Ratsadathirat (, ) was the twelfth

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

of Ayutthaya, an ancient kingdom in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. He was a son of Borommarachathirat IV and succeeded his father to the throne of Ayutthaya at the age of five in 895 LE (2076 BE, 1533/34 CE). The following year, after having been on the throne for five months, he was put to death by his relative, Chairachathirat, who then assumed the kingship.

Names

According to the ''Royal Autograph Chronicle'' and its variant versions, his name is ''Ratthathirat'' (รัฏฐาธิราช; ; literally "overlord of the realm") or ''Ratthathiratchakuman'' (รัฏฐาธิราชกุมาร; ; literally "child overlord of the realm"). But he is better known by the name ''Ratsadathirat'' (รัษฎาธิราช; ), ''Prachum Phongsawadan...'', 1999: 220. which is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

variant of the

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...

name ''Ratthathirat''. In the ''Van Vliet Chronicle'', written in 1640 CE by Dutch Merchant Jeremias Van Vliet, his name is written as ''Woo-Rhae Rassa Thae Thieraya''. Van Vliet, 2003: 56.

Life

Birth

All Thai and foreign chronicles say that Ratsadathirat was a son of Borommarachathirat IV, the eleventh

of the

Kingdom of Ayutthaya The Ayutthaya Kingdom (; th, อยุธยา, , IAST: or , ) was a Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. The Ayutthaya Kingdom is consid ...

, and that Ratsadathirat was five years of age when ascending the throne in 895 LE (2076 BE, 1533/34 CE). Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation, 2011: 89. Ratsadathirat was possibly born in 890 LE (2071 BE, 1528/29 CE). Modern scholars have suggested that his mother was a daughter of a powerful noble who wanted to be related with the royal household through marriage, because the enthronement of Ratsadathirat appears to have been supported by a group of nobles, despite his minority. Khruea-thong, 2012: online.

Accession to the throne and death

In 895 LE (2076 BE, 1533/34 CE), Borommarachathirat IV died of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

and his son, Ratsadathirat, succeeded him as king of Ayutthaya. In 896 LE (2077 BE, 1534/35 CE), after Ratsadathirat had been on the throne for five months, Chairachathirat seized the throne and had Ratsadathirat executed. The execution was done according to the palace law, that is, by covering the young king with a red sack before striking his neck with a

Sandalwood Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods for us ...

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Relationship with Chairachathirat

Thai and foreign chronicles state that Ratsadathirat and Chairachathirat were relatives. But none of these documents gives enough information that makes clear the relationship between the two. The ''Buddhist Councils Chronicle'' says Chairachathirat was a nephew (son of an elder or younger sister) of Ramathibodi II, who was the father of Borommarachathirat IV. The ''Royal Autograph Chronicle'' and its variant versions merely say Chairachathirat was a relative of Ramathibodi II, the father of Borommarachathirat IV. The ''Van Vliet Chronicle'' says Chairachathirat was a distant relative of Ratsadathirat and served as the regent during the latter's reign. Historian Damrongrachanuphap made a suggestion that Chairachathirat was the

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...

of Ayutthaya ( ex officio ruler of

Phitsanulok Phitsanulok ( th, พิษณุโลก, ) is an important, historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province. Phitsanulok is home to Naresuan University and Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, as well a ...

) during the reigns of Borommarachathirat IV and Ratsadathirat. That is why it took Chairachathirat five months to arrive in Ayutthaya and seize the throne. ''Phra Ratchaphongsawadan...'', 1991: 258/259. Modern scholars have suggested that another reason why Chairachathirat had to wait for five months before launching the coup is his need to check the attitude of each political faction and to await "a good opportunity", because Ratsadathirat was still supported by a group of nobles led by a powerful noble who seemed to be Ratsadathirat's grandfather (father of Ratsadathirat's mother). Moreover, the enthronement of Ratsadathirat was against tradition, because the viceroy had always been the first in line to succeed to the throne. For that reason, modern scholars are of an opinion that Ratsadathirat's ascension to the throne enraged Chairachathirat and the coup therefore resulted in "unnecessary violence", that is, the execution of the deposed five-year-old king. The coup also made Ratsadathirat the second king from the House of Suphannaphum to be executed.

Ancestry

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * {{authority control Suphannaphum dynasty Kings of Ayutthaya 15th-century monarchs in Asia Child rulers from Asia Rulers deposed as children Rulers who died as children Executed Thai monarchs Princes of Ayutthaya Executed children 16th-century Thai people Murdered Thai children