Sukhothai Kingdom | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1238–1438 | |||||||||||||
 Sukhothai Kingdom at its greatest extent during the late 13th century under the reign of KingRam Khamhaeng according to theRam Khamhaeng Inscription, the coastlines reflecting era-accurate coastline. | |||||||||||||
 Sukhothai Kingdom (orange) in 1400 CE | |||||||||||||
| Capital |
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| Common languages | Old Thai | ||||||||||||
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism | ||||||||||||
| Government | Mandala kingdom | ||||||||||||
| Monarch | |||||||||||||
• 1238–1270 (first) | Si Inthrathit | ||||||||||||
• 1279–1298 | Ram Khamhaeng | ||||||||||||
• 1347–1368 | Li Thai | ||||||||||||
• 1419–1438 (last) | Borommapan | ||||||||||||
| Historical era | Post-classical era | ||||||||||||
• Founded as city-state | 1127 | ||||||||||||
• Kingdom established | 1238 | ||||||||||||
| 1378–1438 | |||||||||||||
• Annexed to Ayutthaya | 1438 | ||||||||||||
• Installation ofMaha Thammarachathirat | 1569[1] | ||||||||||||
| Currency | |||||||||||||
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| Today part of | |||||||||||||
TheSukhothai Kingdom[i] was apost-classical Siamese kingdom (maṇḍala) inMainland Southeast Asia surrounding the ancient capital city ofSukhothai in present-day north-centralThailand. It evolved from a trading hub to a city-state in 1127[4]: 2–3 and emerged into the kingdom bySi Inthrathit in 1238.[5]: 195–196 Sukhothai existed as an independent polity until 1438 when it fell under the influence of the neighboringAyutthaya after the death ofBorommapan (Maha Thammaracha IV).
Sukhothai is traditionally understood to have been established as a commercial hub within theDvaravatiLavo in the 7th century. Following the decline of Lavo, the polity appears to have fallen under the suzerainty of theQiān, whose authority was ultimately extinguished following their defeat byAngkor in 946 CE. After that, Sukhothai was subsequently incorporated into the domain ofHaripuñjaya approximately a decade later. By the mid-12th century, control of the city was reasserted by theXiān monarchs—a dynasty descended from theQiān—who are believed to have maintained a brief period of subordination toAngkor between the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Sukhothai is conventionally regarded as having emerged as an independent polity in 1238 CE.
The kingdom was centralized and expanded to its greatest extent during the reign ofRam Khamhaeng the Great (1279–1298), who some historians considered to have introducedTheravada Buddhism and theinitial Thai script to the kingdom. Ram Khamhaeng also initiated relations withYuan China, through which the kingdom developed the techniques to produce and export ceramics likesangkhalok ware.
After the reign of Ram Khamhaeng, the kingdom fell into decline. In 1349, during the reign ofLi Thai (Maha Thammaracha I), Sukhothai was invaded by the Ayutthaya Kingdom, a neighboring Thai polity. It remained a tributary state of Ayutthaya until it was annexed by the kingdom in 1438 after the death of Borommapan. Despite this, the Sukhothai nobility continued to influence the Ayutthaya monarchy in centuries after through theSukhothai dynasty.
Sukhothai was long regarded in Thai historiography as "the firstThai kingdom,” though current scholarship agrees that the origins of theThai people extend much further back in time. The ruins of the kingdom's capital, now 12 km (7.5 mi) outside the modern town ofSukhothai Thani inSukhothai Province, are preserved as theSukhothai Historical Park and have been designated aUNESCO World Heritage Site.
TheEnglish termSukhothai (Thai:สุโขทัย) is theromanization of the Thai word per theRoyal Thai General System of Transcription. The Thai word for the historical country was atransliteration of theKhmer spelling, rendered in English asSukhodaya (Khmer:សុខោទ័យ). The Khmer term is itself derived from theSanskritsukha (Sanskrit:सुख, 'lasting happiness') andudaya (Sanskrit:उदय, 'rise' or 'emergence'). Together, the phrase can be interpreted as meaning "dawn of happiness".
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ฺBorihan Thepthani claimed the city ofSukhothai was founded in 494 CE, followed by its twin city of Chaliang (เชลียง).[7]: 2 In contrast, theLegend of the Arhat (Tamnan Nithan Phra Arahant;ตำนานนิทานพระอรหันต์) says Sukhothai was founded in 679 CE by Indrajayadhirāja (อินทราไชยธิราช), who was from the city ofNakhon Luang (นครหลวง;lit. 'capital city'; potentiallyLavapura); however, he, in 687, was deposed byBalidhiraja,[8] the elder son ofKalavarnadisharaja of Lavo.[9]: 3–4 The succession of rulers followingBalidhiraja remains obscure in the extant historical record.[7]: 6, 10 Nevertheless, a local textual tradition claims that both Sukhothai and Lavo were subsequently brought under the authority of Padumasūriyavaṁśa (ปทุมสุริยวงศ์), who is represented in these narratives as the inaugural sovereign of the Siamese polity,[10]: 8 and has been identified withPra Poat honne Sourittep pennaratui sonanne bopitra,[11]: 38 whose reign is conventionally dated to 757[12]–800 CE.[a] This claim accords with Tatsuo Hoshino's interpretation of theCefu Yuangui and theBook of Tang, which record that the territory ofQiān—centered atSi Thep—bordered north toDuō Mó Cháng (多摩萇),[13]: 30 a polity that Hoshino identifies as being located in theYom andNan river basins within the mountainous region of present-day northern Thailand.[13]: 60 Based on this interpretation, it is presumed that the Sukhothai–Chaliang region was subordinate to Si Thep during the 8th–10th century.
From the 9th to 10th centuries, the city is generally presumed to have been abandoned following an incursion by the legendaryKhom kingdom of Suvarṇakōmakam (สุวรรณโคมคำ), located in the region of present-dayChiang Saen.[7]: 6, 10 This hypothesis, however, stands in contrast to a separate textual tradition asserting that Sukhothai played an active role in theDvaravati polity ofSambuka’s succession. According to this account, the ruler of Sukhothai adopted Sambuka's prince,Balaraj, supported his overthrow of his own father, and subsequently installed him as the new monarch of Sambuka,[14]: 39 whose reign is reported to have lasted from 867 to 913 CE.[7]: 31, 67 Furthermore, Suvarṇakōmakam is widely identified as the predecessor of theYonok Kingdom and is generally understood to have flourished before the 7th century.[15] This chronological positioning makes it implausible that Suvarṇakōmakam could have conducted an incursion into Sukhothai during the 9th century. Taken together, these inconsistencies substantially undermine the credibility of the abandonment hypothesis.
Following the fall of Menam polities as a consequence of Tambralinga and Angkorian incursions of the 10th century, Sukhothai is reported to have been taken over in 957 by theMon monarchAbhayakāminī, who purportedly fled fromHaripuñjaya after its capital was captured by another Khom polity, Umoṅkaselā (อุโมงคเสลา), situated in what is nowFang.[7]: 6, 10 The chiefdom of Sukhothai declared independence from Umoṅkaselā in 1017 during the reign ofArunaraja.[7]: 13–14 Through its control of trade routes linkingMon city-states in the west,Tai kingdoms in the north, andXiān polities in the lowerChao Phraya River basin in the south, Sukhothai is thought to have emerged as a regional logistics hub and to have developed into a city-state level by no later than 1127,[4]: 2–3 a condition that appears to have persisted until the formal establishment of the Sukhothai Kingdom in 1238.[5]: 195–196
Previously, historians suggested the migration ofTai peoples intoMainland Southeast Asia was somewhat gradual, and likely took place between the 8th and 10th centuries.[16] Prior to the rise of Sukhothai, various other Tai kingdoms existed in the neighboring northern highlands. These includeNgoenyang of theNorthern Thai people (present-dayChiang Saen) andChiang Hung of theTai Lue people (present-dayJinghong,China). According to semi-legendary Shan documents, the Mau Shan Prince,Sam Lung-pha ofMogaung, before he established the Tai kingdom of theAhom inAssam in 1229, raided theMenam valley and the Malay peninsula as far as Tawi (Dawei) and Yansaleng (Junk Ceylon?). This purported influx of armed Tai may have had something to do with establishing the Tai kingdom of Sukhothai.[17]: 301
However, according to the local textual tradition, a dynastic affiliation between theMon monarchs of theMenam Basin and theTai nobles of the northern valleys is recorded to have been established at an earlier period, specifically during the late 7th century.[9]: 3–5 In this context, one of the sons of Sukhothai's kingBalidhiraja is mentioned to have borne theTai nameSai Thong Som, who is traditionally regarded as having been born to aTai queen consort from the polity ofYonok.[9]: 5 This inter-dynastic union is stated to have resulted from the northward political expansion ofLavo Kingdom into the territory ofYonok during the reign of KingKalavarnadisharaja (r. 648–700), as recorded in theNorthern Chronicle.[18]: 25 This dynastic relation continued to the reign ofAbhayakamini, whose consort was fromNan [th] of theTai'sNgoenyang.[19]
The following individuals are recognized as the rulers of Sukhothai preceding the formal foundation of the Sukhothai Kingdom, which earlier historians have conventionally assigned to the year 1238 CE.
| Ruler | Reign | |
|---|---|---|
| Romanized name | Thai name | |
| UnderLavo Kingdom ofDvaravati | ||
| Indrajayadhirāja[9]: 3–4 | อินทราไชยธิราช | 679–687 |
| Balidhiraja[b][9]: 3–4 | พาลีธิราช | 687–mid 8th century |
| UnderIndaprasthanagara/Qiān Zhī Fú | ||
| Unknown | 757–? | |
| Abandoned?[20]: 8 | Late 8th – 957 | |
| UnderHaripuñjaya Kingdom | ||
| Abhayakāminī[18] | อภัยคามินี | 957[20]: 9–10 –959? |
| Sricandradhipati[18] (Phra Ruang II) | ศรีจันทราธิบดี | 959–? |
| As the freecity-state of Si Satchanalai–Sukhodaya | ||
| Arunaraja (Phra Ruang I) | อรุณกุมาร | ?–1052[20]: 18 |
| Ruled fromMueang Chaliang | Late 11th – early 12th century | |
| The polity was split into two:Si Satchanalai andKamphaeng Phet–Sukhodaya | ||
| UnderIndaprasthanagara | ||
| Pra Poa Noome Thele Seri | พนมทะเลศรี | 1155?–1156/57 |
| Suryaraja[c] | สุริยราชา | 1156–1184 |
| De facto Independent by c. 1204 | ||
| Candraraja[21]: 11 | จันทราชา | 1184–1214[21]: 17 |
| E Daeng Phloeng | อีแดงเพลิง | 1214?–1219 |
| The two seats were merged | ||
| Pha Mueang[d] | ผาเมือง | Passed the throne to Sri Naw Nam Thom |
| Sri Naw Nam Thom[e] | พ่อขุนศรีนาวนำถุม | 1219–? |
| Khom Sabat Khlon Lamphong | ขอมสบาดโขลญลำพง | ?–1238 |
| Pha Mueang[d] | ผาเมือง | 1238 |
| 1238: traditional formation of the Sukhothai Kingdom | ||
During the mid-12th century, the upperMenam Valley, which had formerly been governed by theMonHaripuñjaya dynasty since the 10th century,[18]: 9–10 was likely brought under the dominion of an emergent line of early Siamese monarchs, whose principal seat of authority was situated in thePhraek Si Racha region, identified in Chinese sources asXiū Luó Fēn. According to historical records, two princes from this lineage established their respective domains in the upper valley.Suryaraja, the grandfather ofSi Intharathit, is recorded in theAyutthaya Testimonies to have established his seat at Vicitraprakāra (วิเชียรปราการ; modernKamphaeng Phet) around 1157.[21]: 11 His cousin,Pra Poa Noome Thele Seri[ii]—formally titledSommedethia Pprappanom Tteleiseri Maahesa Vorauaarintti Raacha Boppitra—is mentioned in theInstructions Given to the Siamese Envoys Sent to Portugal in 1684 and inDu Royaume de Siam as having departed fromYassouttora Nacoora Louang orTasoo Nacora Louang, identified with Lavo, to establish his authority atSukhothai–Lacontai around 1156.[23]: 127 [12] This event may have been triggered by the reclamation campaign overLavo and thePhraek Si Racha region bySri Dharmasokaraja II (r. 1157–1183) and his possible northward expansion of authority to encompass thePhraek Si Racha region and extend as far as present-dayNakhon Sawan Province,[24]: 36–40 based on interpretations of the text preserved in theDong Mè Nang Mưo’ng Inscription (K. 766), dated 1167 CE;[25] however, he appears to have lost control of all territories in the lowerMenam Valley to theAngkorianMahidharapura dynasty by around 1180 CE,[iii] after which he retreated southward to his primary domain inTambralinga.[24]: 39
The French sources further assert that in 1157/1158,Pra Poa Noome Thele Seri, together with his younger brotherUthong I ofMueang Chaliang, moved southward. The younger brother is said to have ascended the vacant throne ofSuphannaphum in 1163,[18]: 60–1 while the elder succeeded his relative atMueang Sing around 1169 and subsequently advanced further south to re-establishPhrip Phri in 1188;[23]: 127 [12] and even attempted an incursion intoTambralinga in 1180 or 1196, which at the time was ruled bySri Dharmasokaraja II.[24]: 41 Michael Smithies has tentatively proposed thatPra Poa Noome Thele Seri may have belonged to the dynastic line ofSi Intharathit,[23]: 133 who later reigned over Sukhothai between 1238 and 1270.[26] The lower Siamese line ofPra Poa Noome Thele Seri later became the Lavo dynasty of theAyutthaya Kingdom,[27]: 1, 10 and the upper line ofSuryaraja became Phra Ruang dynasty of Sukhothai.[21]: 11–29
In 1180, the principal Siamese polity ofXiū Luó Fēn, centered atPhraek Si Racha, reportedly came under the dominion of a new royal house, which may have shared dynastic affiliations with theMahidharapura Kingdoms of thePhimai region.[28]: 20–1 [29]: 7–11 Under this new lineage, the polity was reorganized and became known asChen Li Fu.[30]: 1 Some scholars suggest that this reconstituted principality appears to have remained under the suzerainty of Angkor during this period.[30] By 1200, however, Chen Li Fu began to assert a degree of political autonomy, most notably through the dispatch of a tributary mission directly to the Chinese court, thereby circumventing Angkorian oversight.[30]: 3 [31]: 20 Concurrently, in the northern region, the Siamese domain ruled byCandraraja—son ofSuryaraja, who had previously transferred the royal seat fromKamphaeng Phet toSukhothai following the departure ofPra Poa Noome Thele Seri—is recorded as a tributary polity through its dynastic association withIndaprasthanagara,[21]: 15–6 a polity that early Thai scholars have attempted to identify withAngkor.[10]: 1–3 Nevertheless, the Sukhothai–Kamphaeng Phet polity eventually terminated its tributary obligations to Indapraṣṭhanagara. This repudiation of vassalic ties provoked armed conflict between the two realms; yet the forces of Sukhothai, commanded bySi Intharathit, achieved a decisive victory, thereby effectively liberating the polity from roughly two decades of Indapraṣṭhanagara's hegemony.[21]: 15–6
Following this triumph,Si Intharathit was appointed to govern Mueang Bang Yang, located in the present-dayNakhon Thai district,[26] which had previously served as the power base of his kinsman,Pra Poa Noome Thele Seri.[12] During his tenure there, Si Intharathit marriedNang Sueang [th], a Tai Lueang (ไทเลือง) princess and daughter ofSri Naw Nam Thum, the ruler of Mueang Rat (เมืองราด),[32] situated either in modernLom Sak district orThung Yang. This Tai Lueang polity subsequently expanded its sphere of influence intoMueang Chaliang, which had been under the mixedMonic–ChineseHaripuñjaya dynasty, during the waning reign ofRajadhiraj II in the early 13th century.[33]: 15–6 [34]
After consolidating control overMueang Chaliang, the Tai Lueang monarchs, led bySri Naw Nam Thum and his sonPha Mueang, extended their dominion southward towardSukhothai in 1219,[35]: 4 [36] overthrowing theMon rulerE Daeng Phloeng.[37]: 115 However, the remnants of the older Monic aristocracy, led byKhom Sabat Khlon Lamphong, staged a successful revolt, reclaiming control of Sukhothai.[38] In response, a coalition of Siamese forces led by a local chieftain, Bang Klang Hao—later known asSi Intharathit—recaptured the city and re-established it as an autonomous Siamese polity in 1238. Si Intharathit was militarily aided by his brother-in-law,Pha Mueang, a son ofSri Naw Nam Thum.[5]: 195–196
The aforementioned event marked a watershed moment in the history of the Siamese, as Sukhothai emerged as the principal center of their political authority, maintaining its preeminence until the close of the 14th century.[39][40][5] Although various records suggest that the Siamese had exerted control over Sukhothai prior to this episode, previous scholarship conventionally regards this event—the reestablishment of Sukhothai under Si Intharathit in 1238—as the formal inception of the early Siamese polity.[5]: 195–196 Notably, the revolt of the Lavo nobility that temporarily reinstated Monic authority over Sukhothai coincided with the period during which Angkor reasserted its dominion over Lavapura.[41]
Bang Klang Hao ruled Sukhothai under the regnal nameSi Inthrathit and established thePhra Ruang dynasty. Under the rule of Si Inthrathit, the primordial kingdom expanded its influence to the bordering cities surrounding the capital. By the end of his reign in 1270, Sukhothai covered the entire upper valley of theChao Phraya River, then known simply as Mae Nam (Thai:แม่น้ำ, 'mother of waters'), the generic Thai name for all rivers. In the first era, Sukhothai strongly shared a connection with westernMon neighbor,Hanthawaddy kingdom, in present-day lowerMyanmar.[42]: 42
From the 13th to 14th centuries, Sukhothai was strongly influenced by the Khmer culture asLavo the regional center.[4]: 3 [43] About some fifty kilometers north of Sukhodaya stood another sister town,Sri Sajanalaya, that would later becomeSi Satchanalai, an important center of Sukhothai politics alongside the capital.[44][45] Under Lavo control, various monuments was built in the city, several of which still stand in theSukhothai Historical Park. They include the Ta Pha Daeng Shrine, Wat Phra Phai Luang, and Wat Si Sawai.[46] It was then shifted toTai Yuan'sLan Na style in the early 14th century and steadily influenced by theMon andSri Lanka throughTheravadaBuddhism since the reign ofRam Khamhaeng.[4]: 3
In 1270, Si Inthrathit died and was succeeded by his sonBan Mueang. At the end of Ban Mueang's reign, he was succeeded by his brotherRam Khamhaeng the Great; both expanded Sukhothai beyond the borders established by their father. To the south, Ram Khamhaeng subjugated themandala kingdoms ofSuvarnabhumi (likely present-daySuphan Buri) andTambralinga (present-dayNakhon Si Thammarat). Through the acquisition of Tambralinga, Ram Khamhaeng is said to have adoptedTheravada Buddhism as the state religion of Sukhothai; the accuracy of these claims by traditional historians is disputed.[4]: 3–4
To the north, Ram Khamhaeng placedPhrae andMuang Sua (present-dayLuang Prabang,Laos), among other mandala city-states,under tribute. To the west, Ram Khamhaeng helped assist theMon people underWareru (who is said to have eloped with Ram Khamhaeng's daughter) in their rebellion againstPagan control, and Wareru would establish a kingdom atMartaban, the predecessor toHanthawaddy (present-dayBago,Myanmar). Martaban is traditionally considered a tributary state of Sukhothai, but such Sukhothai domination may not have extended that far.[4]: 4 This policy of gathering vassals allowed him to claim suzerainty fromLuang Prabang in the north toNakhon Sithammarat in the south, fromVientiane in the east and fromPegu in the west. His success can be mainly attributed to his battlefield reputation. When he died in 1298, the far-flung bonds of vassalage that he established quickly disintegrated as his successors could not command the same level of authority.[48]
With regard to religion and culture, Ram Khamhaeng requested monks from Sri Thamnakorn to propagateTheravada Buddhism in Sukhothai. In 1283, theSukhothai script was likely invented by Ram Khamhaeng; the earliest evidence of this ancient Thai writing is seen in theRam Khamhaeng Inscription, discovered byMongkut (Rama IV) nearly six centuries later. The script later evolved into themodern Thai script of today.
It was also during this time that the first relations withYuan China were established and Sukhothai began sending trade missions to China. The well-knownexported good of Sukhothai was thesangkhalok ware. This was the only period in Thai history that Siam produced Chinese-style ceramics, and they fell out of use by the 14th century.
By the beginning of the fourteenth century, Sukhothai controlled the Chao Phraya plain, with spurs West to theHanthawaddy kingdom and South to theNakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom. After the death of Ram Khamhaeng, he was succeeded by his sonLoe Thai.
Tributary states of Sukhothai began to break away rapidly after the death of Ram Khamhaeng. To the north,Uttaradit and theLao kingdoms of Muang Sua andVieng Chan Vieng Kham (present-dayVientiane) liberated themselves from their Sukhothai overlords. In 1319, Martaban in the west broke away. In 1321,Lan Na (the successor state toNgoenyang) annexedTak, one of the oldest towns in Sukhothai. To the south,Suphannaphum Kingdom andNakhon Si Thammarat also broke free early in the reign of Loe Thai. Thus, the kingdom was quickly reduced to its former status as merely a local power.[49]
In 1323, Loe Thai was succeeded by his cousin,Ngua Nam Thum. In 1347, he was succeeded byLi Thai (Maha Thammaracha I), the son of Loe Thai. In 1349, armies fromAyutthaya invaded the kingdom and forced Sukhothai to become its tributary.[5]: 222 The center of power in the tributary state shifted to Song Khwae (present-dayPhitsanulok). In 1378,Lue Thai (Maha Thammaracha II) had to submit to this new Thai power as a vassal state.[50]: 29–30 He was succeeded bySai Lue Thai (Maha Thammaracha III) in 1399.
In 1424, after the death of Sai Lue Thai, his sons Phaya Ram and Phaya Ban Mueang fought for the throne.Intharacha of Ayutthaya intervened and installed Ban Mueang asBorommapan (Maha Thammaracha IV). When Borommapan died in 1438,Borommarachathirat II of Ayutthaya installed his son Ramesuan (the futureBorommatrailokkanat of Ayutthaya) asUpparat in Sukhothai, a position similar to both that of aviceroy and anheir presumptive, establishing a form ofpersonal union and creating the SiameseFront Palace system. Prince Ramesuan was presumably accompanied by Ayutthayan administrative staff and a military garrison, thus affirming the end of Sukhothai as an independent kingdom.[51]
Under tributary status, the former territories of Sukhothai, known to the people of Ayutthaya as theNorthern Cities (Thai:เมืองเหนือ,RTGS: Mueang Nua), continued to be ruled by local aristocrats under Ayutthaya's overlordship per themandala systems of both dominions. The mandalas would politically and culturally merge during the 15th and 16th centuries, and Sukhothai's warfare, administration, architecture, religious practice, and language influenced those of Ayutthaya. Sukhothai nobles linked themselves with the Ayutthayan elite through marriage alliances, and often played the role of kingmaker in Ayutthayan succession conflicts. Sukhothai military leaders served prominently in Ayutthaya's army as the military tradition of Sukhothai was considered to be tougher.[52]
From 1456 to 1474, former Sukhothai territory became a battleground during theAyutthaya-Lan Na War (1441–1474). In 1462, Sukhothai briefly rebelled against Ayutthaya and allied itself with their enemy,Lan Na. In 1463, Borommatrailokkanat temporarily moved the monarch's residence to Song Khwae, presumably to be closer to the frontline, and the city was permanently renamed to Phitsanulok.[citation needed] ContemporaryPortuguese traders described Ayutthaya and Phitsanulok as "twin states".[52]
In 1548,Maha Chakkraphat named Khun Phirenthorathep, a noble from the Sukhothai clan, as the leader in Phitsanulok. Phirenthorathep was conferred with the nameMaha Thammaracha in line with the historical kings of Sukhothai, and married one of Maha Chakkraphat's daughters, strengthening his claim to both a historical and present monarchy. Despite this, the title of Upparat went to Maha Chakkraphat's sonRamesuan (who died in 1564) and later his brotherMahinthrathirat. After a series of wars with the BurmeseToungoo Empire, Maha Thammaracha allied himself with the Burmese against Ayutthaya. In 1569, Ayutthaya under Mahinthrathirat fell to the Burmese, andBayinnaung installed Maha Thammaracha (Sanphet I) as the vassal king in Ayutthaya and the first king of theSukhothai dynasty.[52]
In 1584, Maha Thammaracha and his son, the Upparat and futureNaresuan the Great (Sanphet II), would free Ayutthaya from Burmese overlordship in theBurmese-Siamese War of 1584–1593. After the Battle of the Sittaung River, Naresuan forcibly relocated people from the northern cities ofPhitsanulok,Sukhothai,Phichai,Sawankhalok,Kamphaeng Phet,Phichit, andPhra Bang closer to Ayutthaya.[53][54] Since then, the ruins of the capital city of the former Sukhothai Kingdom have been preserved as theSukhothai Historical Park and designated aWorld Heritage Site.[55]
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The Silajaruek of Sukhothai are hundreds of stone inscriptions that form a historical record of the period. Among the most important inscriptions are theRam Khamhaeng Inscription (also known as Inscription No. 1), Silajaruek Wat Srichum (an account on the history of the region itself and ofSri Lanka), and Silajaruek Wat Pamamuang (a politico-religious record of Loe Thai).
Mongkut (Rama IV) is considered the champion of Sukhothai narrative history due to his discovery of Inscription No. 1, the "first evidence" of the history of Sukhothai. Mongkut said that he found a "first stone inscription" in Sukhothai which told of heroic kings such asRam Khamhaeng, the administrative system, and other developments in what was considered the "prosperous time" of the kingdom. The story of Sukhothai was incorporated into Thailand's "national history" in the late 19th century by Mongkut as a historical work presented to theBritish diplomatic mission.[56]
From then on, as a part of modern nation-building process, modern national Siamese history included the history of the Sukhothai Kingdom. Sukhothai was said to be the "first national capital",[57] followed by Ayutthaya andThonburi, untilRattanakosin, or todayBangkok. Sukhothai history was crucial among Siam's "modernists", both "conservative" and "revolutionary".[citation needed] Sukhothai history became even more important after theSiamese Revolution of 1932. Research and writing on Sukhothai history were abundant.[58] Ideas derived from the inscription were studied and "theorised".[59]
One of the most well-known topics was Sukhothai's "democracy" rule. Stories of the close relationship between the king and his people, vividly described as a "father-son" relationship,[60] were considered the "seed" of ancient Thai democracy; however, changes in government took place when later society embraced "foreign" traditions, like those ofAngkor, influenced byHinduism and "mystic"Mahayana Buddhism. The story of Sukhothai became the model of "freedom".Chit Phumisak, a "revolutionary" scholar, saw the Sukhothai period as the beginning of the Thai people's liberation from their foreign ruler in Angkor.[citation needed]
During military rule beginning in the 1950s, Sukhothai was increasingly featured in the Thai national history curriculum. Sukhothai's "father-son" model for Thai democracy in contrast to Angkorian tradition became one of freedom from the "foreign ideology" ofCambodian communism. Other aspects of Sukhothai were also explored under the new curriculum, such as the commoner and slave status as well as economics. These topics became the subject of ideological controversy during theCold War and thecommunist insurgency in Thailand.[citation needed]
But 1569 was also the final act of the merger between Ayutthaya and the Northern Cities.
(1) The translation of this paper, which has been read at a joint session of theRoyal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland,Société Asiatique, andAmerican Oriental Society, and published in theJournal asiatique (April–June 1920), is the work of Mr. J. Crosby, to whom the author begs to tend his heartfelt thanks.
In 1837 King Phra Nang Klao made Prince Mongkut Abbot of Wat Pavaraniveca, situated close to the enceinte wall, in the northern part of the city. This monastery had been founded about ten years previously by Prince Cakti, who had been raised to the rank of Second King on the ascension of Phra Nang Klao, his nephew (1824–1832).
The dynasty which reigned during a part of the 13th and the first half of the 14th centuries atSukhodaya and atSri Sajjannlaya, on the upper MenamYom, is the first historical Siamese dynasty. It has a double claim to this title, both because it cradle was precisely in the country designated by foreigners as "Siam" (Khmer: Syam;Chinese Sien, etc.), and because it is this dynasty which, by freeing the Thai principalities from theCambodian yoke and by gradually extending its conquests as far as theMalay Peninsula, paved the way for the formation of the Kingdom of Siam properly so called.
—Royal house — Sukhothai dynasty Founding year:1238 | ||
| Preceded by | Ruling dynasty of the Sukhothai Kingdom 1238–1583 | Succeeded by |
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