Ramathibodi II.

Ramathibodi II. ( Thai : สมเด็จ พระ รามาธิบดี ที่ 2 - Somdet Phra Ramathibodi Thi Song , also Prince Jetta ; * 1472 ; † 1529 in Ayutthaya) was king of Ayutthaya , a kingdom in Siam (today: Thailand ), and successor to his brother Borommarachathirat III.

Life

Ramathibodi's reign is characterized by a rather peaceful development in Ayutthaya, even if there were some military incidents. In 1492 a bizarre conflict arose with Chiang Mai (the kingdom of Lan Na ) when a son of Ramathibodi, who was a Buddhist monk in Chiang Mai, stole the valuable figure of the crystal Buddha. King Phra Yot of Lan Na then set off for Ayutthaya and forced the return of the sanctuary. It later came to Ayutthaya as a result of several border wars with the successors of King Phra Yot between 1507 and 1515.

After Vasco da Gama opened the trade route to India in 1498, they developed a brisk development activity for trade and political influence. In the recently conquered Malacca they first heard of a "King of Ayuthia in Sayam" in 1511 and from there they sent a business delegation to Ayutthaya. As a result, the Portuguese envoy Duarte Coelho concluded treaties with the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, which allowed the Portuguese to have trade bases, including in Mergui , Tenasserim (today: Tanintharyi Division ) and Nakhon Si Thammarat (Ligor). In 1516 Portugal was finally allowed to build the first European embassy in Ayutthaya, with the right to practice the Christian religion. In return, the Portuguese had to deliver firearms and provide training for the military.

Due to the new demands on warfare, Ayutthaya introduced general conscription and organized the construction of forts and city ​​walls .

In the final years of his reign, Ramathibodi II sought defensive tactics in the north. He appointed his eldest son, Prince Atityawong (Thai: พระ อาทิตย วงศ์ ) to heir to the throne ( Uparat ) and sent him to Phitsanbulok as governor. After 38 years of reign, King Ramathibodi died, his son was succeeded as Boromaracha IV.

literature

• Richard D. Cushman (David K. Wyatt Ed.): The Royal Chronicles Of Ayutthaya . The Siam Society, Bangkok 2000, ISBN 974-8298-48-5
• David K. Wyatt: Thailand A Short History . Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai 1984, ISBN 974-7047-44-6