Ramkhamhaeng the Great
Encyclopedia
Pho Khun Ram Khamhaeng was the third king of the Phra Ruang dynasty, ruling the Sukhothai Kingdom
(a forerunner of the modern kingdom of Thailand
) from 1279–1298, during its most prosperous era. He is credited with the creation of the Thai alphabet
and the firm establishment of Theravada
Buddhism as the state religion of the kingdom. Recent scholarship has cast doubt on his role, however, noting that much of the information relating to his rule may have been fabricated in the 19th century in order to legitimize the Siamese state in the face of colonial threats.
, and Queen Sueang, although a legend describes his parents as an ogre
ss named Kangli and a fisherman. He had four siblings, including two older brothers and two sisters. The eldest brother died while still young. The second, Ban Muang
, became king following their father's death, and was succeeded by Ram Khamhaeng following his own death.
, formerly a vassal of the Khmer
and essentially establishing the independent Sukhothai kingdom. Because of his conduct at war, he was given the title "Phra Ram Khamhaeng", or Rama
the Bold. After his father's death his elder brother Ban Muang ruled the kingdom and gave Prince Ramkhamhaeng control of the city of mphoe Si Satchanalai|Si Sat Chanalai].
The Royal Institute of Thailand speculates that Prince Ram Khamhaeng's birth name was "Ram" (derived from the name of the Hindu epic Ramayana
's hero Rama), for the name of him following his coronation was "Pho Khun Ramarat" . Furthermore, at that time there existed a tradition to give the name of grandfather to grandson; according to the 11th Stone Inscription and Luang Prasoet Aksoranit's Ayutthaya Chronicles, Ram Khamhaeng had a grandson named "Phraya Ram", and two grandsons of Phraya Ram were named "Phraya Ban Mueang" and "Phraya Ram".
tree in Sukhothai City. Prof Prasoet Na Nakhon of the Royal Institute speculates that this event was one in a tradition of Thai-Ahom's monarchs of planting banyan
or sugar palm tree on the coronation day in the belief that their reign would achieve the same stature as the tree.
of Mongol Empire
, from whom he imported the techniques for making ceramic
s now known as Sangkhalok ware. Additionally, he had close relationships with the neighboring rulers of nearby city-states, namely Ngam Muang, the ruler of neighboring Phayao
(whose wife he, according to legend, seduced) and King Mangrai of Chiang Mai
. According to Thai national history, Ramkhamhaeng expanded his kingdom as far as Lampang
, Phrae
and Nan
in the north, and Phitsanulok
and Vientiane
in the east, the Mon states of Burma in the west, as far as the Gulf of Bengal in the northwest and Nakhon Si Thammarat
in the south. Yet, as historian Thongchai Winichakul notes, kingdoms such as Sukhothai lacked distinct borders, instead being centered on the strength of the capital itself. Claims of Ramkhamhaeng's large kingdom were, according to Thongchai, intended to assert Siamese/Thai dominance over mainland Southeast Asia.
According to Thai history, Ramkhamhaeng is traditionally credited with developing the Thai alphabet
(Lai Sue Thai) from Sanskrit
, Pali
and Grantha script. His rule is often cited by apologists for the Thai monarchy as evidence of a "benevolent monarchy" still existing today. As such, the topic is a sensitive one under Thai lèse majesté
laws.
or some Chronicle Ram Khamhaeng died in 1317.
Ramkhamhaeng University
, the first open university in Thailand with campuses throughout the country and in some certain countries, has been named after King Ramkhamhaeng the Great.
in Bangkok
.
This stone was allegedly discovered in 1833 by King Mongkut
(then still a monk) in the Wat Mahathat
. The authenticity of the stone or at least portions of it has been brought into question. Piriya Krairiksh, an academic at the Thai Khadi Research institute, notes that the stele's treatment of vowels suggests that its creators had been influenced by European alphabet systems; thus, he concludes that the stele was fabricated by someone during the reign of Rama IV himself, or shortly before. The matter is very controversial, since if the stone is in fact a fabrication, the entire history of the period will have to be re-written.
Scholars are still divided over the issue about the stele's authenticity. It remains an anomaly amongst contemporary writings, and in fact no other source refers to King Ramkhamhaeng by name. Some authors claim the inscription was completely a 19th-century fabrication, some claim that the first 17 lines are genuine, some that the inscription was fabricated by King Lithai (a later Sukhothai king), and some scholars still hold to the idea of the inscription's authenticity. The inscription and its image of a Sukhothai utopia remains central to Thai nationalism, and the suggestion that it may have been faked in the 1800s caused Michael Wright, a British scholar, to be threatened with deportation under Thailand's lèse majesté
laws .
in Civilization 5. His national ability is "Father Governs Children": any food and Culture from friendly City-States increase by 50%.
Sukhothai kingdom
The Sukhothai Kingdom ) was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. The Kingdom existed from 1238 till 1438...
(a forerunner of the modern kingdom of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
) from 1279–1298, during its most prosperous era. He is credited with the creation of the Thai alphabet
Thai alphabet
Thai script , is used to write the Thai language and other, minority, languages in Thailand. It has forty-four consonants , fifteen vowel symbols that combine into at least twenty-eight vowel forms, and four tone marks ....
and the firm establishment of Theravada
Theravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
Buddhism as the state religion of the kingdom. Recent scholarship has cast doubt on his role, however, noting that much of the information relating to his rule may have been fabricated in the 19th century in order to legitimize the Siamese state in the face of colonial threats.
Birth
His parents were Prince Bang Klang Hao, who ruled as King Sri IndradityaSri Indraditya
Pho Khun Sri Indraditya is said, according to the Number One Stone Inscription, to be the founder of the so-called Phra Ruang Clan, or 'dynasty' of the Sukhothai Kingdom...
, and Queen Sueang, although a legend describes his parents as an ogre
Ogre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
ss named Kangli and a fisherman. He had four siblings, including two older brothers and two sisters. The eldest brother died while still young. The second, Ban Muang
Ban Muang
Ban Muang can refer to:*Ban Muang, King of Sukhothai, Thailand*Ban Muang, a tambon of Ban Pong District, Ratchaburi Province, Thailand...
, became king following their father's death, and was succeeded by Ram Khamhaeng following his own death.
Name
At the age of 19, he participated in his father's successful invasion of the city of SukhothaiSukhothai (city)
Sukhothai ) was the capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom.Sukhothai is 12 km from the modern city of New Sukhothai.Sukhothai, which literally means "Dawn of Happiness" with an area of 6,596 km2., is about 427 km north of Bangkok and was founded in 1238. Sukhothai was the capital of the...
, formerly a vassal of the Khmer
Khmer Empire
The Khmer Empire was one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia. The empire, which grew out of the former kingdom of Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalized parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, and Malaysia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, the site of the capital city...
and essentially establishing the independent Sukhothai kingdom. Because of his conduct at war, he was given the title "Phra Ram Khamhaeng", or Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
the Bold. After his father's death his elder brother Ban Muang ruled the kingdom and gave Prince Ramkhamhaeng control of the city of mphoe Si Satchanalai|Si Sat Chanalai].
The Royal Institute of Thailand speculates that Prince Ram Khamhaeng's birth name was "Ram" (derived from the name of the Hindu epic Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
's hero Rama), for the name of him following his coronation was "Pho Khun Ramarat" . Furthermore, at that time there existed a tradition to give the name of grandfather to grandson; according to the 11th Stone Inscription and Luang Prasoet Aksoranit's Ayutthaya Chronicles, Ram Khamhaeng had a grandson named "Phraya Ram", and two grandsons of Phraya Ram were named "Phraya Ban Mueang" and "Phraya Ram".
Accession to the Throne
Historian Tri Amattayakun suggested that Ram Khamhaeng should have accessed to the throne in 1279, the year he grew a sugar palmSugar palm
Sugar palm is a common name for several species of palms used to produce sugar.*Arenga pinnata *Borassus flabellifer*Caryota urens*Cocos nucifera...
tree in Sukhothai City. Prof Prasoet Na Nakhon of the Royal Institute speculates that this event was one in a tradition of Thai-Ahom's monarchs of planting banyan
Banyan
A banyan is a fig that starts its life as an epiphyte when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree...
or sugar palm tree on the coronation day in the belief that their reign would achieve the same stature as the tree.
Rule
Ramkhamhaeng formed an alliance with the Yuan DynastyYuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
of Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
, from whom he imported the techniques for making ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
s now known as Sangkhalok ware. Additionally, he had close relationships with the neighboring rulers of nearby city-states, namely Ngam Muang, the ruler of neighboring Phayao
Phayao
Phayao is a town in northern Thailand, capital of the Phayao Province. It covers the tambon Wiang and Mae Tam of Mueang Phayao district. As of 2005 it has a population of 19,118.The town is located the shore of the Phayao lake....
(whose wife he, according to legend, seduced) and King Mangrai of Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
. According to Thai national history, Ramkhamhaeng expanded his kingdom as far as Lampang
Lampang
Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang to differentiate from Lampang Province, is the third largest town in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang Province and the Lampang district. Traditional names for Lampang include Wiang Lakon and Khelang Nakhon. The city is still growing rapidly as trading...
, Phrae
Phrae
Phrae is a town in northern Thailand, capital of the Phrae Province.The town covers the whole tambon Nai Wiang of the Mueang Phrae district. It covers an area of 9 km² and as of 2005 it has a population of 17,971....
and Nan
Nan, Thailand
Nan is a town in Northern Thailand. It is located some 668 km north of Bangkok. Its population exceeds 24.000. It is situated in the centre of the province which bears its name, and of which it is the administrative capital. It covers the whole tambon Nai Wiang of Mueang Nan district, an area...
in the north, and Phitsanulok
Phitsanulok
Phitsanulok is an important and historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province, which stretches all the way to the Laotian border. Phitsanulok is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, founded over 600 years ago...
and Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
in the east, the Mon states of Burma in the west, as far as the Gulf of Bengal in the northwest and Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon Si Thammarat kingdom
Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom was one of the major constituent city states of the Siamese kingdoms of Sukhothai and later Ayutthaya and controlled a big part of the Malay peninsula...
in the south. Yet, as historian Thongchai Winichakul notes, kingdoms such as Sukhothai lacked distinct borders, instead being centered on the strength of the capital itself. Claims of Ramkhamhaeng's large kingdom were, according to Thongchai, intended to assert Siamese/Thai dominance over mainland Southeast Asia.
According to Thai history, Ramkhamhaeng is traditionally credited with developing the Thai alphabet
Thai alphabet
Thai script , is used to write the Thai language and other, minority, languages in Thailand. It has forty-four consonants , fifteen vowel symbols that combine into at least twenty-eight vowel forms, and four tone marks ....
(Lai Sue Thai) from Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
and Grantha script. His rule is often cited by apologists for the Thai monarchy as evidence of a "benevolent monarchy" still existing today. As such, the topic is a sensitive one under Thai lèse majesté
Lèse majesté
Lese-majesty is the crime of violating majesty, an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state.This behavior was first classified as a criminal offence against the dignity of the Roman republic in Ancient Rome...
laws.
Death
According to a Chinese chronicle, Ram Khamhaeng died in 1298 and was succeeded by his son, LoethaiLoethai
Phaya Lerthai was the fourth King of Sukhothai . He was preceded by his father Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng and was succeeded by Phaya Nguanamthom.-See also:Sukhothai kingdom...
or some Chronicle Ram Khamhaeng died in 1317.
Ramkhamhaeng University
Ramkhamhaeng University
Ramkhamhaeng University is one of two open universities in Thailand. The university was named in honor of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great of Sukhothai, who traditionally is credited for creating the Thai alphabet....
, the first open university in Thailand with campuses throughout the country and in some certain countries, has been named after King Ramkhamhaeng the Great.
The Ramkhamhaeng stele
Much of the above biographical information comes from a stone inscription in the Ramkhamhaeng stele, now in the National MuseumNational Museum (Thailand)
The National Museum in Thailand is the main museum on the history of the Thai culture. The main museum is located in Bangkok on Na Phrathat Road next to the Sanam Luang, not far from Wat Phra Kaew....
in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
.
This stone was allegedly discovered in 1833 by King Mongkut
Mongkut
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthramaha Mongkut Phra Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama IV, known in foreign countries as King Mongkut , was the fourth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1851-1868...
(then still a monk) in the Wat Mahathat
Wat Mahathat
Wat Mahathat is the common short name of several important buddhist temples in Thailand. The name may refer to:* Wat Mahathat Yuwarajarangsarit , Bangkok...
. The authenticity of the stone or at least portions of it has been brought into question. Piriya Krairiksh, an academic at the Thai Khadi Research institute, notes that the stele's treatment of vowels suggests that its creators had been influenced by European alphabet systems; thus, he concludes that the stele was fabricated by someone during the reign of Rama IV himself, or shortly before. The matter is very controversial, since if the stone is in fact a fabrication, the entire history of the period will have to be re-written.
Scholars are still divided over the issue about the stele's authenticity. It remains an anomaly amongst contemporary writings, and in fact no other source refers to King Ramkhamhaeng by name. Some authors claim the inscription was completely a 19th-century fabrication, some claim that the first 17 lines are genuine, some that the inscription was fabricated by King Lithai (a later Sukhothai king), and some scholars still hold to the idea of the inscription's authenticity. The inscription and its image of a Sukhothai utopia remains central to Thai nationalism, and the suggestion that it may have been faked in the 1800s caused Michael Wright, a British scholar, to be threatened with deportation under Thailand's lèse majesté
Lèse majesté
Lese-majesty is the crime of violating majesty, an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state.This behavior was first classified as a criminal offence against the dignity of the Roman republic in Ancient Rome...
laws .
Others
King Ramkhamhaeng is a playable ruler for the SiameseSiamese
Siamese most commonly refer to:*The Thai language*The Thai people*Someone or something from Thailand: see Siam *Siamese *Siamese twinsAmongst animals:*Siamese Crocodile*Siamese mud carp...
in Civilization 5. His national ability is "Father Governs Children": any food and Culture from friendly City-States increase by 50%.
External links
- RAM KHAMHAENG INSCRIPTION (1292) English translation accessed 15:34 UTC 4/8/2008
- Overview of Ramkhamhaeng Orthography
- Ramkhamhaeng Consonant and Vowel flashcards