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Sukhothai (13th - 15th Century)
 The state that is still regarded by Thai historical tradition
as the "first Thai kingdom" was
Sukhothai. There were, in fact,
contemporaneous Thai states such as Lanna and Phayao, both in present-day
northern Thailand, but the Thai historical imagination has been most stirred
by Sukhothai. Even today, the evocative ruins of Sukhothai and its twin city
Si Satchanalai conjure up images of material prosperity, artistic greatness,
and serene Buddhist piety. Indeed, Sukhothai is remembered as much for its
art and architecture as for its political achievements.
Sukhothai began life as chiefdom under the sway of the Khmer empire: the
oldest monuments in the city were built in the Khmer style or else show
clear Khmer influence. During the first half of the 13th century the Thai
rulers of Sukhothai threw off the Khmer yoke and set up an independent Thai
kingdom. One of the victorious Thai chieftains became the first king of
Sukhothai, with the name of Si Inthrathit (Sri Indraditya). Sukhothai's
power and influence expanded in all directions by conquest (the Khmer were
driven southwards), by a farsighted network of marriage alliances with the
ruling families of other Thai states, and by the use of a common religion,
Theravada Buddhism, to cement relations with other states.
Si Inthrathit's son and successor was King Ramkhamhaeng, undoubtedly the
most famous and dynamic monarch ever to rule the Sukhothai kingdom. Much of
what we know about Sukhothai in the 13th century derives from King
Ramkhamhaeng's stone inscription of 1292. The inscription is problematic,
but it is considered to be a seminal source of Sukhothai history as well as
a masterpiece of Thai literature. It eloquently extols the benevolence of
King Ramkhamhaeng's rule, the power and prosperity of Sukhothai. The king
was accessible to his people. For example, he had a bell hung in front of a
palace gate so that any subject with a grievance could ring it and ask for
justice:
"King Ramkhamhaeng, the ruler of the kingdom, hears the call; he goes and
questions the man, examines the case, and decides it justly for him. So the
people of Sukhothai praise him."
According to the inscription, the king did not levy road tolls or taxes
on merchandise. His liberality was such that he did not tax his subjects'
inheritance at all. Such a paternalistic and benevolent style of kingship
has caused posterity to regard the Sukhothai kingdom's heyday as a "golden
age" in Thai history.
Even allowing for some hyperbole in King Ramkhamhaeng's inscription, it
is probably true that Sukhothai was prosperous and well governed. Its
economy was self-sufficient, small-scale, and agricultural. The Thai
people's basic diet was the same as that of many other people in Southeast
Asia, consisting of rice and fish as staple foods. Both, according to King
Ramkhamhaeng's inscription were plentiful:
"In the time of King Ramkhamhaeng this land of Sukhothai is thriving.
There are fish in the water and rice in the fields."
Sukhothai may have been self-sufficient as far as food was concerned, but
its prosperity also depended on commerce. During the Sukhothai period glazed
ceramic wares known as "sangkhalok" were produced in great quantities at the
kilns of Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai and exported regularly to other
countries in the South China Sea area, specimens having been found in
Indonesia and the Philippines. Sukhothai also traded with China through the
traditional Chinese tributary system: the Thai king was content to send
tribute to the Chinese emperor and be classified as a vassal, in return for
permission to sell Thai goods and buy Chinese products.
Although animistic beliefs remained potent in Sukhothai, King
Ramkhamhaeng and his successors were all devout Buddhist rulers who made
merit on a large scale. The major cities of the Sukhothai kingdom were
therefore full of monasteries, many of which were splendid examples of Thai
Buddhist architecture. Sukhothai adopted the Ceylonese school of Theravada
Buddhism, beginning with King Ramkhamhaeng's invitation to Ceylonese monks
to come over and purify Buddhism in his kingdom. This Ceylonese influence
manifested itself not only in matters of doctrine but also in religious
architecture. The bell-shaped stupa, so familiar in Thai religious
architecture, was derived from Ceylonese models. Sukhothai style Buddha
images are distinctive for their elegance and stylized beauty, and
Sukhothai's artists introduced the graceful form of the "walking Buddha"
into Buddhist sculpture.
Sukhothai's cultural importance in Thai history also derives from the
fact that the Thai script evolved into a definite form during King
Ramkhamhaeng's time, taking as its models the ancient Mon and Khmer scripts.
Indeed, this remarkable king is credited with having invented the Thai
script.
King Si Inthrathit and King Ramkhamhaeng were both warrior kings and
extended their territories far and wide. Their successors, however, could
not maintain such a far-flung empire. Some of these later kings were more
remarkable for their religious piety and extensive building activities than
for their warlike exploits. An example of this type of Buddhist ruler was
King Mahathammaracha Lithai, believed to have been the compiler of the
Tribhumikatha, an early Thai book on the Buddhist universe or cosmos. The
political decline of Sukhothai was, however, not wholly owing to
deficiencies in leadership. Rather it resulted from the emergence of strong
Thai states further south, whose political and economic power began to
challenge Sukhothai during the latter half of the 14th century. These
southern states, especially Ayutthaya, were able to deny Sukhothai access to
the area.
The Sukhothai kingdom did not die a quick death. Its decline lasted from
the mid- 14th until the 15th century. In 1378, the Ayutthaya King
Borommaracha I subdued Sukhothai's frontier city of Chakangrao (Kamphaengphet),
and henceforth Sukhothai became a tributary state of Ayutthaya. Sukhothai
later attempted to break loose from Ayutthaya but with no real success,
until in the 15th century it was incorporated into the Ayutthaya kingdom as
a province. The focus of Thai history and politics now moved to the central
plains of present-day Thailand, where Ayutthaya was establishing itself as a
centralized state, its power outstripping not only Sukhothai but also other
neighboring states such as Suphannaphum and Lawo (Lopburi). |
