Borommatrailokkanat

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Borommatrailokkanat บรมไตรโลกนาถ
King of Ayutthaya
Suphannaphum Dynasty
Father	Borommarachathirat II

Borommatrailokkanat (

Kingdom to the north. He was revered as one of the greatest monarchs of Thailand.

King of Sukhothai

Prince Ramesuan (not to be confused with King Ramesuan r. 1369–1370) was born in 1431 to King Borommarachathirat II or Chao Sam Phraya. Some authors claim that his mother was a princess of the Sukhothai Kingdom, daughter of Sai Lue Thai. According to historian Michael Vickery, however, this is not verifiable in historic sources and may be due to a misreading or misinterpretation of a chronicle.^[6]

Be that as it may, Ramesuan was born at a time when the Kingdom of Sukhothai was increasingly tied to Ayutthaya, being under its suzerainty since 1412. When King Maha Thammaracha IV (

Nuea) and increase the control of the ruling family over them.

Borommaracha II died in 1448, Prince Ramesuan was then crowned King Borommatrailokkanat of Ayutthaya, making a personal union between Sukhothai and Ayutthaya.^[8]

Reforms

Bureaucracy

Borommatrailokkanat reformed the Thai bureaucracy – the system lasted well into the 20th century. He separated civil and military officials, giving them titular ranks and feudal ranks to create the hierarchy of nobility, or life-nobles.

: Inner Cities, Outer Cities, and Tributaries. He also stopped the tradition of appointing royal princes to govern cities, as they had always clashed with each other in times of succession. Borommatrailokkanat promulgated Ayutthayan Law in 1458.

The traditional ministries of Thailand—the Kalahom (predecessor of today's ministry of defence) and the Mahatthai (precursor of the ministry of interior)—were introduced by Borommatrailokkanat. Originally they were meant to serve as simultaneous military and civil Greater Officers of State for the north and south, respectively.^[10]

Feudal rank

Also in his reign in 1454,

Royal rank

Borommatrailokkanat adopted the position of Uparaja, translated as "Deputy-King", "viceroy" or "underking", usually held by the king's senior son, or full brother, or the sons of their queens, 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. He appointed his eldest son Uparaja of Ayutthaya while he lived in Phitsanulok for twenty-five years, keeping Chiang Mai under control. Eventually, a younger son was made the Uparaja of Phitsanulok, junior to the Uparaja of Ayutthaya.^[12]

Tributary relationships of Cities

In 1468, Borommatrailokkanat adopted a mandala

Foreign relations

In 1455, Borommatrailokkanat sent envoys to the Malacca Sultanate. The Thai 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.^[13]

Wars with Lan Na

. Yutthitthira then claimed to be the rightful king of Sukhothai.

Lan Na under

was so powerful that he led armies down south to subjugate Ayutthaya. In 1456, Yutthitthira sought Tilokkarat’s support and led the Lan Na armies to capture Sukhothai and proceeded further towards Ayutthaya. Borommatrailokkanat, however, led armies to successfully defeat Lan Na.

Tilokarat of

^: 69–70

Borommatrailokkanat, accompanied by more than 2000 followers, was the first Thai king to be ordained as a

Wat Chulamani, Phitsanulok

, in 1461.

In 1463, Lan Na invaded again. Borommatrailokkanat sent his son, Prince Intharacha, to crush the invading armies. Indraracha defeated Yutthitthira but was killed during battles against Nagara, Tilokkarat’s uncle. However, Lan Na was plunged by her own internal princely conflicts. In 1474, Borommatrailokkanat finally expelled Lan Na out of Ayutthaya territories. The next year, Tilokarat sought peace settlements.

In Phitsanulok, Borommatrailokkanat ordered the establishment of new temples as well as the restoration of existing older ones. He ordered the construction of a cetiya and other buildings at Wat Ratchaburana, Phitsanulok, for example.

Legacy

In 1485, Borommatrailokkanat appointed his son Prince Chaiyachettha (later

, is named after Borommatrailokkanat.

Ancestry

References

Bibliography

• Becker, Benjawan Poomsan; Thongkaew, Roengsak (2008). Thai law for foreigners. Paiboon Publishing.
  ISBN 978-1-887521-57-4
  .
• Chirapravati, M. L. Pattaratorn; McGill, Forrest (26 January 2005). The Kingdom of Siam: The Art of Central Thailand, 1350-1800. Asian Art Museum.
  ISBN 978-0-939117-27-7
  .
• Chunlachakkraphong (1967). Lords of Life: A History of the Kings of Thailand. Alvin Redman.
• Schober, Juliane (2002). Sacred Biography in the Buddhist Traditions of South and Southeast Asia. Motilal Banarsidass.
  ISBN 978-81-208-1812-5
  .

Borommatrailokkanat Suphannaphum Dynasty Born: 1431 Died: 1488
Regnal titles
Preceded by Borommarachathirat II	King of Ayutthaya 1448–1488	Succeeded by Borommarachathirat III
New creation Establishment of a new position	Viceroy of Ayutthaya 1438–1448	Vacant Title next held by Chettathirat
Preceded by Maha Thammaracha IV as vassal king	King of Sukhothai 1438–1448	Vacant Title next held by Yutthishthian
Preceded by Yutthishthian	Ruler of Phitsanulok 1474–1488	Succeeded by Chettathirat