Thailand Discovery Pages - Sukhothai - the Kingdom of the Dawn of Happiness

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Sukhothai - the Kingdom of the Dawn of Happiness:

Today, the Thai's are renowned for their love of peace and harmony, so it may come as some surprise to learn that they have a somewhat turbulent past. The first settlers are thought to originate from the Dai (Tai) tribe, who migrated south from Sipsongpanna (thought to be modern day Jinghong in Yunnan Province), China.

The ancient Dais were sophisticated people, they had established their own calendar and system of writing, and historical documents record their love of the creative arts. For centuries the Dai people had enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle. At one time the kingdom had a population of more than one million and was famous for its white elephants and fine horses. Rice was their main crop, meat and vegetables were in abundance and, like the modern Thais, the Dai people favored sour and hot flavors.

The Dai ruling class had also established a set of political institutions and they used their troops to enforce their power. However, their increasing demands and reckless exploitation forced many Dai peasants to flee to places like Lanna (near modern Chiang Mai), Phayao, Chiang Saen and Sukhothai.

Sukhothai, the Kingdom of the dawn of happiness truly began in 1238, when two local chieftans Pho Khun Pha Muang and Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao joined forces to fight for independence from the great Khmer Empire, which at that time ruled Sukhothai and a vast area of land covering an area equal to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam today. Following the successful campaign, Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao was urged by the people to become king and was enthroned with the royal title: Pho Khun Si Indrathit.

During the beginning of the 13th century, Sukhothai's power and influence grew, mainly thanks to marriage alliances with neighboring nations and the use of a common religion, Theravada Buddhism. In around 1278, a younger son of King Si Indrathit took over the throne. Already renowned as a great warrior for defeating Khun Samchon, the ruler of Chot, in a battle in which both combatants were mounted on elephants, Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng is considered to be the first great king of Thailand - he reigned for forty years.

Under King Ramkhamhaeng the Great, as he is now known, Sukhothai enjoyed a golden age of prosperity and it was at this time that the name Siem (Siam) was first used by the Chinese. According to stone inscriptions in Wat Si Chum (which can still be seen in modern Sukhothai), King Ramkhamhaeng was considered to be a wise and fair king whose influence stretched far and wide. He established a system of writing that eventually developed into the modern Thai alphabet. During King Ramkhamhaeng's reign commerce was also considered very important with Sangkhalok, (glazed ceramics from the Sukhothai period), being produced in great quantities and exported throughout Asia.

By adopting the Ceylonese school of Theravada Buddhism, the kingdom became an established centre of Buddhist art and learning. The wonderful, golden bell-shaped chedis now found throughout Thailand are heavily influenced by Ceylonese stupas. Buddha images of the time are easily recognized for their sinuous, slender bodies, oval faces and long fingers. Sukohothai artists also introduced the graceful image of the 'walking Buddha'.

Throughout its history the kingdom of Sukhothai had nine kings, who together ruled for nearly two centuries. After King Ramkhamhaeng's death in 1317, the sphere of Sukhothai's influence began to decrease. Meanwhile, the kingdom of Ayutthaya was gaining in power and influence. By 1378, King Thammaracha II had submitted to the power of Ayutthaya and by 1438, Sukhothai's life as a kingdom was over, as the 'Kingdom of the Dawn of Happiness' became a province of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya.

Christopher Snyder is the Founder and Managing Director of Asia Products LLC and currently is living in Bangkok, Thailand.

He writes on a variety of topics including current events, politics, and travel ideas. He manages an e-commerce store buying products to sell on http://www.asiaproductsllc.com. He is documenting some of his more interesting travels in his Asia Travel Ideas website : http://www.apllc-connect.com.

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