|
 Archeological discoveries around
the northeast hamlet of Ban Chiang suggests that the world's
oldest Bronze Age civilization had flourished in Thailand some
5,600 years ago. Successive waves of immigrants, including Mons, Khmers, and Tais
gradually entered the land mass known then as Siam, most of whom
traveled slowly along fertile river valleys from Southern China.
By the 11th and 12th Century, Khmers ruled much of the area from
Angkor.
By the early 1200s, the Tais had established small northern
city-states in Lanna, Phayao, and Sukhothai. In 1238, two Tai
chieftains rebelled against Khmer suzerainty and established the
fully independent Thai kingdom in Sukhothai (literally, 'Dawn of
Happiness').
Sukhothai saw the Thais gradual expansion
throughout the entire
Chao Phraya River basin, the establishment of Theravada Buddhism
as the paramount Thai religion, the creation of the Thai
alphabet, and the first expression of nascent Thai art forms,
including painting, sculpture, architecture, and literature.
Sukhothai declined during the 1300s
and eventually became a
vassal state of Ayutthaya, a dynamic young kingdom further south
in the Chao Phraya River valley. Founded in 1350, Ayutthaya
remained the Thai capital until 1767 when it was destroyed by
Burmese invaders.
During Ayutthaya's 417 years as the capital under the rule of 33
kings, the Thais brought their distinctive culture to full
fruition, totally rid their lands of Khmer presence, and
fostered contact with Arabian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and
European powers.
Ayutthaya's destruction was as severe a blow to the Thais as the
loss of Paris or London would have been to the French or
English. However, a Thai revival occurred within a few months
and the Burmese were expelled by King Taksin, who later made
Thon Buri his capital. In 1782, the first king of the present
Chakri Dynasty, Rama I, established his new capital on the site
of a riverside hamlet called Bangkok (Village of Wild Plums).
Two Chakri monarchs, Mongkut (Rama IV) who reigned between 1851
- 1868, and his son Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868 -1910) saved
Thailand from western colonization through adroit diplomacy and
selective modernization. Today, Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. Since 1932, Thai
kings, including the present monarch, H.M. King Bhumibol
Adulyadej, have exercised their legislative powers through the
national assembly, their executive powers through a cabinet
headed by the Prime Minister, and their judicial powers through
the courts of law. |
