| Trailokanat สมเด็จพระบรมไตรโลกนาถ |
|
|---|---|
| King of Siam (Ayutthaya era) | |
| Reign | 1448-1488 |
| Coronation | 1448 |
| Predecessor | King Boromma Ratchathirat II |
| Successor | King Borommaracha III |
| Full name | |
| HM Somdet Phra Ramesuan Boromma Trailokanat Bopit | |
| Father | King Boromma Ratchathirat II |
| Born | 1431 Ayutthaya, Thailand |
| Died | 1488 Ayutthaya, Thailand |
Somdet Phra Ramesuan Boromma Trailokanat Bopit (Thai: สมเด็จพระราเมศวรบรมไตรโลกนาถบพิตร) (1431–1488) was the king of Ayutthaya from 1448 to 1488. He was also known as Phra Chao Chang Pueak (Thai: พระเจ้าช้างเผือก) for his gain of auspicious white elephant. His reign was also known for a massive reforms of Siamese bureaucracy and a successful campaign against Lanna. He was also revered as one of the greatest monarchs of Siam.
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Prince Ramesuan was born in 1431 to King Borommaracha Thirat II or Chao Sam Phraya and his queen from the Kingdom of Sukhothai. He became the Uparaja (lit. Vice-king of crown prince) in 1438. When his cousin, Maha Dhammaracha IV of Sukhothai died in 1438, Ramesuan was then technically the king of Sukhothai – though he was too young to be crowned. Upon reaching majority, Borommaracha II sent Ramesuan to Pitsanulok to assume the Sukhothai throne.
Boormmaracha II died in 1448, Prince Ramesuan was then crowned as the king of Ayutthaya – thus a personal union between Sukhothai and Ayutthaya.
Trailokanat reformed the Siamese bureaucracy – the system lasted well into the 19th century. He separated civil and military officials, giving them titular ranks and feudal ranks to create the hierarchy of nobility. He also established the circle of cities ranging from the Inner Cities, Outer Cities, to Tributaries. Trailokanat also ceased the tradition of appointing royal princes to govern cities, as they had always clashed with each other in times of succession. Trailokanat promulgated the Ayutthayan Law in 1458.
The traditional ministries of Thailand - the Kalahom for the military and the Mahatthai for civilian duties - were introduced by Trailok.
Also in his reign in 1454, the Thai royal and noble titles were first codified under the "field-power" system called sakdina (ศักดินา). Fields (na) were reckoned in rai (a plantation, equal to 1600 square metres under metrificattion of traditional measures.) Petty officials were accorded a sakdi (power), of 1, 50 or 400, extending up to 100,000 rai for the uparat (heir-apparent). This system continued until the reforms of King Chulalongkorn at the beginning of the 20th century.
Trailokanat adopted the position of uparaja, translated as "viceroy" or "underking", usually held by the king's senior son or full brother, in an attempt to regularize the succession to the throne — a particularly difficult feat for a polygamous dynasty. In practice, there was inherent conflict between king and uparaja, and frequent disputed successions.
In 1468, Trailok adopted a Mandala-style tributary system, and ranked the cities recognizing him as overlord.
Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sri Thamarat were listed among the eight great first-rank cities (Phraya maha nakhon).
Mueang Sing, Mueang In and Mueang Phrom were downgraded to be the level four cities (เมืองจัตวา) under Lopburi.
In 1455, Trailokanat sent Siamese to the Sultanate of Malacca. The Siamese had been suspicious of the sultanate since its conversion to Islam. The expedition was mentioned in Portuguese chronicles, written several years later, as not of great significance.[1]
Yuttittira – a Sukhothai royalty and Trailokanat’s relative - was a close childhood friend of Trailokanat. Trailokanat himself promised him the title of Uparaja. However, after Trailokanat’s reformes, Yuttittira ended up in the title of the Governor of Pichit. Yuttittira also claimed to be the rightful king of Sukhothai.
The Lanna kingdom under Tilokaraj was so powerful that he led armies down south to subjugate Ayutthaya. In 1456, Yuttittira sought Tilokaraj’s support and led Lanna armies to capture Sukhothai and proceeded further towards Ayutthaya. Trailokanat, however, led Ayutthayan armies to successfully defeat the Lanna armies.
In 1461, Tilokarat and Yuttittira led the Lanna armies to invade Ayutthaya but without achieving fruitful results and retreated. Trailokanat then took this opportunity to retake Sukhothai. Trailokanat, upon seeing the seriousness of the wars, crowned himself as the king of Pitsanulok in 1463 – thus moving his base from Ayutthaya to Pitsanulok – to be able to cope with Lanna wars.
Trailokanat, accompanied by more than 2,000 followers, was the first Siamese king to be ordained as a monk. The ordination took place at Wat Chula Manee in 1461.
In 1463, the Lanna invaded again. Trailokanat sent his son, Prince Indraracha, to crush the invading armies. Indraracha defeated Yuttittira but was in turn killed during battles against Nagara – Tilokaraj’s uncle.
Lanna then, however, was plunged by her own internal princely conflicts. In 1474, Trailokanat finally expelled the Lanna out of his kingdom. Next year, Tilokaraj sought peace settlements.
In Phitsanulok, Trailokanat ordered the establishment of new temples, as well as the restoration of existing older ones. He ordered the construction a chedi and other buildings on the campus of Wat Ratchaburana, for example.
In 1485, Trailokanat appointed his son Prince Chaiyachetta (later Ramathibodi II) as the Uparaja and King of Sukhothai. The title "King of Sukhothai" then became a title for Ayutthayan Crown Prince. However, upon Trailokanat's death in 1488, his two sons inherited the two kingdoms, thus separating the union once again.
Among the institutions named for Trailokanat include:
| Ancestors of Trailokanat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Preceded by Boromma Ratchathirat II |
Kings of Ayutthaya 1448–1488 |
Succeeded by Boromarachathirat III (Intharacha II) |
| Preceded by Maha Dharmmaracha IV |
King of Sukhothai (First Reign) 1438–1456 |
Succeeded by Yuttittira |
| Preceded by Yuttittira |
King of Sukhothai (Second Reign) 1474–1485 |
Succeeded by Prince Chettathiraj (Ramathibodi II) |
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