TRAILOKANAT

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.
Contents[hide]
1 King of Sukhothai
2 Reforms
2.1 Class Stratification of Cities
2.2 Expedition to Malacca
3 Wars with Lanna
4 Legacy
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[edit] King of Sukhothai
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 1446, 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.
[edit] Reforms
Boormmaracha II died in 1448, Prince Ramesuan was then crowned as the king of Ayutthaya – thus a personal union between Sukhothai and Ayutthaya.
Main article: Chatu Sabombh
Trailokanat reformed the Siamese bureaucracy – the system that lasted well into the 19th century. He separated civil and military officials, giving them the titular ranks and feudal ranks to create the hierarchy of nobility. He also established the hierarchy of cities ranging from the Inner Cities, Outer Cities, to Tributaries. Trailokanat also ceased the tradition of appointing royal princes to govern cities and they had always clashed each other in the time of succession crisis. Trailokanat also promulgated the Ayutthayan Law in 1458.
The traditional ministries of Thailand - the Kalahom for the military and the Mahatthai as the civilian duties - were introduced by Trailok.
Also in his reign in 1454, the hierarchies of the nobility were first codified, petty officials having a sakdi na (field power, with one field measuring 1 rai = 0.395 acre) of 50 to 400, extending up to 100,000 for the uparat (heir-apparent). This system continued until the reforms of King Chulalongkorn at the end of the 19th 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.
[edit] Class Stratification of Cities
In 1468, Trailok adopted a Palatinate[disambiguation needed] law, re-categorizing the cities of Ayutthaya by class.
Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sri Thamarat were listed among the 8 great first-class cities (Phraya maha nakhon).
Mueang Sing, Mueang In and Mueang Phrom were downgraded to be the level 4 cities (เมืองจัตวา) under Lopburi.
[edit] Expedition to Malacca
In 1455, Trailokanat sent Siamese to the Sultanate of Malacca. The sultanate had been subjected to Siamese suspicions since its conversion to Islam. Thought not of a significance - the expedition was mentioned in Portuguese chronicles (of course, several years after).[1]
[edit] Wars with Lanna
Main article: Ayutthaya-Lanna War
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.
[edit] Legacy
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:
Fort Somdetphra Boromma Trailokanat (Royal Thai Army Base) in Samo Khae, Phitsanulok Province.