History of Ayutthaya

Wat Kasatrathiraj, on the banks of the Chao Phraya, as seen from the island city of Ayutthaya (30 December 2002)


This is an overview of the history of Ayutthaya in chronological order, from the time the city was founded until its eventual destruction in the hands of the Burmese.

1350-1369: King Ramathibodi I (U-Thong)
The leading general of the Kingdom of U-Thong became ruler of that kingdom upon the death of its ruler. He moved the capital 50 km east, to the thriving town of Ayutthaya, and took on the title of Ramathibodi I. Ayutthaya was already a town when Ramathibodi I chose it as a capital. Later, in 1361, King Ramathibodi I became Buddhist priest. ^#1(ref: Sukhothai History #1)

Wat Phutthaisawan was built by King U-Thong in 1353.

1369-1370: King Ramesuan
Ramesuan was the son of King Ramathibodi, assumed the throne on the death of his father. Incompetence displayed during war with the Khmer compelled him to abdicate in favour of his uncle, Prince Boromaraja, who is the brother-in-law of Ramathibodi I.

Main prang of Wat Phutthaisawan, Ayutthaya (30 December 2002)


1370-1388: King Boromaraja (Borom Rachathirat I)
In 1371 Boromaraja invaded Sukhothai. ^#5 In 1375, Phisanulok, the substitute capital of Sukhothai, was also taken by Boromaraja. In 1378, Sukhothai became vassal of Ayutthaya. When Boromaraja died, his son Tonglan was king for only 7 days. Ramesuan had him liquidated, and assumed the throne.

Construction of Wat Mahathat began during Boromaraja's reign.

1388-1395: King Ramesuan
During his second reign, he had to fight the forces of the Lanna Kingdom of Chiang Mai, which was attempting to overthrow him and regain Sukhothai. Instead Ramesuan succeeded in invading Ayutthaya.

Wat Phra Ram was built in 1369 by Ramesuan.

1395-1409: King Ramraja
Ramraja was the son of Ramesuan. He reigned for 14 peaceful and generally uneventful years.

1409-1424: King Intharacha (Nakharintharathirat)
Intharaja was the younger brother of King Boromaraja. As Prince Nakonin, governor of Sysan, he deposed Ramraja and assumed the thrown with the title Intharaja.

Wat Lokayasuttharam is believed to be built during this period.

1424-1448: King Borom Rachathirat II
Borom Rachathirat II was the son of King Intharaja. After Intharaja died, his three sons fought over the throne, the two older ones died. The youngest survived, and ascended the throne with the title Borom Rachathirat II.

Wat Ratchaburana was built by him during this period.

1448-1488: King Borom Trai-Lokkanat
Borom Trai-Lokkanot was Prince Ramesuan of Phitsanulok. In 1456, another conflict erupted with the Lanna Kingdom of Chiang Mai. Sukhothai was temporarily occupied by Lanna forces, but was regained in 1462. In 1463, Borom Trai-Lokkanot transferred his capital to Phitsanulok, leaving his son Prince Boromaraja to take charge in Ayutthaya. In 1465, Borom Trai-Lokkanot become monk. In 1471, the first white elephant was captured. In 1474, war again erupted between Maharaja Tilok of Chiang Mai and Borom Trai-Lokkanot of Ayutthaya, ending in a truce. In 1487 Maharaja Tilok died, followed by his erstwhile nemesis Borom Trai-Lokkanot the following year.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet was constructed during this period.

1488-1491: King Boromaraja III
The son of Borom Trai-Lokkanot, Prince Boromaraja was governor of Ayutthaya for the past 25 years when his father moved the capital to Phitsanulok. When his father died, Boromaraja moved the capital back to Ayutthaya, and assumed the title of Boromaraja III. His younger brother, Prince Jutta, became governor of Phitsanulok.

1491-1529: Ramathibodi II
With the death of Boromaraja II, his younger brother Prince Jutta assumed the throne with the title Ramathibodi II. Meanwhile up north, civil war broke out in 1507 in the Lanna Kingdom of Chiang Mai, where its ruler Maharaja Yai was deposed and succeeded by his son, Maharaja Ratna. From then, till 1515, there were a number of conflicts between the Siam Kingdom of Ayutthaya and the Lanna Kingdom of Chiang Mai. In 1515, Sukhothai was invaded by the forces of the Lan Xang Kingdom of Laos.

1529-1533: King Boromaraja IV
Prince Atityawong succeeded his father Ramathibodi II when the latter died, and assumed the title of Boromaraja IV. He was to reign only until 1533, when he succumbed to small pox. Upon his death, the throne passed to his 4-year-old son, Prince Ratsadatiratkumar, but the prince remained on the throne for a mere five months. His uncle Prince Prajai (half-brother to Boromaraja IV) had him liquidated, and took over the throne with the title Chairachathirat.

1533-1546: King Chairachathirat
Prajai interfered in the affairs of the Lanna Kingdom of Chiang Mai, resulting in a war between Burma and Ayutthaya. The Lanna Kingdom has aligned itself with Burma, and was siding the Burmese for the next centuries. The Siamese eventually withdrew from the north, but only after destroying Lamphun, then within the Burmese territory.

Viharn Phra Mongkol Bophit was built in 1538.

A Buddha head wrapped by roots of a bayan tree in front of Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya. It may have been one of the statues destroyed when the Burmese ransaked Ayutthaya in 1767. (30 December 2002)


1546-1548: King Kaeofa / Queen Tao Si Sudachan
King Prajai is said to have been poisoned by his wife, Tao Si Sudachan, and the throne passed to his 11-year-old son, Kaeofa. While Prince Tienraja acted as regent, the dowager queen Tao Si Sudachan wielded considerable influence, ultimately coercing Teinraja to become a monk, and ruled unchallenged. She even took on a minor palace official as her lover. When the now 13-year-old King Kaeofa plotted to do away with his mother's lover, Queen Tao Si Sudachan discovered the plot and had him killed. The throne passed to Kaeofa's younger brother, 7-year-old Prince Srisin. His mother's lover became Regent, for just a few weeks, before the Regent ousted the young king from the throne, and assumed it as the new ruler of Siam.

1548-1549: Khun Waroniongsu
The shortlived reign of Khun Waroniongsu ended when a palace revolt led by a coup plotter, Khun Pirentoratep, who had him, his wife Tao Si Sudachan, and their newly born daughter killed. Khun Pirentoratep then installed the former regent of King Kaeofa, Prince Tienraja as king. Tienraja took on the title Chakrapat, while Khun Pirentoratap had himself made Governor of Phitsanulok.

1549-1569: King Maha Chakrapat
A 4-month war broke out with King Bhueng Noreng of Burma, one of many conflicts to come, over the next fifty years. King Chakrapat ordered fortification walls around Ayutthaya constructed in 1550. ^#2 (ref: Myanmar History, Taungu Dynasty #1) In 1561, the 19-year-old Prince Srisin, who was ousted from the throne by his natural mother, mounted a rebellion on King Chakrapat. He was killed by the men of Prince Mahin, son of King Chakrapat.

The Queen Si Suriyothai Memorial was build by King Chakrapat in memory of his queen who sacrified her life to save him during a battle in 1548. He also extended the walls of Phet Fortress to the river banks.

1569: King Mahin
There is a possibility that King Chakarpat was murdered. Almost immediately upon his death, the Burmese launched a seige. The seige lasted 7 months, but eventually Ayutthaya fell. Khun Pirentoratep (aka Prince Maha Tammaraja), who led the palace revolt 21 years ago, assumed the throne, and took on the tile of Phra Si Sanphet. King Bhueng Noreng took King Mahin, most of the royal family, and a substantial amount of Ayutthaya wealth, back to Burma. King Mahin died in captivity in Burma in 1770.

1569-1590 King Maha Tammaracha (aka Phra Si Sanphet)
Although Maha Tammaracha had wrestled the throne from King Mahin with the help of the Burmese, he intended to establish an independent kingdom, not a vassal of Burma. He appoints his son Prince Naresuan, who grew up under Burmese custody, as prince and Governor of Phitsanulok. The king and prince began rearming Siam as well as building new fortifications in Ayutthaya and the towns up north. From 1575-1578, the Khmers launched a few unsuccessful attacks on Ayutthaya.
In 1581, King Bhueng Noreng of Burma was succeeded by his son Nanda Bhueng. In 1584, Prince Naresuan openly denounced Siam's allegiance to Burma. ^#4(Myanmar history, Taungu dynasty #4) Burma immediately launched a failed attack on Ayutthaya. In 1586 Prince Naresuan attacked Chiang Mai, and regained it from Burma as a vassal of Siam.
In 1587, King Nanda Bhueng launched another unsuccessful attack on Ayutthaya. The Khmers joined in the fray and also invaded Siamese territory, repelled only by the brilliant strategies of Prince Naresuan.

The Elephant Kraal was placed in its present located by King Maha Tammaracha.

1590-1605 King Naresuan
Maha Tammaracha died, and Prince Naresuan became king. Burmese forces made attempts to capture Ayutthaya in 1590 and 1592, and in the latter it resulted in Prince Min Chit Sra, the crown prince of Burma, being killed, forcing a Burmese retreat. The following year, 1593, it was the Siamese's turn to launch an offensive. Under the leadership of General Chao Phaya Chakri and General Phaya Praklong, Siam invaded and occupied two cities in south Burma, Tenasserim and Tavoy. Next, King Naresuan sent a 100,000-strong contingent into Cambodia. The king of Cambodia fled with his sons, and Cambodia came under Siamese rule. Siam continued to launch attacks on Burma in 1596 and 1600. Meanwhile, Ayutthaya opens to the west with the establishment of trade ties with Spain in 1598.

1605-1610 King Ekathosarotsarot
King Naresuan died without an heir during a military campaign. His brother Prince Ekathosarotsarot assumed the throne. In 1608, relations were established with the Netherlands.

1620-1628 King Song Tham
Golden age of Buddhism, literature and international trade.

1628 Prince Jetta / Prince Atityawong
When King Songtam was seriously ill and felt that his end was near, he made preparations for his 14-year-old son Prince Jetta to be king. When the king passed on, the boy was indeed made king, while palace officials who were supportive of another candidate, the king's brother Prince Srisin, were summarily beheaded. However King Jetta was pretty much a puppet with real power in the hands of another king-maker Phya Sriworawong, who had himself promoted to the title of Chao Phaya Kalahom. He then orchestrated the disposal of first Prince Srisin, and then King Jetta.
Prince Srisin, who was then a monk, was tricked to leave the monkhood, and then executed for treason against King Jetta by tying him in a sack and beating him to death with a sandalwood club - the way a royal is killed, so that no royal blood is touched. King Jetta met a similar end. Rather than installing himself as king, Chao Phaya Kalahom placed the 10-year-old brother of King Jetta on the throne, only to dispose the boy king 7 years later, and then assuming the throne himself, with the name King Prasat Thong.

1635-1655: King Prasat Thong
In 1632, Chiang Mai declared itself independent of Siam, and was immediately seized by Burma. Siam attacked Pattani, but was repelled.

Wat Chai Wattanaram was build by King Prasat Thong during this period.

1655 King Chao Fa Yai / King Srisutammaraja
Another bloody power transition followed the death of King Prasat Thong. His elder son Prince Chao Fa Yai attained the throne, but he was kidnapped and put to death by his uncle Prince Srisutammaraja and his own brother Prince Narai. After Srisutammaraja was crowned king, Prince Narai revolted against the new king and had him liquidated in the same royal manner, and then assumed the throne.

1655-1688 King Narai
Between 1663 and 1664, Chiang Mai swung between the occupation of Siam and Burmese forces. In 1675, the Greek Constantine Phaulkon arrived and slowly worked his way into the Thai royal court.

1688-1703 King Phra Petraja
Phra Petraja was one of King Narai's generals. When King Narai became seriously ill while in Lop Buri, Phra Petraja kept him prisoner and killed off the king's adopted son and heir, Phra Piya. Next, he had the Greek Constantine Phaulkon executed, for consipiring to put Phra Piya on the throne with the aim of being made Regent. He then lured two of King Narai's brothers Prince Chao Fa Apaitot and Chao Fa Noi, to Lop Buri, and when they arrived, he killed them off. So King Narai died without leaving any close relatives, opening the way for Phra Petraja to be the next king of Ayutthaya.
When he fell ill in 1703, Phra Petraja suffered the same fate he inflicted on King Narai. Luang Sorasak, a son from a marriage before he became king, put away the 14-year-old Prince Chao Phra Kwan, Phra Petraja's son from his marriage to King Narai's sister. Enraged by this act, King Phra Petraja proclaimed a distant nephew, Prince Chao Phra Pijaisurindr, as his heir. Once King Phra Petraja died, Chao Phra Pijaisurindr quickly offered the throne to Luang Sorasak, while King Phra Petraja's youngest son, Prince Tras Noi, escaped certain death by becoming a monk.

1703-1709 King Sanpet VIII
Luang Sorasak took the title of Sanpet VIII, but the Thai people call him Phrachao Sua, or King Tiger. When he died, the throne passed to his son, Taisra, without any incidence.

1709-1733: King Taisra
In 1714, Sri Timmaraja ousted King Keong Fa of Cambodia, and installed himself on the Khmer throne for a shortlived reign. When he was himself dethroned, he fled to Ayutthaya, resulting in further conflict between Siam and Cambodia, and the reestablishment of Siamese rule in Cambodia.

1733-1758: King Borommakot
King Taisra died, and was succeeded by his brother, who took the title King Borommakot. Not surprisingly, his route to the throne included the disposal of two of Taisra's sons.

1758-1767: King Boromaraja V
King Borommakot had chosen his second son Prince Utumpon as his successor, rather than his firstborn, Prince Ekathosarot, because he felt Ekathosarot lacking in intelligence. So he parcelled Ekathosarot into monkhood. When he died, one of the first acts the new King Utumpon take was to have his three half-brothers executed. However, when his elder brother aspired for the throne, Utumpon abdicated and became a monk while his brother Prince Ekathosarot took the title of Boromaraja V.
While one of Ayutthaya's weakest kings was on the throne, a new and powerful dynasty was emerging in Burma. In 1759, King Alaungsaya mounted an invasion of Siam, and wrestled back formerly Burmese cities of Tavoy, Mergui and Tenesserim. ^#3 (ref: Myanmar History, Taungu Dynasty #2)

In 1760, King Alaungsaya launched a siege of Ayutthaya. Not capable of heading a defense, Boromaraja invited his younger brother King Utumpon to rule temporarily on his behalf. However, it wasn't Utumpon's prowess that saved Ayutthaya, but rather a stroke of luck. King Alaungsya of Burma hurt himself while handling a cannon, forcing a retreat. Alaungsaya died before reaching Burma. With the danger abated, Utumpon retires again to monastery life, and the fate of Ayutthaya is back in the hands of Ekathosarot. In 1763, the Burmese under the leadership of King Mongra captured Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang. In 1765 they attacked Thonburi (Bangkok). The following year they began their siege of Ayutthaya.

Once again Ekathosarot sought his brother Utumpon to lead the defense, but this time Utumpon declined. A few months into the siege, one of Ekathosarot's leading generals, Chao Phaya Taksin, with 500 troops, succeeded in breaking through the Burmese lines and escaped out of Ayutthaya. General Taksin, whose given name was Hai Hong, was the product of a Chinese father and Siamese mother. He was given the name Taksin because he was once the governor of Tak Province.
In 1767, after a 14-month siege, Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese, and was totally destroyed and burned to the ground. King Ekathosarot fled, and the Ayutthaya kingdom came to an end.

In December 1767, Taksin transferred the capital to Thonburi, and had himself crowned king of the new Siam. This was the beginning of the new era, that leads to the Chakri Dynasty of Bangkok.

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