History

At its height, the Kingdom of Ayutthaya was the most powerful empire of Southeast Asia. With an unbroken rule of 33 kings for more than four centuries, and a sphere of influence reaching to the European powers and China, Ayutthaya can be considered the greatest period in the history of Siam.

Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong, at the site of a former Khmer outpost. Ayutthaya supplanted Sukhothai as the most powerful kingdom in the region and, within decades, had brought the former empire to the north under its control.

The new city was named Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, meaning 'sacred city of Ayodhya', after the impregnable home of Rama in the Ramayana epic. Built on an island in a loop of the Chao Phraya, Pa Sak and Lopburi Rivers, Ayutthaya was heavily fortified with 5-meter-thick ramparts and city gates 20 meters in height.

By the end of the 16th century, Ayutthaya had extended its power over most of present-day Thailand and well into Laos, Cambodia and Burma. When the first Europeans arrived in the 1600s, Ayutthaya was one of the richest cities in the Orient, a thriving center of trade for rice and other commodities. Trade and diplomatic ties were forged with Europe, China and Japan, until by the end of the 17th century the city was one of the most fabulous in the world, with a population exceeding one million - greater than the capitals of Europe.

The Ayutthaya era was a golden period for development of the arts in Siam, much of it recorded in European accounts. Reports described as many as 2,000 pagodas rising over the city, many of them resplendent in gold. The artisans of Ayutthaya achieved world renown for their skill in the production of furniture, jewelry and mural paintings.

By the mid 18th century, the Burmese had begun to extend their influence over the western and northern extremities of the Ayutthayan Empire. Previous attacks by the Burmese had always been successfully repelled. However, in 1766, Burmese forces besieged Ayutthaya after retaking the northern city of Chiang Mai. Finally, in 1767, the Burmese triumphed, looting the city, killing or enslaving the inhabitants, and destroying most of the city's monuments and palaces. Within a year, Ayutthaya was no more, the population reduced to a few thousand and the once opulent city in ruins.

In all, 33 kings ruled in succession in Ayutthaya for a period of 417 years. The period can be considered the greatest era in Thai history, in terms of trade and prosperity, international influence, the extent of the empire, artistic development and longevity.

After the sack of Ayutthaya, the city was never redeveloped. The ruins of Ayutthaya, some of them renovated, still exist in the western half of the city. The modern commercial town on the eastern side is not particularly appealing. Parts of the old city have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and many sacred temples and palaces still exist to interest the tourist.

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