17:
76:
131:
267:, who published, in Thai in August 1988, further arguments that the stele was a forgery by Mongkut himself. The claims—shocking for the implication that most of Thai history would have to be rewritten—led to intense, often heated, scholarly debate, joined by dozens of academics both making rebuttals as well as giving support. Numerous seminars were held, and the debate continued through several publications, including a special volume (in Thai) published by
294:
open-mindedness" in its response to the claims, the public has sometimes responded with hostility. A 2004 publication in a Thai newspaper by Piriya and
British expatriate author Michael Wright (also a proponent of the forgery theory) led to angry protests in Sukhothai and threats by a politician to have them prosecuted for
16:
229:
the fourth side) describes various aspects of the city of
Sukhothai and its customs, including its abundance, people's freedoms, the ruler's justice, religious practices, and physical and geographical features. It ends by telling of Ram Khamhaeng's installation of a stone throne in the year 1214 of the
237:
in MS 1207 (1285 CE) and his invention of the script in MS 1205 (1283 CE). The section refers to Ram
Khamhaeng by name throughout. The third section (lines 11–27 of the fourth side) contains praise of the king and describes the reach of his kingdom. This final epilogue, which may
173:
and an expert on the
Siamese language, published an English-language translation of the inscription, which was later described as "the first reasonably satisfactory translation" of the inscription into a Western language. An authoritative transcription and translation (into French) was later made by
157:
in 1864. French missionary Père
Schmitt published his translation in 1884 and 1885, with further revisions in 1895 and 1898. Also in 1898, the first Thai-language work on the inscription was published in the Vajirañāṇa Magazine. A transliteration of the entire inscription into the modern Thai script
228:
The text consists of three sections written continuously without distinct breaks. The first (lines 1–18 of the first side), which is written in the first person, tells the personal history of Ram
Khamhaeng's early life up until his becoming ruler. The second (line 18 of the first side to line 11 of
289:
found the Ram
Khamhaeng stele to be the same age (700–500 years) as four other Sukhothai inscriptions, several proponents remain convinced of the forgery theory, and the debate has not been definitively settled. Nevertheless, the inscription was successfully submitted to the UNESCO's Memory of the
262:
presented a paper titled "The Ram
Khamhaeng Inscription: A Piltdown Skull of Southeast Asian History?" at the International Conference on Thai Studies at the Australian National University, in which he drew together the arguments made by himself and others casting doubt on the authenticity of the
293:
The intense scrutiny and analysis also led to a much richer body of scholarship on the inscription, and several new theories have been proposed regarding its purpose and the exact circumstances of its creation. However, while it has been observed that "the Thai academic world showed a refreshing
241:
According to Cœdès, the inscription was probably made to commemorate Ram
Khamhaeng's installation of the stone throne in 1292, and this is the year to which it is generally dated. The inscription, which paints a picture of a plentiful kingdom ruled paternally by a benevolent king, was extremely
58:
From the late 1980s to the 1990s, assertions that the stele was a forgery from a later date led to intense scholarly debate. This debate still has not been definitively settled, but subsequent electron microscopy has suggested that the stele is likely to be as old as originally claimed, and the
98:, where among the ruins, then believed to be the site of the old palace, he discovered the stele, as well as a carved stone slab believed to be the throne of the Sukhothai ruler. He had his retinue bring the objects back to Bangkok, and they were placed in Wat Samo Rai (now named
202:
647:
142:), to handle its deciphering. In 1855, Mongkut (now king) presented a lithographic copy of the inscription, with annotations giving partial translations and a letter explaining its significance, to the British envoy
221:, from which it is considered to have been adapted. Most significantly, the script contains no above- or below-line vowel marks, a feature seen in later Sukhothai inscriptions and modern Thai, as well as earlier
55:, to whom it is usually attributed. The inscription had immense influence over the development of Thai historiography from the early 20th century, which came to regard Sukhothai as the first Thai kingdom.
59:
majority of academics in the field today regard it as at least partly authentic. The inscription is widely regarded as the single most important document in Thai history, and was inscribed on the
196:
My father's name was Si Inthărathĭt. My mother's name was Lady Süăng. My elder brother's name was Ban Müăng. We, elder and younger born from the same womb were five; brothers three, sisters two.
91:; the upper section which bears the inscriptions is polished, while the lower part, which probably fitted into a base, remains rough. It is 114.50 centimetres (45.08 in) in total height.
94:
The stele was discovered in 1833 by Prince
Mongkut, who would later become King in 1851 and was at the time ordained as a monk. Mongkut had made a pilgrimage to the ancient town of
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740:
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during the 1910s–1920s, Sukhothai came to be regarded as the first Thai capital, a golden age during which Thai values flourished (as opposed to later Khmer-influenced
87:
The stele is in the shape of a four-sided pillar, mostly square and 35.50 centimetres (13.98 in) wide on each side, with a rounded pyramidal top. It is made of
765:
337:
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inscription. These included the script used in the inscription, its vocabulary, and its content. His position was supported, most notably, by art historian
138:
Mongkut made initial studies of the inscription, and in 1836 established a commission, headed by monk-Prince Roek (who would later become Supreme Patriarch
416:
186:
in 1971 and the National Library in 1977 improved upon Cœdès's version, and Winai Pongsripian published the most recent Thai transliteration in 2009.
755:
238:
have served as a eulogy, is written in a different hand, with some differences in spelling, indicating that it was most likely a later addition.
674:
286:
209:
The inscription contains 35 lines of text on its first and second sides, and 27 on the third and fourth. The script used, now known as the
715:
548:
Vickery, Michael (1991). "The Ram Khamhaeng Inscription: A Piltdown Skull of Southeast Asian History?". In Chamberlain, James R. (ed.).
745:
735:
705:
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250:). This official view is taught in schools and formed the core of mainstream Thai history-writing throughout the 20th century.
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Danvivathana, Nantana. (1981). The orthography and the characteristics of the Sukhothai script and King Li Thai script. In
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115:
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64:
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Intellectual might and national myth : a forensic investigation of the Ram Khamhaeng controversy in Thai society
489:
Thongchai Winichakul (2011). "Siam's Colonial Conditions and the Birth of Thai History". In Grabowsky, Volker (ed.).
47:(Rama IV), it was eventually deciphered and dated to 1292. The text gives, among other things, a description of the
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The first attempted translation of the text into a Western language was published by the German polymath
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The inscription was discovered near Noen Prasat, then believed to be the site of the old palace, now in
417:"Epigraphic and Historical Studies No.9 : The Inscription of Ramkamhaeng of Sukhothai (1292 A.D.)"
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217:(also known as Siamese), which differs vastly from modern Thai and bears some resemblance to ancient
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Southeast Asian historiography unravelling the myths : essays in honour of Barend Jan Terwiel
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338:"Memory of the World Register Nomination Form: Thailand – The King Ram Khamhaeng Inscription"
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bearing inscriptions which have traditionally been regarded as the earliest example of the
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The Thai National Committee on Memory of the World Programme of UNESCO (29 January 2003).
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magazine in 1988 and a compilation of English-language articles published in 1991 by the
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Although counter-arguments were made to address the claims, and a 1990 analysis using
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influential in the development of Thai historiography. Based on works by Prince
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Using Ockham's Razor with respect to the Ram Khamhaeng Controversy
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233:(MS; corresponding to 1292 CE), enshrinement of relics at
366:"The Inscription of Phra Ram Khamhæng of Sukhothai, 1293 A.D."
102:) where he was residing. The inscription followed Mongkut to
479:(Doctoral dissertation, pp. 17-79). University of Edinburgh.
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World Programme, and was inscribed on its register in 2003.
573:จารึกพ่อขุนรามคำแหง ใครแต่งกันแน่? "ของจริง" หรือ "ของปลอม"
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in 1968, where it is currently on permanent exhibition.
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The Ram Khamhaeng controversy : collected papers
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The Ram Khamhaeng controversy : collected papers
457:. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
146:, and another copy was presented to the French envoy
529:. "Breaking the Bonds" Hamburg 24–26 November 2006
493:. Bangkok, Thailand: River Books. pp. 33–35.
20:The Ram Khamhaeng Inscription, on display at the
178:, and published in 1924. Revisions published by
620:An overview of the controversy is presented in
415:Griswold, A.B.; Prasert na Nagara (July 1971).
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315:, the hoax alluded to in Vickery's paper title
162:'s tour of the old Sukhothai Kingdom in 1908.
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158:was printed as a pamphlet for Crown Prince
675:"The Thai icon, the curse, the king and I"
575:(in Thai). Bangkok: Sinlapa Watthanatham.
761:Collection of the Bangkok National Museum
626:. Bangkok, Thailand: Matichon Public Co.
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118:in 1924, and was finally acquired by the
741:Memory of the World Register in Thailand
364:Bradley, Cornelius Beach (April 1909).
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766:Archaeological discoveries in Thailand
201:—Opening lines of the inscription, as
203:translated by Cornelius Beach Bradley
7:
648:"The King Ram Khamhaeng Inscription"
523:Terwiel, Barend Jan (January 2007).
287:energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
106:in 1836, and was later moved to the
596:Chamberlain, James R., ed. (1991).
114:in 1911. It was again moved to the
673:Berger, Sebastien (23 July 2004).
14:
33:Sukhothai Inscription No. 1
756:1833 archaeological discoveries
451:"King Ramkhamhaeng Inscription"
298:and harming national security.
169:, Professor of Rhetoric at the
254:Controversy about authenticity
134:Detail, showing the characters
1:
112:Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall
43:. Discovered in 1833 by King
283:scanning electron microscopy
65:Memory of the World Register
424:Journal of the Siam Society
373:Journal of the Siam Society
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716:Historiography of Thailand
213:, is an early form of the
746:13th-century inscriptions
736:Controversies in Thailand
600:. Bangkok: Siam Society.
81:Sukhothai Historical Park
71:Description and discovery
29:Ram Khamhaeng Inscription
706:Inscriptions of Thailand
622:Mukhom Wongthes (2003).
258:In July 1987, historian
171:University of California
51:during the time of King
477:The Thai Writing System
167:Cornelius Beach Bradley
120:Bangkok National Museum
22:Bangkok National Museum
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140:Pavares Variyalongkorn
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731:Forgery controversies
449:Trongjai Hutangkura.
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31:, formally known as
308:History of Thailand
272:(Silpa Wattanatham)
148:Charles de Montigny
296:defaming the kings
244:Damrong Rajanubhab
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116:Vajirañāṇa Library
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682:. Retrieved
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684:15 December
461:14 December
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126:Deciphering
41:Thai script
751:1292 works
700:Categories
658:8 December
582:9748350843
533:8 December
346:8 December
320:References
160:Vajiravudh
379:(1): 1–72
248:Ayutthaya
165:In 1909,
150:in 1856.
96:Sukhothai
89:siltstone
67:in 2003.
654:. UNESCO
302:See also
231:Saka era
45:Mongkut
711:Steles
630:
604:
579:
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61:UNESCO
555:(PDF)
420:(PDF)
369:(PDF)
341:(PDF)
219:Khmer
37:stele
686:2017
660:2017
628:ISBN
602:ISBN
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495:ISBN
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385:2017
348:2017
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