Sukhothai Kingdom | |||||||||||
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| 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 was originally a trade center inLavo—itself under the suzerainty of theKhmer Empire from 946–1052—whenCentral Thai people led by Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao, a local leader, revolted and gained their independence. Bang Klang Hao took the regnal name of Si Inthrathit and became the first monarch of thePhra Ruang dynasty.
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 is traditionally known as "the firstThai kingdom" in Thai historiography, but current historical consensus agrees that the history of the Thai peoplebegan much earlier. 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".
ฺBorihan Thepthani claimed the city ofSukhothai was founded in 494 CE, followed by its twin city of Chaliang (เชลียง).[6]: 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; potentiallyLavapura); however, he, in 687, was deposed byBalidhiraja,[7] the elder son ofKalavarnadisharaja of Lavo.[8]: 3–4 The following rulers afterBalidhiraja remain unknown.[6]: 6, 10 During the decline ofDvaravati's Lavo in the late 8th cetury, it was expected that the city would be abandoned for a few centuries due to the invasion by the legendaryKhom kingdom of Suvarṇakōmakam (สุวรรณโคมคำ) in the present-dayChiang Saen and was then re-established in 957 byAbhayakāminī who evacuated fromHaripuñjaya after the capital was seized by anotherKhom polity, Umoṅkaselā (อุโมงคเสลา) in modernFang.[6]: 6, 10
The chiefdom of Sukhothai declared independence in 1017 during the reign ofArunaraja.[6]: 13–14 Through its control of trade routes linkingMon city-states in the west,Tai kingdoms in the north, and other polities within the lowerChao Phraya River basin, 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.[9] 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.[10]: 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.[8]: 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.[8]: 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.[11]: 25 This dynastic relation continued to the reign ofAbhayakamini, whose consort was fromNan [th] of theTai'sNgoenyang.[12]
The local legend ofPhraya Kong–Phraya Pan [th], preserved in the westernChao Phraya region, provides evidence of the Sukhothai king’s role in the dynastic succession ofKamalanka’sSambuka during the 9th–10th century, particularly through the adoption ofPhraya Pan and supporting him in overthrowingPhraya Kong.[13]: 39
The following individuals are identified as the rulers of Sukhothai prior to the formal establishment of the Sukhothai Kingdom in 1238.
| Ruler | Reign | |
|---|---|---|
| Romanized name | Thai name | |
| UnderLavo Kingdom ofDvaravati | ||
| Indrajayadhirāja[8]: 3–4 | อินทราไชยธิราช | 679–687 |
| Balidhiraja[a][8]: 3–4 | พาลีธิราช | 687–mid 8th century |
| Abandoned[14]: 8 | Late 8th – 957 | |
| UnderHaripuñjaya Kingdom, which itself underUmoṅkaselā | ||
| Abhayakāminī[11] | อภัยคามินี | 957[14]: 9–10 –959? |
| Sricandradhipati[11] (Phra Ruang II) | ศรีจันทราธิบดี | 959–? |
| As the freecity-state of Si Satchanalai–Sukhodaya | ||
| Arunaraja (Phra Ruang I) | อรุณกุมาร | ?–1052[14]: 18 |
| Ruled fromMueang Chaliang | Late 11th – early 12th century | |
| The seat was split into two:Si Satchanalai and Sukhodaya | ||
| Pra Poa Noome Thele Seri | พนมทะเลศรี | 1155?–1169? |
| E Daeng Phloeng | อีแดงเพลิง | 1169?–1219 |
| The two seats were merged | ||
| Pha Mueang[b] | ผาเมือง | Passed the throne to Sri Naw Nam Thom |
| Sri Naw Nam Thom [pt][c] | พ่อขุนศรีนาวนำถุม | 1219–? |
| Khom Sabad Kholon Lamphong [th] | ขอมสบาดโขลญลำพง | |
| Pha Mueang[b] | ผาเมือง | ?–1238 |
| 1238: traditional formation of the Sukhothai Kingdom | ||
According to theInstructions Given to the Siamese Envoys Sent to Portugal in 1684, a Siamese monarch identified asSommedethia Pprappanom Tteleiseri Maahesa Vorauaarintti Raacha Boppitra was said to have moved fromYassouttora Nacoora Louang—identified withLavo—to establish his authority atSoucouttae (Sukhothai) in the 1150s. The text further claims that, in 1157/1158, he relocated southward to re-found the kingdom ofPhrip Phri.[16]: 127 In contrast, theDu Royaume de Siam records that he was instead fromTasoo Nacora Louang,[17] identified with Lavapura of Lavo. Michael Smithies has tentatively suggested that this ruler may have belonged to the dynasty ofSi Intharathit, who ruled Sukhothai from 1238 to 1270.[16]: 133
A few decades later,Chaliang, who had establishedroyal intermarriage with theTai ofChiang Saen in the tenth century,[18]: 18 expanded political influence to Sukhothai[19]: 4 in 1175[20] under the leadership ofSri Naw Nam Thom.[20] However, nobles of the old faction revolted and recaptured Sukhothai in 1181,[21] which caused a group ofSiamese led by a localmueang chief, Bang Klang Hao—later known asSi Inthrathit—to took Sukhothai back and established it as an independent Thai state in 1238.Si Inthrathit was assisted by a local ally,Pho Khun Pha Mueang.[5]: 195–196 This event was a turning point in the history of the Tai peoples, as Sukhothai would remain the center of Tai power until the end of the 14th century.[22][23][5] The year in which theLavo nobility revolted and reasserted control over Sukhothai coincided with the period during whichAngkor reconqueredLavapura[24] from theMon-Tai monarch ofChaliang, who had governed the city since 1106 following the relocation ofLavo's capital toAyodhya in the 1080s.
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.[25]: 42
From the 13th to 14th centuries, Sukhothai was strongly influenced by the Khmer culture asLavo the regional center.[4]: 3 [26] 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.[27][28] 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.[29] It was then shifted toTai Yuan'sLan Na style in the early 14th century and steadily influenced byMon 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.[31]
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.[32]
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.[33]: 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.[34]
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 ofkingmaker in Ayutthayan succession conflicts. Sukhothai military leaders served prominently in Ayutthaya's army as the military tradition of Sukhothai was considered to be tougher.[35]
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".[35]
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.[35]
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.[36][37] 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.[38]
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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.[39]
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",[40] 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.[41] Ideas derived from the inscription were studied and "theorised".[42]
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,[43] 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.
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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