Outline of History of Siam
Outline of History of Siam
Click on the link to read:
http://www.sleepinbuff.com/27history.pdf
For maps, see Southeast Asia
2200 BCE About this time the Chinese first mention the Thai peoples living in Yunnan, living around lake Tali between the Yangtze, Mekong and source of the Red River.
1112 Yunnan is called Shantsan by the Chinese.
6th century: About this time first historical mention of the Thai peoples, ancestors of the Shans, Laotians and Siamese. The Chinese call them the "barbarians" south of the Yangtse-kiang.
4th century: Chinese begin appearing in Yunnan, first as merchants, later as settlers.
3rd century: King Asoka marriesa local Yunnan princess while at Tali; she later has three sons.
230 About this time Chinese general Chuan-Chao is sent by the emperor to make conquests in Szu-chuan (Sze-chwan) and explore the upper reaches of the Yangtze. Blocked from leaving the Lake Yunnan area,
general Chuan-Chao founds the kingdom of Tien Kuo within eastern Yunnan. Western Yunnan is ruled by the Indian dynasty at Lake Tali.
140 Accession of emperor Wu Ti. Offended by the king of Kien Kuo, he sends an army there and conquers the kingdom.
120 By this time Tien Kuo has been divided into two states; Western Tien (ruled by Prince Jen Kuo, a descendent of Asoka) and Eastern Tien (around lake Yunnan, ruled by Prince Ch'ang-ch'ieng), probably vassals of the emperor. War between the two, Prince Jen Kuo, aided by Wu-Ti, defeats Ch'ang-ch'ieng; the people elect him to rule over both Eastern and Western Tien. Jen Kuo moves his capital from Tali to Ch'ang-sh-ieng south of Yunnan-fu, the kingdom is renamed Pai-tzu-kuo. Chinese influence begins to wax rapidly.
109 Emperor Wu-Ti brings Northern Yunnan under his rule.
- - - BCE - CE -
20 King Chang-chiang of Yunnan, so ardent a Buddhist that he neglected his duties as a ruler, is deposed.
25 The Later Han dynasty begins strengthening Chinese influence in Yunnan: Pai-tzu-kuo begins to decline. In Southern Yunnan, one Prince Chin-lung, a direct descendant of king Asoka, founds the kingdom of Ailo.
50 Ailo, allied with neighboring tribes, rebels against Chinese authority, dividing themselves into six kingdoms; five of which are Thai, the sixth Tibetan-Burman.
69 The rebellion ends as Ailo recognizes its status as a vassal of the emperor. The other confederates soon submit. The prefecture of Yung-ch'ang is created and the Thais pay tribute in salt and garments.
75 About this time Thai chief Lei Lao rebels against imperial authority, is defeated; he and many of his followers emigrate to northern Burma.
120 The Chinese open a trade route through Yunnan to India.
221 Fall of the Han dynasty and Chinese authority in Yunnan begins to decline; the Ts'wan family begins rising toimportance in Yunnan.
225? The Thais of Yunnan rebel against Chinese authority.
226 The emperor of Sz-ch'wan (Szechwan) sends the Marquis Chu-ko-liang to pacify Yunnan. After battling and capturing Thai prince Meng-kuo seven times (releasing him each time afterward) he swears his loyalty to the emperor, praising the marquis' mercy and kindness.
230 Western Yunnan is ruled by the six kingdoms of Nan Chao, with vague ties to China (see 600 below).
300 About this time Hindu colonists begin arriving in what is now Siam.
7th century: With the strong hand of Funan removed from the Menam river valley, the Buddhist kingdom of Dvaravati arises there - little is known about it.
600 About this time She-lung is ruler of Meng-she, one of the six Thai states in western Yunnan ("Nan-Chao"), this state is also known as Ailo and is the most prominent. The others are Teng T'an and Lang-ch'iung (both along with Meng- she correspond to modern towns of Meng-hua, Teng Ch'wan and Erh-yuan (or Lang-ch'iung)). Shih-lang (near Ying-pi?), Yueh-hsi (north of Pin Ch'wan and south of the Yangtze?) and Meng-sui (between Meng-she and lake Tali near modern Ta-ts'ang?)
625 About this time She-lung is succeeded by his son Chia-tu-p'ang as ruler of Meng-she.
618 The rising Tang dynasty undertakes a more aggressive policy in Yunnan
624 By this time Tang has brought Yunnan as far as the Mekong under close Chinese subordination.
648 Thai chiefs in the Tali area rise in rebellion but are put down. However, conditions in Yunnan are too unsettled for the Chinese to reopen the road to India, as an era of frequent Thai rebellions begins.
650 About this time Chia-tu-p'ang is succeeded by his son Hsi-nu-lo as ruler of Meng-she. He sends a tribute mission to the emperor. The kings of Meng-she are described by the Chinese as belonging to the Meng family.
670 The Thais begin receiving aid from Tibet.
676 The Tibetans become suzerains of the Thais and together they defeat the Chinese, forcing them to withdraw north of the Yangtze.
680 About this time (?) Lo-shen-yen becomes king of Meng-she. He makes a journey to the Chinese capital.
684 With the accession of Emperor Wu, a vigorous counterattack brings Yunnan under a shaky Chinese rule.
713 About this time Lo-shen-yen is succeeded by son Sheng-lo-p'i as ruler of Meng-she. China gives up all attempts at direct rule in western Yunnan, engaging the Thai chiefs as semi-independent allies to divert Tibetan attacks on Szechwan.
730 About this time Sheng-lo-p'i is succeeded by his son P'i-lo-ko He plans to unite the other five Thai kingdoms under Meng-she.
731 P'i-lo-ko conquers: Either; all the Thai kingdoms through a rule by murdering most of the rulers after a great banquet at Meng-wha-ting then defeating the others; founding the kingdom of Nan Chao: Or; he has king Chao-yuan of Meng-sui assassinate and run off his son Yuan-lo, extending the border of Meng-she (= Nan Chao) to the southern shore of lake Tali.
731-6 First P'i-lo-ko, with his son Ko-le-fung and allied with the Chinese under Yen Cheng-hui (for the Chinese dislike the states' alliance with Tibet) conquers Shih-lang, ruled by Shih-ko. Next the kingdoms of Teng T'an and Lang-ch'iung join with remaining Shih-lang forces against Nan-chao. But P'i-lo-ko has bribed Chinese official Wang into swaying the emperor to take his side (which isn't difficult for the Chinese need an ally against Tibetan encroachments toward the salt wells of the K'un-Ming region) The allies are defeated and the Shih-lang remnants are defeated again in Yang-p'i valley. Teng T'an is annexed. King Mieh-lo-p'i (of Teng T'an) and king To-lo-wang of Lang-ch'iung return to Lang-ch'iung. Chang Hsun-ch'iu murders king Po-ch'ung of Yueh-hsi for he is the queen's lover. The Chinese execute Chang Hsun-ch'iu and allow P'i-lo-ko to occupy and annex Yueh-hsi.
737 The Tibetans, in intrigue with dissatisfied nobles under P'i-lo-ko, attack Nan-Chao. Battle at Chien Ch'uan, the Tibetans are defeated by Crown Prince Ko-le-fung; P'i-lo-ko forces Mieh-lo-p'i and To-lo-wang to refuge in Tibet: P'i-lo-ko annexes the rest of the Thai kingdoms. Nan Chao includes western Yunnan to the Mekong and beyond.
739 P'i-lo-ko moves his capital from Meng-she to T'ai-ho for a better defense position. He adds new fortifications. This year a rebellion of the Mon-tsi clans is suppressed.
740-1 Meu-chao leads the Men-tsi into several rebellions that are quickly suppressed.
746 P'i-lo-ko constructs the city of Tali-fu.
749 Death of P'i-lo-ku. He leaves a highly organized state: Ministers of state, censors, generals, records offices, chamberlains, judges, treasurers. Military service is compulsory. There are four district army corps, or divisions. There are six metropolitan departments and six provincial viceroys. There is cotton weaving and silkworm culture. Salt is mined at Kun-Ming (= modern Yunnan-fu) and gold is found in various places. Son and successor of P'i-lo-ko is Ko-le-fung. The Tang emperor sends emissary Li-kui-ih to invest him with the kingship of Nan Chao. Soon, however, the people complain about the conduct of two officers in the imperial service and Ko-le-fung is unable to obtain redress from the emperor.
750-1 Ko-le-fung revolts from Chinese suzerainty; general Wang defeats the Chinese who now send generals Chang and Suen. Ko-le-fung humbles himself and sends ambassadors to negotiate a settlement but the ambassadors are imprisoned. Battle of Hsia-kwan; Thais under Wang, Twan and Fung-cia-ih (Ko-le-fung's son) defeat the Chinese. Now the emperor turns to winning over the Thais by gifts and fine words, but he is not successful.
755 Chinese generals Li and Ho, sent against the Thais, are defeated by Fung-cia-ih (whom the emperor had raised to an imperial general) and general Twan.
757 The Thais begin conquests in Pyu and the upper valley of the Irrawaddy (to 763).
763 With the conquest of the upper Irrawaddy complete, Thai territory may even spread into Assam. Ko-le-fung reopens the Indian trade route.
765 Founding of Yunnan-fu by Fung-cia-ih.
779 Death of Ko-le-fung. His successor is his grand-son Ih-me-su-in. He immediately sends a large army against Szu-chuan (Szechwan) which defeats the Chinese under general Li. Since the Thais are allied with the Tibetans, a period of hostile relations with China opens.
791 Ih-me-su-in (I-mou-hsun) accepts Chinese over-lordship, thus establishing, through him, the earliest relations between the Chinese and the Pyu of Burma.
794 Finding the Tibetans domineering, Ih-me-su-in switches loyalties; China sends Kao to Nan Chao as resident. This angers the Tibetans.
795 Tibetans attack. Battle at Tieh-Ch'iao (Iron Bridge); the Thais defeat the Tibetans, but the war drags on (to C804) in which the Thais having the upper hand.
800 About this time the Thais reduce Pyu to a vassal status.
809 Death of Ih-me-su-in. Son and successor is Su-in-ke-cwien.
810 Death of Su-in-ke-cwien. Son and successor is C'wien-long-chien, 12 years old.
811 King C'wien-long-chien uses 3,000 ounces of gold to construct three statues of Buddha at Tali-fu.
815 By this time the Thais have again refused to recognize their vassalage to China. C'wien-long-cwien attacks Kia-ting-chew and Szu-chuan (Szechwan) but is unsuccessful.
817 Thai official Wang-kia murders C'wien-long-cwien because he was evil. C'wien-li becomes king. He renews relations with the emperor.
825 Fong-yeh to the throne. Ambitious and aggressive, he refuses to recognize the Chinese claim of suzerainty.
827 Fong-yeh sends general Wang-kia into Szu-chuan (Szech-wan) where he is attacked by general Tu. The Thais are victorious, plunder the province and bring back many artisans to Nan Chao.
831 Fong-yeh advises the emperor to punish general Tu who is thereby degraded and replaced by general Li-teh who is not acceptable to Fang-yeh; the war continues.
832-5 Campaigns against Pyu ends its existence as a separate state; the Pyu capital at Halingyi is razed.
843 Drought. A Buddhist monk tells Fong-yeh he must give up excessive love of wine and women; he does and the drought ends.
859 Thai forces under general Twan-seng are sent to help the Burmese against the (Mons?). While returning, general Twan-seng murders Wang-kia for his crime of murdering king C'wien-long-chen.
860 Death of Fong-yeh. He showed concern for the welfare of his subjects, i.e.; draining marshes and construction of a dam near Tali to provide water supplies during dry seasons. Son and successor is Shi-leng; he refuses to send tribute to the Chinese emperor and defeats an Imperial army sent against him.
863 Shi-leng counterattacks the Chinese in Szu-chuan. Meanwhile, the Thais attack Tongking.
866 Chinese general Kao P'ien drives the Thais out of Tongking.
870 Thai forces renew the war in Szu-chuan.
871 As the Szu-chuan war continues, Shi-leng attacks Chen-tu but is repulsed by Chinese generals Jen and Seng.
874 Thai general Hwang is defeated by Chinese forces.
876 Battle at Yah-choo (Yaan?); Chinese governor Kao defeats Shi-leng. Negotiations are opened.
878 Negotiations having failed, the Thais attack Szu-chuan again but are defeated. Meanwhile, death of Shi-leng. Son and successor is Leng-shwen, 17 years old; he reverses his father's and grand-father's policies and recognizes Chinese suzerainty. This, along w/his dissipatory pursuits, incurs the dislike of his subjects.
898 Murder of Leng-shwen by his servant Yang. Son and successor is Shwen-hwa, who has Yang and his entire family murdered.
900 Emperor Kang-ming founds five colleges in Nan Chao. By this time the Thais have made their peace with China and have settled down as a vassal kingdom. But the Thai (T'ai), during the next centuries, never cease to be on the move; slowly - very slowly - infiltrating along the rivers and in the valleys of central Southeast Asia:
Small groups settling among the Khmers, the Mons and the Burmese.
903 Death of Shwen-hwa. Chinese refugee Cheng-mai-su murders the infant son of Shwen-hwa, ending the Meng dynasty (he has every member of the Meng family he can find murdered). A period of decline begins due to intrigues and internecine strife. Cheng-mai-su to the throne. He is of the Ta-chang-me-kuo dynasty: A refugee from Szu-chuan, he manages to gain favor at court and thereby usurp the throne.
911 Death of Cheng-mai-su; son and successor is Ren-ming
913 Ren-ming invades China but is defeated in Szu-chuan.
926 Death of Ren-ming from an abscess in his ear. Son and successor is Long-tan, 12 years old.
929 Murder of Long-tan by general Yan-kan-cheng which makes Chao-shan-cheng king, founding the Ta-t'ien-shing dynasty (he worked for the government of Cheng-ma-su and is elevated because the general heard a prophecy that he'd be king). He soon begins to treat the general with indifference.
930 Murder of Chao-shan-cheng by general Yan-kan-cheng who assumes the throne himself, founding the Ta-i-ming dynasty. The illegitimate son of Leng-shwen, he is inefficient and incompetent to rule, and is disliked by almost all.
935 General Twan-ssu-ping leads a revolt and overthrows Yan-kan-cheng who is forced to become a Buddhist monk.
936 General Twan-ssu-ping assumes the throne, founding the Tali dynasty, being a member of the Twan dynasty which is related to the Meng family. There is opposition to his rule.
938 King Twan-ssu-ping manages to stamp out all opposition (i.e.; defeat the brother of former king at Haei Kwan and captured Tali-fu).
944 Death of Twan-ssu-ping. He was competent, just and a devout follower of Buddhism and has had many temples constructed. Son and successor is Si-in, a devout Buddhist. He directs the construction of temples of San-ta-si.
945 Si-in abdicates to devote himself to Buddhism. Si-liang is king
953 Si-tong accedes.
970 Shu-shwen accedes. During his reign the boundary of Nan Chao is fixed at the Ta-tu river by the emperor.
1011 Accession of Suryavarman I. During his reign, that part of Dvaravati known as Lavo - the region of the Menam valley- comes under Khmer rule.
1023 Accession of Shu-long. He is nephew of Shu-lien.
1027 Shu-long becomes a Buddhist monk. Shu-chen, his nephew accedes. He is a hedonist, leading a dissipatory life and neglecting the government. His palace at Yunnan-fu is known for its flower garden.
1045 Disgusted with him, the people force Shu-chen to abdicate. About this time Thai peoples begin migrating southward at an accelerating rate, founding various Thai principalities. Shu-chen's cousin Si-lien becomes king: He is faced with a rebellion of the Man-tsi people near the borders of modern Vietnam; Prince Beng-kao is trying to establish his independence. General Swai and Chinese governor Ti-asuppress the revolt. Prince Beng-kao is captured and beheaded.
1057 About this time founding of the Thai state of Chiengsaen.
1064 One Yang leads a revolt (of the Man-tsi peoples?) and it is crushed by general Kao.
1076 King Si-lien abdicates to become a monk. Son and successor is Lien-i
1081 Murder of Lien-i by Yang-i-chen who usurps the throne.Four months later, general Kao, using eastern Yunnan as hismilitary base, captures and kills Yang-i-chen and places Lien-i's nephew Shee-hwei on the throne.
1082 An eclipse of the sun is interpreted as a bad omen; Shee-hwei abdicates in favor of Si-lien's cousin Chen-ming, who proves to be a weak and worthless ruler.
1094 Chen-ming is forced to resign the crown and the people raise the popular general Kao to the throne, starting the Ta-cheng dynasty.
1096 North of Raheng, at the junction of the Mep'ing and the Mewang rivers, the small independent Thai state of P'ayao comes into existence.
1097 Death of king Kao. His son Kao-tai-ming selects Chen-ming's brother Chen-shwen to be king, reestablishing the Tali dynasty. Chen-shwen appoints Kao-tai-ming Grand Secretary of State and Chief Counselor. Kao-tai-ming's brother is given the Premiership. Under the two brothers, forced labor is abolished and good relations with the Chinese are continued.
12th century: Early in this century the Thai Muongs in the upper Menam valley begin forming tiny states under chieftains called chaos and sawbwas. Nine of these (the southerly states) are; Svargalok (Sawankaloke), Sukho-thai, Kambaeng Bejr (Kamphaeng Phet), U thong, Nagor Pathom, Rajapuri (Ratburi), Bejrpuri (P'etchaburi), Jaya (Chaiya) and Nagor Cri Dharmaraj (Ligor). Those of the
lower Menam valley owe varying degrees of vassalage to the Khmer empire, while the hill states of Chiengsaen and P'ayao are precariously independent, only once and awhile swearing vassalage to either Pagan or Cambodia.
1104 Presents are sent to the Chinese emperor. About this time Burma and two other states send tribute to the Thais (i.e.; most probably the Thais exercise authority over the Shan states).
1109 Chen-shwen abdicates to become a Buddhist monk. Ho-u to the throne; many surrounding countries send tribute. Later, Kao-tai-ming quells a rebellion of the Man-tsi peoples.
1116 The Burmese king sends tribute to the Thai court.
1117 The Thai court sends tribute to the Chinese court.
1119 Revolt against Chinese rule in Szu-chwan; overflowing into Thai territory, the governor of Yunnan-fu is killed.
1126 Great fire sweeps Yunnan-fu, destroying almost 4,000 houses.
1148 Pressured by his son, Ho-u abdicates and becomes a Buddhist monk, his son Chien-shin becomes king.
1173 Chien-shin abdicates to become a Buddhist monk. Son and successor Ci-shein is at first troubled by ministerial quarrels.
1195 Repairs on the walls of Hsia and Shan Kwans are carried out.
13th century: The slow migration of Thai becomes an "effervescence", showing itself on the southern confines of Yunnan. It is possibly the result of weakening Khmer power in the region toward the end of Jayavarman VII's reign as he was concentrating on holding Champa in subjection. With the western parts of the Khmer empire coming under Thai control, Lavo regains its independence and sends embassies to China.
1201 Son and successor is Ci-hsiang. Generally his reign is one of peace and prosperity. He is prevented from quelling a rebellion of the Mon-tsi by a flood.
1215 The Thai state of Mogaung, north of Bhamo in Upper Burma, comes into existence.
1219 Death of Jayavarman VII. The Khmer authority in Menam Valley begins to decline, not little influenced by the infiltration of Thai settlers into the valley.
1223 Founding of Mone or Muong Nai, a powerful Shan state.
1229 Traditional date for the establishment of the Ahom kingdom of Assam by Thai peoples.
1230 About this time the Thai chiefs Chieng Rung and Chieng Sen on the upper Mekong make a marriage alliance. About this time also occurs a mass migration of Thais along the Nam U river to the site of modern Luang Prabang.
1238 Two Thai princes defeat the Khmer army near Suk-hotai, the capital of the northwestern part of the Angkor empire.The two chiefs make Sukhotai their capital of a newly independent state. First king is Sri Indraditya (known before as K'un Bang Klang Tao). His ally, the other chief is K'un P'a Muang. The Chinese apply the name "Sien" to the kingdom of Sukhotai. "Syam" is the Khmer word for the "savages" from the middle Menam. Earliest use of the word known is in a Cham epigraph (11th century). The name is apparently a variant of the word "Shan" applied by the Burmese to the wedge of hill states running southwards from Mogaung and Mohnyin in the far north. See 1350.
1239 Ci-hsiang abdicates to become a Buddhist monk. Hsian-hsin to the throne. ..
......