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Mon and Khmer Dominance
 From the 9th to the 11th century AD, the area that is now
central and western Thailand was occupied by a Mon civilization called
Dvaravati. The Mon race, which shared the same linguistic lineage as the
Khmers, was later to settle in southern Burma. Little is known about the
political or social "empire" of Dvaravati, but it seems quite likely that
there were in fact several Mon states sharing a common culture, rather than
a monolithic "empire" with a capital city. Important Dvaravati sites in
Thailand include Nakhon Pathom, Khu Bua, Phong Tuk, and Lawo (Lopburi). Some
superb bas-reliefs, sculptures, and archaeological remains survive from this
obscure period of history.
Dvaravati was an "indianized" culture, Theravada Buddhism being the
dominant religion. Theravada Buddhism was to remain the major religion in
this area for the next millennium, co-existing with animism, Hinduism, and
Mahayana Buddhism. The ideas and philosophy of Theravada Buddhism inspired
much of Dvaravati art and sculpture, whose forms were also based on Indian
prototypes.
By the 11th-12th centuries, Mon dominance over central Thailand had been
replaced by the power of the ever-expanding Khmer Empire to the east. The
capital of this empire was the great city of Angkor, and the Khmer rulers
were masters of a tightly organized society with remarkable capacities for
territorial and cultural expansion. The Khmers also successfully controlled
most of the trade routes in the Thailand-Indochina region. Khmer territories
stretched well into the area that is present-day Thailand, covering the
northeastern region, much of the center, and coming as far west as
Kanchanaburi Province. The Khmer built stone temples in the northeast, some
of which have been restored to their former glory, notably those at Phimai
and Phanom Rung. Stone sculptures and lintels depicting Hindu gods, stone
Buddha images in the distinctive Khmer style, and bronze statuary, some of
great beauty, are other vestiges of Khmer cultural dominance. Politically,
however, the Khmers probably did not control the whole of this area directly
but exercised power through vassals and governors.
The Chao Phraya River Basin had always been an area with an ethnic mix:
Mons, Khmers, and Lawas. Towards the end of the 13th century, Khmer power in
this area waned and new kingdoms, dominated by the Thai race, sprang up.
They had been influenced by Khmer rule and culture, but spectacular legacies
from his ancestors is his fleet of this new race comes from? |
