Ramrachathirat ( th, รามราชาธิราช, ) was a
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
of
Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to:
* Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767
** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom
* Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locally ...
, an ancient kingdom in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
.
A son of
Ramesuan and member of the
House of Uthong, he succeeded his father to the throne of Ayutthaya in 1393. He reigned until 1395 when he was deposed in a coup by
Inracha, his uncle from the
House of Suphannaphum.
This coup marked the end of Lawo-Ayothaya clan and the rise of Suphannaphum clan, which would rule over Ayutthaya for almost two hundred years.
[ Kasētsiri, 2005: 4–5, 22, 25–26.]
Historical sources vary in relation to the fate of the dethroned monarch. Some say he was banished. Some say he was executed.
Name
He is merely known as Ram ( th,
ราม; "
Rāma
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
") in most historical sources, including the ''
Bradley Chronicle'', the ''
British Museum Chronicle'', LP,
[ ''Prachum phongsāwadān chabap kānčhanāphisēk lem nưng'', 1999: 213.] the ''
Phan Channumat Chronicle'', the ''
Phonnarat Chronicle'', and the ''
Royal Autograph Chronicle''.
VV, a Dutch document written by
Jeremias Van Vliet
Jeremiah, Modern: , Tiberian: ; el, Ἰερεμίας, Ieremíās; meaning " Yah shall raise" (c. 650 – c. 570 BC), also called Jeremias or the "weeping prophet", was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish ...
in 1640 CE, refers to him as Prae Rhaem ( th,
พระราม; "Divine
Rāma
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
").
[ Van Vliet, 2003: 37.]
But modern documents often refer to him as Ramracha ( th,
ราม ราชา; "
Rāma
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
the Lord") or Ramrachathirat ( th,
ราม ราชาธิราช; "
Rāma
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
the Supreme Lord of Lords").
[ Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation, 2011: 61.] The latter is the name accepted by the
Historical Revision Commission of Thailand ( th, คณะกรรมการชำระประวัติศาสตร์ไทย).
Early life and ascension to the throne
All historical sources state that Ram was a son of
Ramesuan, a king of the
Ayutthaya Kingdom from the
House of Uthong.
[ ''Phrarātchaphongsāwadān chabap phrarātchahatthalēkhā lem nưng'', 1991: 212.]
Ramesuan gained the throne in 750 LE (1931 BE, 1388/89 CE) after carrying out a violent coup against
Thong Lan
King Thong Lan () was a king of Ayutthaya, an ancient kingdom in Thailand.
A son of Borommarachathirat I and member of the House of Suphannaphum, Thong Lan succeeded his father to the throne of Ayutthaya in 750 LE (1931 BE, 1388/89 CE) at the ...
, a young son of his maternal uncle,
Boromrachathirat I from the
House of Suphannaphum.
According to LP, Ram succeeded to the throne of Ayutthaya upon the demise of his father,
Ramesuan, in 757 LE (1938 BE, 1395/96 CE).
VV says Ram was 21 years of age when he ascended the throne.
Based on this information, he was possibly born in 718 LE (1899 BE, 1356/57 CE).
VV describes Ram as having "low intelligence" (german: wenig Weisheit), saying he made a poor decision by sending
Inracha, a relative of
Thong Lan
King Thong Lan () was a king of Ayutthaya, an ancient kingdom in Thailand.
A son of Borommarachathirat I and member of the House of Suphannaphum, Thong Lan succeeded his father to the throne of Ayutthaya in 750 LE (1931 BE, 1388/89 CE) at the ...
, to rule the principality of
Suphan Buri, allowing him to accumulate power that would enable him to oust Ram from the throne in the future.
The document also says that, throughout his reign, Ram had no accomplishment worth mentioning.
Foreign relations
China
Chinese documents say, during the reign of Ram, the royal court of Ayutthaya sent its first envoy to China in 1940 BE (1397/98 CE).
However, China gave more importance to
Inracha, Ram's relative who ruled
Suphan Buri. Inracha had personal relationship with the Chinese imperial court and once visited the country in 1920 BE (1377/78 CE). The imperial court of China even honoured him as king. This made Ram grow suspicious of him.
The third
treasure fleet sent by China to
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
arrived in Ayutthaya in 1410 CE, perfectly around the time Inracha staged a coup against Ram.
[ Wongthēt, 2014: online.] Historian Suchit Wongthet (สุจิตต์ วงษ์เทศ) believed the fleet, which was led by Admiral
Zheng He
Zheng He (; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferr ...
, was sent for political purposes, probably to support Inracha as a new monarch of Ayutthaya, so that Ayutthaya would become a
dependency of China.
Sukhothai
The northern kingdom of
Sukhothai appears to have been a
vassal state
A vassal state is any state that has a mutual obligation to a superior state or empire, in a status similar to that of a vassal in the feudal system in medieval Europe. Vassal states were common among the empires of the Near East, dating back to ...
of
Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to:
* Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767
** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom
* Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locally ...
for a period of time during the reign of Ram. A surviving
stele,
Inscription 38 ( th, จารึกหลักที่ ๓๘), erected in 1940 BE (1397/98 CE), contains a criminal law which Ayutthaya imposed upon Sukhothai, indicating the vassal status of Sukhothai. This inscription is the only known legislative text engraved on stone emanating from any of the Southeast Asian kingdoms and remains a document of peculiar importance for the study of the legal history of the region.
Historical documents from
Northern Thailand
Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is geographically characterised by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys which cut through them. Though like most of Thailan ...
state that King
Mahathammaracha III
Maha Thammaracha III ( th, มหาธรรมราชาที่ ๓, ), born as Sai Lue Thai ( th, ไสลือไทย, ), was a king of the Sukhothai Kingdom.
Ancestry
See also
*Sukhothai kingdom
The Sukhothai Kingdom ( th, ...
of Sukhothai marched his royal army to assist Lord
Yi Kum Kam ( th, ยี่กุมกาม) in seizing the throne of
Lan Na from King
Sam Fang Kaen
Sam, SAM or variants may refer to:
Places
* Sam, Benin
* Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso
* Sam, Iran
* Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place
People and fictional ...
( th, สามฝั่งแกน). The event took place in 1945 BE (1402/03 CE), according to ''
Jinakālamālī''.
[ Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation, 2011: 40.] Historian
Prasert na Nagara
Prasert na Nagara ( th, ประเสริฐ ณ นคร, , ; 21 March 1919 – 7 May 2019) was a Thai scholar. Best known for his studies of ancient Thai inscriptions, he was formally trained in engineering and statistics, subjects which he ...
( th, ประเสริฐ ณ นคร) expressed the opinion that this means Sukhothai had already been independent from Ayutthaya by that time.
Removal from the throne
In 771 LE (1952 BE, 1409/10 CE), Ram was removed from the throne of
Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to:
* Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767
** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom
* Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locally ...
by his relative,
Inracha, the ruler of
Suphan Buri. According to LP, Inracha staged a coup against Ram at the initiative of a person called ''chao senabodi'' ( th,
เจ้า เสนาบดี). Ram was in conflict with ''chao senabodi'' and ordered his arrest. Having fled to
Patha Khu Cham ( th, ปท่าคูจาม), ''chao senabodi'' persuaded Inracha to bring troops from Suphan Buri to
Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to:
* Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767
** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom
* Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locally ...
and seize the throne. Inracha succeeded in his enterprise, became king of Ayutthaya, and banished Ram to Patha Khu Cham.
Ram remained there until his death, of which the date and time are not known.
As the literal interpretation of the term ''chao senabodi'' gave various outcomes, historian
Damrong Rajanubhab
Prince Tisavarakumarn, the Prince Damrong Rajanubhab ( Thai: ; Full transcription is "Somdet Phrachao Borommawongthoe Phra-ongchao Ditsawarakuman Kromphraya Damrongrachanuphap" (สมเด็จพระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธ ...
believed it refers to a military commander.
Piyanat Bunnak ( th, ปิยนาถ บุนนาค) from the
Royal Society of Thailand
The Royal Society ( th, ราชบัณฑิตยสภา, , ) is the national academy of Thailand in charge of academic works of the government.
The secretariat of the society is the Office of the Royal Society ( th, สำนักง ...
expressed the opinion that he was a chancellor (prime minister).
In documents produced during the
Bangkok era, ''chao senabodi'' is referred to by the title of the chancellor for military affairs,
[After the administrative reform in the reign of Boromtrailokkanat, the government of ]Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to:
* Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767
** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom
* Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locally ...
had two chancellors or prime ministers ( th, อัครมหาเสนาบดี): one responsible for civil affairs, called ''samuhanayok'' ( th, สมุหนายก); the other, for military affairs, called ''samuhakalahom'' ( th, สมุหกลาโหม). ''Chao Phraya Mahasenabodi'' ( th,
เจ้าพระยา มหาเสนาบดี), despite the fact that such title did not yet exist at his time.
The ''
Minor Wars Chronicle'' states that Ram was just banished because Inracha did not want to kill his own relative.
VV gives a slightly different piece of information regarding the coup, stating that after Ram had reigned in Ayutthaya for three years, Inracha marched his troops in from Suphan Buri (written ''Soupanna Boury'' in the document), successfully seized the throne of Ayutthaya, and put Ram to death.
The ''
Magadhi Chronicle'' and the ''
Buddhist Councils Chronicle'' also state that Inracha did have Ram executed.
[ Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation, 2011: 62.]
This coup was part of a series of conflicts between the royal houses of
Uthong
King U-thongThe Royal Institute. List of monarchs Ayutthaya''. ( th, พระเจ้าอู่ทอง) or King Ramathibodi I ( th, สมเด็จพระรามาธิบดีที่ ๑ ; 1314–1369) was the first king of ...
(of which Ram was a member) and
Suphannaphum (to which Inracha belonged). The two clans had long struggled with each other for the throne of Ayutthaya. But the victory of Inracha on this occasion would allow Suphannaphum to remain in power over the Kingdom of Ayutthaya for almost the next two centuries.
Ancestry
Notes
References
Bibliography
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{{Monarchs of Thailand
14th-century monarchs in Asia
15th-century monarchs in Asia
Executed Thai monarchs
Kings of Ayutthaya
Leaders ousted by a coup
Uthong dynasty
Year of death missing
Princes of Ayutthaya
14th-century Thai people
15th-century Thai people