Ramesuan
Encyclopedia
King Ramesuan (1339–1395), son of king Ramathibodi I
, reigned as the second and fifth king of the kingdom of Ayutthaya
. When King Ramathibodi ascended to the throne of Ayuthaya, he sent King Ramesuan to reign in Lopburi
. Upon King Ramathibodi's death in 1369, King Ramesuan traveled to Ayutthaya
to assume the throne, but held it for less than a year before being deposed by his uncle, King Borommaracha I
, the ruler of Suphanburi
. Sources differ over the nature of their conflict; official chronicles state that the older Boromaracha ruled with the willing consent of his nephew, while Jeremias van Vliet's Short History of Thailand indicated that Boromaracha's ascension came only after a bloody conflict bordering on civil war.
Whatever the case, by 1388 King Ramesuan had gathered sufficient support from his power base in Lopburi to return to Ayutthaya and challenge Boromarachi's son Thong Chan for the throne. King Ramesuan's forces quickly took the palace and executed the 17 year-old Thong Chan. King Ramesuan then held the throne until 1395, when he was succeeded by his son Rama (also known as Ramaracha).
During King Ramesuan's second reign, the king seems to have come to an understanding with the kingdom of Sukhothai
, against whom Boromarachi had warred throughout his reign. Instead, some sources record conflicts with the kingdom of Lan Na (in northern Thailand
), and the empire of Angkor
. Ayutthaya chronicles indicate that King Ramesuan took Chiang Mai
, then the capital of the kingdom of Lan Na, in 1390 and settled many captives within the kingdom of Ayutthaya. A similar defeat of Angkor
is recorded as having taken place in response to raids from the Cambodia
n kingdom. Neither of these battles are attested to by chronicles from Lan Na or Angkor.
Ramathibodi I
Uthong or Ramathibodi I was the first king of the kingdom Ayutthaya , reigning from 1351 to 1369. He was known as Prince U Thong before he ascended to the throne on March 4, 1351...
, reigned as the second and fifth king of the kingdom of Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
. When King Ramathibodi ascended to the throne of Ayuthaya, he sent King Ramesuan to reign in Lopburi
Lopburi
Lopburi ) is the capital city of Lopburi Province in Thailand. It is located about 150 km north-east of Bangkok. As of 2006 it has a population of 26,500...
. Upon King Ramathibodi's death in 1369, King Ramesuan traveled to Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya (city)
Ayutthaya city is the capital of Ayutthaya province in Thailand. Located in the valley of the Chao Phraya River. The city was founded in 1350 by King U Thong, who went there to escape a smallpox outbreak in Lop Buri and proclaimed it the capital of his kingdom, often referred to as the Ayutthaya...
to assume the throne, but held it for less than a year before being deposed by his uncle, King Borommaracha I
Borommaracha I
Borommaracha I or Khun Luang Pa Ngua is the third king of Ayutthaya Kingdom. His name Khun Luang Pa Ngua literary means the fifth price....
, the ruler of Suphanburi
Suphanburi
Suphan Buri is a town in central Thailand, capital of the Suphan Buri Province. It covers the whole tambon Tha Philiang and parts of the tambon Rua Yai and Tha Rahat, all within the Mueang Suphan Buri district...
. Sources differ over the nature of their conflict; official chronicles state that the older Boromaracha ruled with the willing consent of his nephew, while Jeremias van Vliet's Short History of Thailand indicated that Boromaracha's ascension came only after a bloody conflict bordering on civil war.
Whatever the case, by 1388 King Ramesuan had gathered sufficient support from his power base in Lopburi to return to Ayutthaya and challenge Boromarachi's son Thong Chan for the throne. King Ramesuan's forces quickly took the palace and executed the 17 year-old Thong Chan. King Ramesuan then held the throne until 1395, when he was succeeded by his son Rama (also known as Ramaracha).
During King Ramesuan's second reign, the king seems to have come to an understanding with the kingdom of Sukhothai
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...
, against whom Boromarachi had warred throughout his reign. Instead, some sources record conflicts with the kingdom of Lan Na (in northern 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...
), and the empire of Angkor
Angkor
Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city"...
. Ayutthaya chronicles indicate that King Ramesuan took 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...
, then the capital of the kingdom of Lan Na, in 1390 and settled many captives within the kingdom of Ayutthaya. A similar defeat of Angkor
Angkor
Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city"...
is recorded as having taken place in response to raids from the Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
n kingdom. Neither of these battles are attested to by chronicles from Lan Na or Angkor.
Sources
- Wyatt, David K., Thailand: A Short History, New Haven (Yale University), 2003. ISBN 0-300-08475-7