Ayutthaya Period 1350 - 1767 A.D. (1893-2310 B.E.)
The Kingdom of Ayutthaya was founded by U-Thong, an adventurer who is said to have descended from a wealthy Chinese merchant family who married into royalty. In 1350 A.D. to escape the threat of an epidemic he moved his court south into the rich flood plain of the Chao Phraya River. On an island he found a new capital which he called Ayutthaya after the city of Ayodhya in Northern India. U-Thong Assumed the royal name of King Ramathibodi.
Ramathibodi (1350-60 A.D.) applied political skill and relations shrewdly to fill the power vacuum in Central Thailand following the decline of Sukhothai and the waning reach of Angkor. Appointing his son on the Throne of Lopburi and founding his new Kingdom along the Chao Phraya river, Ramathibodi I, the first king of Ayutthaya, established a powerful kingdom that may even have sacked Angkor. He organized the administration into four powers under Grand Ministers; State, the Royal Household, Treasury, and Agriculture. This administration form was used through over 400 years of the Ayutthaya period. About 80yrs after Ayutthaya was established , the Khemer Empire fell to Ayutthaya and it’s capital was moved from Angkor to Pvek and Phenom Penh with large numbers of Khemer POWs brought along to Ayutthaya. By the end of the 14th century Ayutthaya was regarded as the strongest power in South East Asia, however it lacked the military to dominate the region.
After a bloody dynastic struggle in the 1690’s Ayutthaya entered into a golden age, a relatively peaceful period in the second quarter of the 18th century when art, literature, and learning flourished. During the 17th and 18th century the Thais moved down from the north and the Vietnamese came in from the ast occupying much of present day Cambodia and pushing the Khmer into a small corner of their former empire.
King Naraesuan
in 1569 A.D. Burmese forces, joined by Thai rebels, captured the city of Ayutthaya and carried off the royal family to Burma. Dhammaraja (1569 - 1590 A.D.) a Thai governer who had aided the Burmese, was appointed to be the Vassal King at Ayutthaya. Thai independence was regained by his son, King Naraesuan, ( 1555 - 1605 A.D.) who turned on the Burmese, and by 1600 had driven them from the country.
In decades before Naraesuan assumed the throne the kingdom of Ayuttha was in shambles. The throne was held by a puppet of Burma which had recently conquered the city. While the Burmese razed, leveled and depopulated Ayutthaya for a decade, the Khmeres decimated the Thai eastern provinces and there was little to be hopeful for. Then entered Naraesuan, who slew the Burmese crown prince in a duel atop war elephants and then proceeded to change the balance of power in South East Asia Liberating Lanna and even offering his navy to China for a battle with Japan.
Muay Thai
reportedly developed out of martial arts fighting techniques used in the 16th century by Thai soldiers in Ayutthaya. It traces its origin back to 1560 A.D. when King Naraesuan was captured by the Burmese. Known as a killed unarmed fighter , he was given a chance to fight for his freedom and easily defeated his rivals and was hailed as a hero when he returned to Thailand, and unarmed fighting or Muay Thai was declared the national sport. The modern version of the sport has been around since the 1920’s
Other Thai Heroes
include the 17th century monarch, King Sanpetch, or “Phra Chao Sua” (The Tiger King) who disguised himself as a commoner to test his Muay Thai skill with other boxers. The 18th century soldier “Nai Khanom Tom, who won his freedom during a war with Burma after defeating 12 of Burma’s topped ranked fighters in a row before their King.
In the 18th century the power of Ayutthaya gradually waned. At the same time the Hmong were waging wars with the Burmese in the western coastal cities. They were defeated and fled to Ayutthaya. The Burmese pursued the Hmong and finally invaded Ayutthaya with a overwhelming force. After the destruction of Ayutthaya, Thailand was reduced to chaos. Provinces were proclaimed independent states under military leaders, rogue monks, and cadet members of the royal family. The Thai were saved from Burmese subjugation, however by an opportune Chinese invasion on Burma and by the leadership of a Thai military commander “Phraya Taksin”. After the tragedy at Ayutthaya, the Thais moved their capital to Bangkok.
Knowledge about Amulets of the Ayutthaya Period
Phra Yodtong, flag pole adornment from Ayutthaya period, c. 17th century
The oldest and most famous amulets of the Ayutthaya Period are those made in the time of King Naraesuan, who himself conducted the making and joined in the ceremonial incantations for the amulets religiously. Also known as the “Black Prince” King Naraesuan was born Prince Naret in Pitsanauloke in 1555 he was the son of King Mahathammarachathiraj of Pitsanuloke and Queen Wisulkasat. He is revered as one of the greatest kings of the past as he protected Siam from invasions, primarily against the Burmese, while invading separatist city states , uniting the Kingdom of Siam and bringing stability to the country as a whole until the end of his reign on April 25th, 1605.
The Amulets Made in the
Ayutthaya Period were generally crafted during and prior to King Naraesuan’s reign. Most amulets found in the temples of Pitsanulok and Ayutthaya where he and his royal family spent most of their time and are known to have built the temples and palaces where they were kept. Almost all of the amulets were crafted with special holy clay and sacred materials from well respected sources. Amulets prints of the time emulated some of the amulets from previous periods such as Tavaravadi and Sukhothai as to give reverence to the popular designs of the time. However many new prints depicting the King of Sukhothai and wise hermits were crafted as well as a way to honor and respect them. These amulets were mostly distributed to the soldiers for withstanding danger from weapons of war while banishing fear and instilling bravery in the wearer. In their wisdom, they understood the damage that war causes on the survivors (what we now know as PTSD) so they crafted other Amulets that were blessed with the power to bring peace of mind and well being in civilian situations to help the soldiers peacefully re integrate into society after the fighting was finished.
The amulets found in this period are, Phra Buddha Chinnarat, Phra Sumkor, Phra Nangphya, Phra Rod, Phra Rod Luesi, Phra Ruang in armor, and Phra Kong. All of which where made in period specific prints and sizes and were kept mostly in temples in Pitsanuloke and Ayutthaya.
Phra Khunpaen
from Wat Baankrang in Supanburi and Wat Yai Chaimongkol in Ayutthaya were also very importaint and unique amulets of the Ayutthaya period. These amulets were made in the middle Ayutthaya period and are belived to have been conducted by King Naraesuan himself as many of them have been found hidden away deep within the temples and shrines he had built in his time.
Phra Khunpaen were found in a variety of prints and sizes and have been since discovered to have been made of a mixture of coarse sand, flowers, pollens, herbs, and baked in holy clay for added strength and resilience. The amulets were made in twin prints representing heroic brothers, “Khun Pean and Khun Krai” and were named “Plai Ku” or (Twin Plai) as named after the heroes in the ancient literature of Supanburi.
The name “Phra Khun Paen” was named after their discovery and the story after carrying and worshiping the amulets that they wore supposed to bring stability, protection, and safety as well as toughness and resilience against weaponry.
However the most outstanding old comments regarding these relics is their power to bestow a aura of attractiveness particularly to draw feminine attention, as per the classic story of Khun Change - Khun Paen, from the period literature of Supanburi.