The
Sukhothai, สุโขทัย Kingdom existed from
around 1238 till 1448.
The
Kingdom was one of the early Kingdoms in
the area around the city Sukhothai,
สุโขทัย in the North of Bangkok,
กรุงเทพมหานคร on the River Yom which is
an tributary of the Chao Phraya River,
แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา.
Wat Si Sawai
Sukhothai,
สุโขทัย
Historical
Park
King Pho Khun Sri
Indraditya is said
to be the founder of
the Phra Ruang
Dynasty
of the Sukhothai,
สุโขทัย Kingdom
ruling 1249 till
1257. The Sukhothai,
สุโขทัย was the
capital of the Thai
Empire for
approximately 140
years. The old
capital is now
located 12 km
outside of New
Sukhothai in Tambon
Mueang Kao. This
location now is in
ruins and now set up
as a historical
park.
Wat Saphan
Hin,
วัดสะพานหิน
- Sukhothai,
สุโขทัย
Historical
Park
Chiang
Saen, เชียงแสน in the Northern part of
Chiang Rai, เชียงราย Province was
established in the early 700s and Mueang
Sua known as Luang Prabang, a city
located in north central Laos, on the
Mekong River. The city of Sukhothai,
สุโขทัย was part of the Khmer empire
until 1238 when two Thai group leaders
namely Pho Khun Pha Muang and Pho Khun
Bang Klang Hao declared their
independence and established a Thai
ruled Kingdom. Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao
later became the first King of
Sukhothai, สุโขทัย calling himself Pho
Khun Si Indraditya. This event
traditionally marks the founding of the
modern Thai nation although other less
well known Thai Kingdoms such as Lanna,
ล้านนา
Kingdom established itself in the north
of Thailand, around the city of Chiang
Mai. The Phayao and Chiang Saen Kingdoms
were also established around the same
time.
Sukhothai,
สุโขทัยexpanded by forming group
alliances with the other Thai Kingdoms
whom adopted the Theravada Buddhism,
known as the 'Teaching of the Elders' or
the 'Ancient Teaching' was set as the
state religion with the help of
Ceylonese monks.
King Pho
Khun Sri
Indraditya
was
succeeded by
his son King
Pho Khun Ban
Muang, who
was followed
in 1278 by
his brother
namely King
Pho Khun
Ramkhamhaeng.
The
Thais began
to emerge as
a dominant
force in the
region in
the 13th
century.
They
gradually
declared
their
independence
from
existing
Khmer and
Mon
Kingdoms.
The city
called by
its Kingdom
rulers,
Sukhothai,
สุโขทัย
which
literally
means "Dawn
of
Happiness".
This is
often
considered
the golden
period of
the Thai
history
which is an
ideal Thai
state in a
land of
plenty
governed by
paternal and
benevolent
Kings.
Statue of
King
Ramkhamhaeng,
located in
the
Sukhothai,
สุโขทัย
Historical
Park
The most
famous of
whom was the
King
Ramkamhaeng
the Great,
พ่อขุนรามคำแหงมหาราช,
the third
King of the
Phra Ruang
dynasty.
In 1350, the
mightier
state of
Ayutthaya,
อาณาจักรอยุธยา
exerted its
influence
over the
Sukhothai,
สุโขทัย
Kingdom
and became a
tributary
state of
Ayutthaya,
อาณาจักรอยุธยา
between 1365
and 1378.
Ramkhamhaeng,
พ่อขุนรามคำแหงมหาราช
is credited
with
designing
the Thai
alphabet,
อักษรไทย
which is
traditionally
dated from
1283 on the
evidence of
the
controversial
Ramkhamhaeng
stele which
is an
inscribed
stone
allegedly
bearing the
earliest
known Thai
writing now
in the
National
Museum in
Bangkok,
กรุงเทพมหานคร.
This stone
was
allegedly
discovered
in 1833 by
King Mongkut
or Rama IV
whom was
then still a
monk in the
Wat
Mahathat,
วัดมหาธาตุ.
After the
death of King Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng, he
was succeeded by his son King Pho Khun
Loethai. The variegated Kingdoms, first
Uttaradit, อุตรดิตถ์ in the North and
then soon after the Laotian Kingdoms of
Luang Prabang and Vientiane in Laos
liberated themselves from their
overlord. In 1319 the Mon Kingdom of the
Burmese state to the west broke away. In
1321 Lanna Thai Kingdom was placed by
Tak,
ตาก
in the North of the country, one of the
oldest towns under the control of
Suriyothai. To the south the powerful
city of Suphan Buri, สุพรรณบุรี in
central Thailand broke free early in the
reign of King Loethai and was quickly
condensed to its earlier importance.
Meanwhile Ayutthaya,
อาณาจักรอยุธยา Kingdom rose in
strength and finally in 1378 King Phya
Sai Leu Thai or Thammaracha II had to
submit to this new power.
In 1412,
Ayutthaya, อาณาจักรอยุธยา installed a
chief resident and King Thammaracha IV
was installed on the throne by the
Ayutthaya,
อาณาจักรอยุธยา
Kingdom. Around 1430 Thammaracha IV
moved his capital to Phitsanulok,
พิษณุโลก located in the North of
Thailand. After his death in 1438 the
Kingdom was reduced in status to a mere
province of Ayutthaya,
อาณาจักรอยุธยา.
The
Kings of Sukhothai,
สุโขทัย
Kingdom
King Pho
Khun Sri
Indraditya -
ruling
1249-1257
King Pho
Khun Ban
Muang -
ruling
1257-1277
King Pho
Khun
Ramkhamhaeng,
Ramkhamhaeng
the Great -
ruling
1277-1317
King Pu
Saisongkhram:
After
Ramkhamheang's
death, ruled
temporarily
in absence
of Loethai
who was on
trip to
China. He
was not
styled Pho
Khun.
King Pho
Khun Loethai
- ruling
1317-1347
King Pho
Khun
Nguanamthom
- ruling
1347
King Phya
Lithai or
Thammaracha
I,
พระมหาธรรมราชาที่
I - ruling
1347-1374
King Phya
Sai Leu Thai
or
Thammaracha
II - ruling
1374-1399
King Phya
Sai Luthai
or
Thammaracha
III - ruling
1399-1419
King
Thammaracha
IV - ruling
1419-1438
Discovering Thailand > History of
Thailand > Sukhothai Kingdom
