

 These were largely employed in the wars of the period, which were thus attri- 

 buted to Camboja instead of to Siam by foreign peoples ignorant of the changed 

 relations in Indo- China. 



