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Capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom

Type Object Region Southeast Asia Time c. 1238–1438

Sukhothai was the political, religious, and administrative center of the 13th-century Sukhothai Kingdom in present-day northern Thailand, featuring a…

Timeline

  1. c. 1238–1279Sukhothai · ThailandAfter breaking free from Khmer control, Sukhothai became the capital of an independent kingdom; the palace city and temples were laid out along terraces, establishing the administrative and religious core of the kingdom for the next two centuries.
  2. c. 1279–1298Sukhothai · ThailandDuring the reign of King Ram Khamhaeng the capital was expanded, temple complexes such as Wat Mahathat were completed, and the Ram Khamhaeng inscription established Thai script and the concept of Buddhist kingship, making Sukhothai an important cultural center of Southeast Asia.
  3. 1331–1340Sukhothai · ThailandDuring this period Sukhothai remained the kingdom's capital, with temple repairs and tributary diplomacy continuing, but the power of Uthong in the lower Chao Phraya basin grew, and the capital's relative weight in the peninsular trade network began to shift.
  4. c. 1378–1438Sukhothai · ThailandAfter the rise of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Sukhothai became a vassal state; the capital's political functions weakened, and it was eventually absorbed into Ayutthaya's territory, with its urban remains becoming a core site for later study of early Thai culture.

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