Uthong
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| Uthong Ramathibodi I of Siam |
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| King of Siam ( Ayutthaya kingdom ) | |
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| Royal Statue of King Ramathibodi I in Amphoe U Thong, Suphanburi province, Thailand | |
| Full name | HM King Uthong , King Ramathibodi I |
| Predecessor | Sukhothai kingdom |
| Successor | King Ramesuan |
| Dynasty | Uthong Dynasty |
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This article's factual accuracy is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. (April 2009) |
Uthong (Thai: สมเด็จพระเจ้าอู่ทอง) or Ramathibodi I (Thai: สมเด็จพระรามาธิบดีที่ 1) (1314 – 1369) was the first king of the kingdom Ayutthaya (now part of Thailand), reigning from 1351 to 1369. He was known as Prince U Thong before he ascended to the throne on March 4, 1351. A native of Chiang Saen (now in Chiang Rai Province) he claimed descent from Khun Borom and propagated Theravada Buddhism as the state religion.
King Ramathibodi's position was likely secured by political marriage and family ties. He was married to a daughter of the ruling family of Suphanburi, and may have also married into an alliance with the rulers of Lopburi - it was likely the king of Lopburi that he was initially chosen to succeed. He appointed both his brother-in-law and son to positions of leadership in Suphanburi and Lopburi, respectively, and established his own capital in the new city of Ayutthaya. King Ramathabodi's reign bound together the Khmer rulers of Lopburi, the Tai in the west, and the Chinese, Javanese, Bugis, Achnese merchants who inhabited the coastal areas.
[edit] Versions of his origin
New information from Kedah, Malaysia clearly state Rama Thibodi I by his Muslim name of Sultan Mad Zafar Syah III ruler of the Siamese Kedah Pasai Ma, probably part of the Ayuthaya Empire or by its Muslim name. Records in Iran state that he has in his royal court a Muslim scholar known as Sheikh Ahmad Qomi. He is the son-in-law of Chinese Siamese Muslim King descendent by the name of Nayuan (Bee Father). A golden coin with his name inscribe on it has been found in the island of Langkawi and is now kept in the Kedah State Museum.[unreliable source?]
During his reign he built Ton Sun Khlong Tue Mosque in Bangkok which still stand today. Persians architecture can still be seen in the ruins of Ayutthaya. Apart from that France still have records in the form of a map of 21 Mosque built in Ayutthaya during his reign and known as Shari Nao. The Mosques however were destroyed during the invasion by Sukhotai of Myanmar. Meanwhile local villages in Kedah people still speak Siam daily, a language spoken by their former King. The Siam (Muslim) language is different from the Thai language although they are very similar.[unreliable source?]
Apart from the above information, various tomb of Ayutthaya Kings such as Rama Tibodi II is located in Kubang Pasu Kedah. The tombstone is inlaid with Ayutthayans decorative motives, shape as per alphabet 't'. The tomb of Rama Tibodis II son, Khun Woran Wang Ser is also located in Alor Setar, Kedah. His decsendent lives in Kedah and carries the title Nai Long before their given names.[unreliable source?]
According to a more famous source, a seventeenth- century Dutch, Jeremias Van Vliet's Account suggested that, according to a 'reknown legend', Ramatibodi was an ethnic Chinese, sailing down from China. After he got success in trade, he became more influential and then could rule the city of Phetchaburi, a coastal town of the Gulf of Thailand, before travelling up to Ayutthaya.
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. Some sources indicate that the abdication occurred peacefully, while others indicate that King Ramesuan's abdication followed a bloody civil war.
[edit] References
- Wyatt, David K., Thailand: A Short History, New Haven (Yale University), 2003. ISBN 0-300-08475-7
- 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.
- Tuanku Nai Long Kassim ibni Almarhum Tunku Nai Long Ahmad, Islamic Epigrafi–The King of Ayuthia Dynasty Kedah Pasai Ma Gangga Nagara
- Maryam Salim, The Laws of Kedah, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2005.
| Preceded by Kings of Sukhothai |
Kings of Ayutthaya 1350-1369 |
Succeeded by Ramesuan |
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