Sukhothai Kingdom

The Kingdom of Sukhothai (Sanskrit Sukhodaya, " great complacency effecting " ) existed from the 13th century to the early 15th century in what is now northern region of Thailand. At its peak, the area of influence Sukhothai comprised about what is now Thailand.

Importance

Sukhothai is regarded by contemporary Thai as the first Thai kingdom. The basic principles of Thai culture and religion, state and society emerged during this period. The several decades in Sukhothai Historical Park again accessible ruins of the ancient royal city not only mean past political, but especially cultural and spiritual dimensions.

The Sukhothai period ( 13th and 14th century) is considered as a first climax in the Thai art history. The Buddha images from this phase are seen by many as the best and most attractive in Thailand.

Significant evidence from the Kingdom of Sukhothai can be found except in the ancient capital in the history of Park Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet. Together they count since 1991 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

History

Foundation

By the 13th century much of the Southeast Asian mainland were dominated by the Khmer empire of Angkor. At the latest in 1100, the presence of Tai peoples is in the area but who were probably migrated here from the north. In some cases, the Khmer rulers chieftain of Tai served as governors for predominantly populated by Tai areas. At the beginning of the story as Sukhothai Kingdom were two such governors, Khun Bang Thao sound ( Hao ) and Khun Pha Mueang, which shook off the suzerainty of the Khmer together. 1238 declared Khun Bang Thao sound the independence of the territory of Sukhothai from the Khmer Empire, at the same time they refused to overdue tribute.

Khun Bang Thao sound was proclaimed the first king of the new kingdom and called himself Sri Indraditya. The Khmer had no way of decisive action against the new kingdom on the western edge of their realm, as they had begun to many new construction projects.

The people were impressed by the skill and courage of their new king. Therefore they gave him the nickname Phra Ruang, which means " glorious prince ". This nickname was passed on to all the kings of Sukhothai in the subsequent period. King Sri Indraditya and his queen, Nang Suang, had three sons. The oldest died at a young age, the second was Ban Mueang and the third son was Ramkhamhaeng. After the death of the founder Ban Mueang was the second ruler of Sukhothai, then the Ramkhamhaeng followed.

High phase under Ramkhamhaeng

The so-called Silacharuek Sukhothai (stone inscriptions from the Kingdom of Sukhothai ) are hundreds of stone steles on which the history of the region was recorded. One of the most important inscriptions is the Silacharuek Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng ( Stone Inscription of King Ramkamhaeng ). King Ramkhamhaeng is said to have recorded here for the first time, still operating Thai alphabet, which had been formed from the writings of the Mon and Khmer. The authenticity of the inscription is, however, doubted by historians since the 1980s. On the first surviving in that script it says about the kingdom of Sukhothai:

" This Sukhothai is good. The waters there are fishes. In the fields of rice growing. Who wants to trade with elephants, is. Who wants to trade with horses, is. Who wants to trade with gold and silver, is. The faces of the citizens shine. "

Ramkhamhaeng should, according to this inscription have governed justly and with generosity towards his people. He is portrayed as less than Monarch as the father of the great Thai Family ( pho khun, " paternal ruler "). So should any citizen who had legitimate concerns, have had the opportunity to come to the palace and a specially commissioned bell sounded to obtain an audience with the king. Ramkhamhaeng is represented as very religious and to have brought the people to follow his example, regularly attend a sermon. The inscription says that he invited monks from Ceylon to obtain the Theravada Buddhism of Sukhothai pure. Many new temples were built to accommodate the Buddha statues in today known Sukhothai style.

During this time, mixed traditional traditions, beliefs and social structures of the original animist and non-literate Tai peoples with cultural elements and influences of Theravada Buddhist Mon and the Khmer Hindu Brahman. This mixture shaped the cultural and social identity of the Thai during the following centuries and up to the present.

In the north, two other empires had detached from the Khmer. Ramkhamhaeng maintained good relations with both. One kingdom, Lan Na, was led by King Mangrai, Phayao was under King Ngam Mueang. The three joined in 1287 the " Three Kings Agreement" ( sanya sam Kasat ), in which they promised to mutual assistance against the Mongols under Kublai Khan. At the same time they probably limited their spheres of influence on each other, not against each other to come into conflict. Ramkhaemhaeng submitted a large number of city-states, some of which were far from Sukhothai, and made them vassals. Towards the end of the 13th century had reached the area to Nan in the north, Luang Prabang and Vientiane, in present-day Laos to the northeast, Nakhon Si Thammarat in the south and Martaban in today's Burma in the west. The sovereignty over these territories was but as the pre-modern period was the rule in Southeast Asia " rich", determined solely by personal loyalty of the local rulers to the charismatic and militarily successful Ramkhamhaeng. After his death around 1298 it fell under his son Loe Thai back to a radius of about 150 km around the capital.

1345 the Traibhumikatha (or Phra Ruang Traiphum ), a significant representation of the cosmology and world view of the Buddhist Thai originated. It is attributed to King Li Thai ( r. 1347-1370 ).

Decline

1351 was in Central Thailand Ayutthaya founded a city which also developed within a very short time into a major power center of the Thai. Many local principalities, which had previously been dependent as vassals of Sukhothai, it was now of Ayutthaya. Thus, the major trade routes were cut off from Sukhothai to the Gulf of Thailand. 1378 was also Sukhothai himself a vassal of the new kingdom. Under King Mahathammaracha III. ( Sai Lüthai ) it gained in 1400 once more independence and to restore its erstwhile supremacy in northern Chao Phraya Basin. 1412 but it has been downgraded from Ayutthaya again to vassals. After the death of the last ruler of Sukhothai, Mahathammaracha IV, in 1438, the throne was vacant again. Sukhothai was fully part of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya.

Over a century later, in 1569, was A former governor of Phitsanulok and viceroy of the northern provinces, who traced his ancestry to the Phra Ruang dynasty, the kings of Sukhothai, King of Ayutthaya Maha Thammaracha.