Chawiwat Pramoj

Chawiwat Pramoj (Thai: หม่อมเจ้าฉวีวาด ปราโมช) was a daughter of Vorachakra Dharanubhab.^[1][2] born circa 1836–1838 to Her Excellency Duangjai Pramoj, herself a granddaughter of His Royal Highness Prince Anurak Devesh.^[3]

During her period of political exile, Chawiwat assumed a central role in the transmission of Siamese royal dance to the Cambodian royal milieu, thereby establishing the canonical framework upon which the contemporary Cambodian Royal Dance is founded.^[4][3][5]

Chawiwat’s life concluded peacefully in Siam between 1934 and 1936.^[6]: 287 She was survived by a single offspring, Nood—also known as Nus—born to her fourth consort, Srean Thibodi (Pal), the governor of Ralapuey (ระลาเปือย), who was of Chinese descent.^[7]

Chawiwat was formally betrothed to His Royal Highness Prince Gagananga Yukala, son of King Rama IV; however, it subsequently became apparent that the prince maintained a concubinary attachment to Sun Kakkanang Na Ayutthaya. In an attempt to enforce the dissolution of this preexisting liaison, Chawiwat’s intercessions were met with refusal.^[3]

In the context of her enmity toward the Grand Palace, Chawiwat established an affiliation with the Front Palace, a political entity engaged in sustained contention with the Grand Palace. This alignment culminated in her matrimonial union with Worawat Supakorn, progeny of Pinklao, the viceroy of Siam,^[3] thereby situating her within the nexus of the palace’s internecine rivalries. Through these connections, Chawiwat became an active participant in the dynastic and political tensions that characterized the contestation between the Grand Palace and the Front Palace.^[8]

In the aftermath of the 1860 bombardment of the Grand Palace, Chawiwat undertook the strategic relocation of valuables and retainers to the Kingdom of Cambodia, accompanied by the royal troupe of Ampha, an eminent performer from the court of King Rama II whose renown was unparalleled within the Siamese ceremonial milieu. Upon arrival, Chawiwat was accorded marked favor by Norodom of Cambodia, formerly Nak Ong Rajavadi, with whom she shared a childhood association.^[3][5] The reception and patronage of Ampha’s ensemble by Chawiwat facilitated the transmission and adaptation of Siamese court performance practices, which subsequently constituted the foundational corpus for the extant royal Cambodian dance tradition.^[3][5]

Contemporary accounts attest that, throughout the reign of King Norodom of Cambodia (r. 1860–1904), the Cambodian royal dance troupe was overwhelmingly constituted by Siamese performers, numbering approximately 500 dancers and instructors. At the time of Norodom’s demise, or during the reign of Sisowath, more than 300 Siamese dancers remained resident within the Royal Palace at Phnom Penh. Of particular note, the supervision and codification of the troupe’s ceremonial protocols were entrusted solely to a single Siamese woman.^[9]: 152

Chawiwat returned to Siam in 1910 during the reign of King Rama VI. She was ordained as a nun and lived a peaceful life until her death around 1934–1936 at the age of about 80.^[6]: 287

Her descendant, Kukrit Pramoj, claimed in his book Khrong Kradook Nai Thu (โครงกระดูกในตู้, lit. 'Skeleton in the Closet') that His Majesty King Norodom of Cambodia had made Chawiwat his royal consort^[10] and they had a son, Prince Norodom Pankuli (นโรดม พานคุลี).^[6]: 286 Therefore, there was a mention of "Skeleton in the Closet" that the information about Chawiwat was incorrect, by giving information that Chawiwat was not married to King Norodom Borommatheva Avatar and had nothing to do with the Front Palace crisis.^[3][5] In fact, Chawiwat had married 5 common Cambodian people and had only one son, Nood or Nus, who was born to Chawiwat's 4th consort Srean Thibodi (Pal) – the governor of Ralapuey (ระลาเปือย), who was of Chinese descent.^[7]