Capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom

Timeline

1. 1351–1370Island city of Ayutthaya · ThailandKing Uthong chose an island at the confluence of the Chao Phraya and Pasak rivers to found the capital, defining the royal core with moats and walls, and introducing Theravada Buddhist monasteries as symbols of political legitimacy, establishing the capital's basic spatial order.
2. 1381–1390Royal city of Ayutthaya · ThailandThrough several generations of rulers, the royal city's temples and administrative facilities gradually expanded, standing alongside neighboring powers such as Sukhothai and Lan Na, becoming the metropolitan center of a rising power in the Chao Phraya basin.
3. 1400–1600Ayutthaya · ThailandAs trade links with Malacca, Java, and China deepened, the capital settlement expanded outward, forming multi-ethnic merchant quarters and riverside wharves, becoming a key node connecting Indian Ocean and South China Sea trade.