King Trailokanat (often short Trailok, สมเด็จพระบรมไตรโลกนาถ, 1431-1488) was the king of Ayutthaya between 1448 and 1488. Born as Prince Ramesuan, he succeeded his father Boromma Ratchathirat II as king in 1448, then adopting the name Boromma Trailokanat.
Ordination as a Monk
Trailokanat, accompanied by more than 2,000 followers, was the first Siamese king to be ordained as a monk. The ordination took place at Wat Chula Manee in 1461. The tradition has continued to present-day Thailand.War with Lanna
Trailokanat led Ayutthaya during a war with Lanna, a buffer state between the Aytuuthaya and Burmese Kingdoms.The city of Mueang Phichai of is believed to have been built by decree of King Trailokanat as a frontier town to be used as a base for troops in the war.
Relocation of Capital to Phitsanulok
In 1463, Trailokanat moved the Ayutthayan capital to Phitsanulok. Lanna had unsuccessfully besieged the town in 1459 and 1460, and also Sukhothai had rebelled, weaking the northern boundary. The move of the capital was performed to strengthen his control in this area. In Phitsanulok, Trailokanat ordered the establishment of new temples, as well as the restoration of existing older ones. He ordered the construction a chedi and other buildings on the campus of Wat Ratchaburana, for example.Reform of Government Administration
During his reign, Trailokanat made a series of reforms to the government administration.The traditional ministries of Thailand - the Kalahom for the military and the Mahatthai as the civilian duties - were introduced by Trailok.
Also in his reign in 1454, the hierarchies of the nobility were first codified, petty officials having a sakdi na (field power, with one field measuring 1 rai = 0.395 acre) of 50 to 400, extending up to 100,000 for the uparat (heir-apparent). This system continued until the reforms of King Chulalongkorn at the end of the 19th century.
Trailokanat adopted the position of uparaja, translated as "viceroy" or "underking", usually held by the king's senior son or full brother, in an attempt to regularize the succession to the throne -- a particularly difficult feat for a polygamous dynasty. In practice, there was inherent conflict between king and uparaja and frequent disputed successions.
Class Stratification of Cities
In 1468, Trailok adopted a Palatinate law, re-categorizing the cities of Ayutthaya by class.Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sri Thamarat were listed among the 8 great first-class cities (Phraya maha nakhon).
Mueang Sing, Mueang In and Mueang Phrom were downgraded to be the level 4 cities (เมืองจัตวา) under Lopburi.
Legacy
Among the institutions named for Trailokanat include:- Fort Somdetphra Boromma Trailokanat (Royal Thai Army Base) in Samo Khae, Phitsanulok Province.
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Last updated on Friday July 04, 2008 at 20:37:02 PDT (GMT -0700)
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