Sonia Latha contributed to Panel One of Day One of this 2-day workshop.
This paper examines the complex and often overlooked relationship between Siam and Pahang, situating it within the broader context of Southeast Asian political negotiation and maritime exchange. While Siam's influence over Kelantan and Terengganu is well established through the tributary system administered from Nakhon Si Thammarat (Ligor), Pahang's place within this framework remains uncertain and fragmentary. Therefore, this paper argues that Siam's suzerainty over Pahang was not a structure of direct rule but a form of negotiated authority, maintained through ritualised diplomacy and maritime connectivity. The analysis proceeds along two interrelated dimensions. The first is terrestrial, centred on Ligor's role as Siam's administrative and military intermediary in the Malay Peninsula. The second is maritime, concerned with tribute missions, naval expeditions, and the economic and cultural networks that linked Pahang to the Gulf of Siam and the South China Sea. Together, these perspectives reveal that Siam-Pahang relations were episodic, symbolic and performative as it was defined by gestures of recognition rather than sustained control.
Follow this link to view the slides from this talk: https://media.podcasts.ox.ac.uk/sant/islamic_studies/2025-12-22-sant-islamic_studies-sonia_latha-slides.pdf
