Statue of King Phra Chom Klao, also known as King Mongkut and with the crown title Rama IV, at Uthayaan Rachaphak (fig.). He ruled Siam from AD 1851 until 1868 and is deemed a Maha Raj or ‘Great King’. He was learned in Sanskrit, Pali, Latin and English, as well as in history and several western sciences, including astronomy. He modernised his kingdom and established diplomatic relations with the Superpowers, while avoiding colonisation, and in 1868 accurately predicted a solar eclipse (fig.).