Uthong

Who was Uthong?

U-thong or Ramathibodi I was the first king of the kingdom Ayutthaya, reigning from 1351 to 1369. He was known as Prince U Thong before he ascended to the throne on March 4, 1351. A native of Chiang Saen he claimed descent from Khun Borom and propagated Theravada Buddhism as the state religion.

King Ramathibodi's position was likely secured by political marriage and family ties. He was married to a daughter of the ruling family of Suphanburi, and may have also married into an alliance with the rulers of Lopburi - it was likely the king of Lopburi that he was initially chosen to succeed. He appointed both his brother-in-law and son to positions of leadership in Suphanburi and Lopburi, respectively, and established his own capital in the new city of Ayutthaya. King Ramathabodi's reign bound together the Khmer rulers of Lopburi, the Tai in the west, and the Chinese, Javanese, Bugis and Acehnese merchants who inhabited the coastal areas.

In France, there exists a map of 21 mosques built in Ayutthaya during Uthong's reign and known as Shari Nao. The mosques were destroyed during the invasion of Myanmar by Sukhotai. Meanwhile, in local villages in Kedah, people still speak Siam, a language spoken by their former king. The Siam language is a variant of the Thai language.