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 the kingdom Ayutthaya (now part of

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 ...

), reigning from 1351 to 1369. He was known as Prince U Thong (meaning "Golden Cradle") before he ascended to the throne in 1350. There are many theories about Uthong's background, including possibly being a descendant of

Mangrai Mangrai ( nod, ; th, มังราย; 1238–1311), also known as Mengrai ( th, เม็งราย),The name according to historical sources is "Mangrai", and this is used in most modern scholarly applications. "Mengrai", popularised by a 19 ...

. According to a better-known source, a seventeenth-century account by Dutchman

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 Jewi ...

, a ''Renowned Legend'' stated that Ramatibodi was an ethnic Chinese, having sailed down from China. After succeeding in trade, he became influential enough to rule the city of

Phetchaburi Phetchaburi ( th, เพชรบุรี, ) or Phet Buri () is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of Phetchaburi Province. In Thai, Phetchaburi means "city of diamonds" (''buri'' meaning "city" in Sanskrit). It is approx ...

, a coastal town of the Gulf of Thailand, before travelling up to Ayutthaya. Ramathibodi I established four Great Officers of State. These were the Ministry of the Interior (''Wieng''), the Ministry of the Treasury (''Klang''), the Ministry for the King's Household (''Wang''), and the Ministry of Agriculture (''Na''). He also codified the T'ai laws. Finally, he formed an alliance with the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

. He established his own capital in the new city of Ayutthaya. King Ramathabodi's reign included Korat, Chantaburi, Tavoy, Tenasserim, and large parts of Malaya. In 1352 he laid siege to Yasodharapura. He was successful the following year and placed one of his sons on the throne. However, they were only able to keep the throne until 1357, when the Khmers were able to regain it. King Ramathibodi's death sparked a conflict over succession. Initially, his son King Ramesuan became ruler of Ayutthaya, but King Ramesuan later abdicated in favor of King Ramathibodi's brother-in-law, King

Borommaracha I King Borommarachathirat I or King Borom Rachathirat I ( th, สมเด็จพระบรมราชาธิราชที่ ๑), also known as Khunluang Pha Ngua ( th, ขุนหลวงพะงั่ว); 1370–1388), was the th ...

. This rivalry for the throne may have been peaceful or it may have been bloody.Chakrabongse, C., 1960, Lords of Life, London: Alvin Redman Limited

References

Bibliography

*Wyatt, David K., ''Thailand: A Short History'', New Haven (Yale University), 2003. *Srisak Vallipodom, ''Sheikh Ahmad Qomi and the History of Siam,'' Cultural Center of the Islamic City, Republic of Iran, Bangkok 1995, page 209 *Plubplung Kongchana, ''The Persians in Ayutthaya,'' Institute of Asia Pacific Studies, Srinakharinwirot University.

References

Bibliography

See also