Ramathibodi I
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Ramathibodi I (b. 1314, d. 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. A native of Xieng Hai (Chiang Rai) he claimed descent from Khun Borom and propagated Theravada Buddhism as the state religion.
Scholar Charnvit Kasetsiri hypothesized that U Thong might have actually been born to a Chinese merchant family operating in the area of Phetburi. At least one royal chronicle identifies U Thong as the son of one Chodüksethi, apparently a leader of the Chinese merchant community.
Ramathibodi's position was likely secured by policital 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 captial in the new city of Ayutthaya. Ramathabodi's reign bound together the Khmer rulers of Lopburi, the Tai in the west, and the Chinese and Malaysian merchants who inhabited the coastal areas.
Ramathibodi's death sparked a conflict over succession; initially, his son Ramesuan became ruler of Ayutthaya, but Ramesuan later abdicated in favor of Ramathibodi's brother-in-law, Borommaracha. Some sources indicate that the abdication occured peacefully, while others indicate that Ramesuan's abdication followed a bloody civil war.
Sources
- Wyatt, David K., Thailand: A Short History, New Haven (Yale University), 2003. ISBN 0300084757de:Rama Thibodi