THE ESTABLISHMENT OF “SUKHOTHAI DYNASTY” IN THE CHAOPHRAYA RIVER BASIN

Abstract

The fall of Krung Sri Ayutthaya in 1569 marked a monumental turning point in Thai history. In this particular episode, not only the Ayutthaya kingdom of the Siamese lost its capital and independence to the Burmese Toungoo Dynasty, this was also the first occasion a ruler from the hinterland overcame a coastal-based ruler, ascended the Ayutthaya throne and subsequently established a new dynasty. This particular dynasty is known in Thai historiography as the “Sukhothai Dynasty,” due to the belief that this royal family was descendents of the Phra Ruang kings of the Sukhothai kingdom. From 1569, the Sukhothai Dynasty, with seven monarchs, would rule Siam for the next sixty years (1569-1629). In retrospect, this feat was not only extraordinary but also almost improbable, considering the degree of dominance the Lower Chaophraya Basin rulers had over the Upper Chaophraya Basin ruling elites since the mid-fourteenth century. There were three main factors culminating into this transmission of power: the political instability within the core of Ayutthaya, the Suphannaphum Dynasty’s failure to effectively control the northern cities, and the external intervention by the Toungoo Empire. In this thesis, the researcher aims to examine the shifting process of power—from the Suphannaphum Dynasty to the Sukhothai Dynasty—throughout the early Ayutthaya period (1351-1569).