Wat Mahathat

Situation in the heart of the town,Wat Mahathat was built in accordance with Indian ancient concept of Mandala. This significant temple comprises the main chedi (stupa), a vihara and mandapas an uposatha and 200 subordinate chedis.

Surrounded by 8 chedis, the main one in the centre has a graceful shape of lotus bud characterizing the art of Sukhothai. Among the 8 chedis forming 4 sides of the main stupa, the four ones at corners belong to Hariphunchai - Lanna art style while the other four lying between in each have a prasada - shaped body top with a spire in Sukhothai style and decorated with stuccoed reliefs under the influence of Sri Lankan art. Presumably, the main chedi had originally been constructed in the latter style before it was rebuilt in the lotus bud shape.

The base of the main chedi is it decorated with stucco relief of Buddhist disciples walking with their hands clapped together in the salutation.

The golden Buddha image referred in the inscription is understood to be a bronze Buddha Image in the posture of subduing Mara to be enshrined in the royal vihara of Wat Mahathat. In the reign of King Rama I of the Rattanakosin Period, this Buddha image was removed by raft to be installed at Wat Suthat Thepwararam in Bangkok. The singificant Buddha image was later named Phra Si Sakkayamuni by King Rama II. At present, the large pedestal of this Buddha Image still remains to be seen at the royal vihara of Wat Mahathat.

The Buddha images mentioned as Phra Attharot refer to stand Buddha Images of 12 metres in height enshrined in the mandapas situated on the both sides of the principle chedi.

Next to the royal vihara towards the east stands a tall vihara of 1.5 metres in height. Its base decorated with stucco relief of lotus-petals.This vihara was built later in Ayuttaya style, and the little space between to front of the vihara and a wall enclosing it was out of proportion of the height of the building. This is a reason why it was called the tall vihara.

Within the compound of Wat Mahathat there is a group of stupas situated to the south of the main chedi. At it center stands the one with five spires, second to the main chedi in size.

The End Of The Kingdom

After the middle of the 14th century , the establishment two kingdoms, name Lanna in the north with Chiang Mai as it centre and Ayuttaya in the south, put the Kingdom of Sukhothai in a difficult situation since the former could occupy Tak which once was a dependency of Sukhothai while the latter could control the Chao Phraya basin.
Somdet Phra Ramathibodi I (King U - Thong) of Ayuttaya besieg Song Khawae (Phitsanulok) and took hold of the town. Phra Maha Dharmaraja Li Thai has to pay tribute in return for Song Khawae, and he himself move to reside there and let Mahadevi, his younger sister reign over Sukhothai. The said incident clearly indicated Sukhothai Kings began lose their right and authority to rule the whole Kingdom.

When Somdet Phra Ramathibodi I of Ayuttaya died in 1368 AD, Phra Maha Dharmaraja Li Thai tried to revive Sukhothai to it earlier state as the centre of the Kingdom, but he could not bring political role into prominence, for he died in 1369 AD. In the meantime, Somdet Phra Borommarachathirat I (Pho Ngua) reigned over Ayuttaya and sent his armed forces to seize Sukhothai and other town in the Sukhothai Kingdom.

Thence, the Ayuttaya Royal dynasty made every effort to gradually dominate over the Kingdom of Sukhothai by mean of intermarriage between member of the two dynastie, peaceful penetration into aristocratic system and also supply of manpower to Sukhothai royalties who related to the royal family of the Kingdom of Ayuttaya.

In 1438 AD at the latest, the whole Kingdom of Sukhothai was apparently annexed Ayuttaya and was called "northern region" by the Ayuttaya people because in that year Somdet Phra Borommarachathirat II (King Sam Phraya) sent his son, Phra Ramesuan, whose mother was a Sukhothai princess, to rule over the northern region Phitsanulok as Maha Uparaja (Viceroy) of a dependency of the Ayuttaya Kingdom. When Phra Ramesuan became the king of Ayuttaya in 1450, known as Somdet Phra Boromatrailokanat. When the 'northern region' was invaded by the troop of Lanna, he moved a troop from Ayuttaya to settle in Phitsanulok in 1464. Phitsanulok became the capital of northern region instead of Sukhothai. And Somdet Phra Boromatrailokanat was the last king who ruled the state and he died at Phitsanulok in 1487

The King Of Sukhothai

Stone Inscription that is 2 at Wat Si Chum in the northwest of the Ancient town of Sukhothai deals with the history of the early period of Sukhothai After the death of Pho Khun Si Nao Nam Thum, the first King of Sukhothai, Khmer warrior called Khom Sabat Khlon Lamphong besieged the town. Pho Khun Pha Muang, a ruler of Muang Rad and a son of Pho Khun Si Nao Nam Thum, join forces with Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao, his comrade, in driving away the invader, Pho Khun Pha Muang then gave his comrade the Sword of Victory, Phra Khan Jaya Sri and also the title of Sri Indrapatindraditya and consecrated him Pho Khun Si Indrathit, a ruler of Sukhothai and the found of Sukhothai Dynasty.

After the death of Pho Khun Si Indrathit, Pho Khun Ban Muang, his eldest son, succeeded the throne. Is it no evident to locate the centre of the town and the boundary of the Sukhothai State during the early period . However, according to Stone Inscription that is 1, is it evident that in the reign of Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng, a younger brother of Pho Khun Ban Muang, Wat Mahathat became the centre of the ancient town of Sukhothai. Moreover, Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng is a great warrior who, at the age of 19 years, defeat Khun Sam Chon of Muang Chot. During his reign, the Kingdom of Sukhothai stretched as far as Luang Phra Bang in northeast, the Malay Peninsula in the south and Martaban in the west.

Archaeologist believe that the vast Kingdom of Sukhothai had friendly ties other towns or states of the Thais.
Theravada Buddhism was experiencing a renaissance in reign of Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng by invit to Sukhothai a Sangharaja (the Supreme Patriarch) from Nokhon Si Thammarat, the land of Theravada. Founding new religious faith for his people, Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng initiated preaching of Buddhism his populace on a Buddhist Sabbath.
According too the stone Inscription, Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng acted as both temporal and spiritual leader of the Kingdom. With respect to state affair, he was a great warrior who do everything for the happiness and welfare of his subject. Sukhothai was a peaceful country. The people had freedom of trading. It is said that the ruler did’t require his people to pay tax, and they could trade in anything they want. Spiritually, the ruler himself was also the upholder the Buddhist Faith. A shrine to Lord Buddha's Relics was constructed during his reign in heart of a town named Si Satchanalai that was closely associated with Sukhothai. By his command, temples and Buddha images was also built and made in Sukhothai. At the end of Buddhist lent, Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng rode on an elephant to make merit offerings (Kathin) to monks at Wat Saphan Hin in forest. He was model king and set excellent examples for his successors. Under his reign, the Kingdom was peaceful and peoples were happy. Moreover, Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng significantly creat for the first time the Thai alphabet to be used in his Kingdom.

The Town Of Sukhothai

Flourishing between the 14thcentury to the 16thcentury AD, the Kingdom of Sukhothai spreading across Mo, lower Yom, Ping, Nan and upper PaSak river valleys. Those areas of land lay between two great kingdoms, name Pagan in the west and Khmer in the east.

Prior to the establishment of Sukhothai around the middle the 13th century AD, there were people already settling in those area. Stone implements found on Khao Khen and Khao Ka hill in Nakhon Thai District of Phitsanulok Province as well as human skeletons and stone implements at Ban Bung Ya in Khirimat District of Sukhothai Province all Sukhothai Province bore evidence of prehistoric settlements in connection with those in Laos and Vietnam.

Those early settlements later developed to township. Since the 7thcentury AD, their inhabitants had relations with people in the central and northeastern area which were under the influence of Dvaravati culture. To prove this supposition archaeological evidence of Dvaravati style such as bead, bronze implement, silver coins stamped with schematic picture of the sun, potsherds and human skeletons were found at Wat Chom Chun in the old town of Si Satchanalai.

An ancient edifice, commonly known as Prang Pu Cha built in Khmer style on small hill of Ban Na Choeng in Khirimat District, Sukhothai Province, significantly indicate the influence of the Khmer culture in this areas. Based on the presumption that the Khmer culture diffused through the town of Si Thep in Phetchabun Province and the town of Dong Mae Nang Muang in Nakhon Sawan Province, the region which later became the Sukhothai Kingdom has possibly has contact with the Khmer Kingdom since the 12th century AD.

The continuous diffusion of the Khmer culture from the 12th century to the 13th century AD is evidently proved by such an ancient edifice as Ta Pha Daeng shrine in ancient town of Sukhothai. Contemporary with Angkor Wat of the 12th century, the shrine indicates the first Khmer influence in situ of ancient town, exemplified by Images of Hindu deities depicting Khmer art of Angor Wat

Around the 13th century AD, there a was great change in the Khmer Kingdom when King Jayavarman VII adopted Mahayana Buddhism the main religion of the Kingdom. In Khmer sanctuaries, Buddha images were enshrined instead of images of Hindu gods and decorative art was created on the theme of Buddha story. Evidence of Khmer sanctuaries under Mahayana influence was found at Prang Sam Yot, the Prang of Wat Mahathat in Lop Buri Province and a Prang of Wat Phra Phai Luang in the north of the ancient town Sukhothai.

Around the middle of the 13th century AD those communities have cultural relation with Khmer, liberated themselves and established the Kingdom of Sukhothai.