Effects of Organized Hypocrisy Strategy on the Establishment of Political Relation of Rama I and Emperor Qianlong

Abstract

The paper deploys and develops the organized hypocrisy theory to account for the effect of organized hypocrisy strategy on the establishment of the political relation between Rama I and Emperor Qianlong from 1782 to 1787. Using the case study of Rama, I and Emperor Qianlong and a historical analysis, the paper shows that the logic of consequences of Rama I seek China’s economic and military leads to Sino-Thai conflicting logics of appropriateness. Thailand uses the organized hypocrisy strategy to respond to this situation with two mutually negative versions of royal letters and transliterated terms. The key decoupling mechanism of the strategy is that the Thailand monarch conducts diplomatic interactions that maintain his status, while the Chinese in Thailand act as intermediaries to handle interactions that damage Thailand Monarch’s prestige. Organized hypocrisy strategy allows Thailand to maintain Rama I’s claim of universal kingship and meet the demand of Emperor Qianlong investing Rama I at the same time. Rama I and Emperor Qianlong formed a nominal tributary relationship on this premise. Thailand's organized hypocrisy strategy is largely the political hypocrisy of a small country dealing with a big one. Emperor Qianlong practicing the doctrine of ‘no rule’ and not sending envoys for investiture makes the hypocrisy strategy play a positive role. This study informs our theoretical understanding of Sino-Thai friendly official relations by introducing a focus on the organized hypocrisy strategy hitherto lacking.