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Ayutthaya Era

The Ayutthaya Era

The Ayutthaya kings adopted Khmer cultural influences from the very beginning. No longer the paternal and accessible rulers that the kings of Sukhothai had been, Ayutthaya's sovereigns were absolute monarchs whose position was enhanced by trappings of royalty reflective of a Khmer devaraja (god-king). Brahmins officiated side by side with Buddhist monks at state ceremonies - a legacy which remains in modern Bangkok.

The 16th century was marked by the first arrival of Europeans and by continual conflict with the Burmese.

In 1569, Ayutthaya fell to Burmese forces that thoroughly sacked and plundered the city, and forcibly removed much of Ayutthaya's population to Burma. The Siamese kingdom, however, was reconsolidated by King Naresuan the Great. Under this great king, Ayutthaya prospered and became the thriving metropolis as described by 17th Century European visitors.

Europeans were primarily attracted to Siam as a door to the China trade. Ayutthaya and her ports became entrepots for goods travelling between Europe, India and the East Indies, and China and Japan. The height of European presence in Ayutthaya, especially the French, was undoubtedly during the reign of King Narai, who ruled 1656 to 1688. It was through the presence of these Europeans during King Narai's reign that gave the West most of its early knowledge of Siam. Some Western visitors compared Ayutthaya to Venice and called it the most beautiful city in the East.

In 1767, a Burmese invasion succeeded in capturing Ayutthaya. In their hurry to withdraw from the conquered capital, the Burmese killed, looted and set fire to the whole city, thereby expunging four centuries of Thai civilisation. But despite their overwhelming victory, the Burmese didn't retain control of Siam for long. A young general named Phya Taksin gathered a small band of followers, broke through the Burmese encirclement and escaped to Chantaburi. Seven months after the fall of Ayutthaya, he and his forces sailed back to the capital and expelled the Burmese occupation garrison.