Ban Mueang
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Ban Mueang (, ) was a
king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
of Sukhothai, an ancient kingdom in
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. He was from the House of Phra Ruang. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation, 2011: 22.


Name

The name ''Ban Mueang'' () means "one who delights the nation". Wongthes, 1983: 174. In Thai, the name is usually misspelt as "บาลเมือง", which is pronounced the same and means "one who protects the nation". He is merely referred to as ''Ban'' (บาน) in the Pu Khun Chit Khun Chot Inscription (Inscription No. 45), created in 1935 BE (1392/93 CE). SAC, 2006 ("Charuek Pu Khun Chit Khun Chot"): online.


Life

He was the second son of King Si Inthrathit of Sukhothai and his wife, Sueang. He succeeded his father to the throne of Sukhothai in an unknown year and reigned until his death, which occurred around 1822 BE (1279/80 CE). The Ram Khamhaeng Inscription (Inscription No. 1), which was allegedly created in 1835 BE (1292/93 CE) and contains an
autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
of his younger brother,
Ram Khamhaeng Ramkhamhaeng (, ) or commonly known as Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng Maharat (, ) was the third king of the Phra Ruang Dynasty, ruling the Sukhothai Kingdom (a historical kingdom of Thailand) from 1279 to 1298, during its most prosperous era. He is c ...
, states:
My father was named Si Inthrathit. My mother was named Lady Sueang. My elder brother was named Ban Mueang. There were five of us born from the same womb: three boys and two girls. My eldest brother died when he was still a child... In my father's lifetime, I served my father and I served my mother. When I caught any
game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...
or fish, I brought them to my father. When I picked any acid or sweet fruits that were delicious and good to eat, I brought them to my father. When I went hunting elephants and caught some, either by lasso or by driving them into a corral, I brought them to my father. When I raided a town or village and captured elephants, men and women, silver or gold, I turned them over to my father. When my father died, my elder brother was still alive. I served him steadfastly as I had served my father. When my elder brother died, I got the whole kingdom for myself.
Ban Mueang is also mentioned in the Pu Khun Chit Khun Chot Inscription which describes the lineage of the House of Phra Ruang. As stated by both inscriptions, Ban Mueang was, upon his death, succeeded by his younger brother, Ram Khamhaeng. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation, 2011: 24. A historical document, '' Jinakalamali'', states that Ban Mueang had a son, Ngua Nam Thum, who later became a king of Sukhothai. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation, 2011: 31. A great-great-grandchild of Ban Mueang was named after Ban Mueang according to the ancient custom of naming a baby after its ancestor. The great-great-grandchild ascended the throne of Sukhothai as Mahathammaracha IV. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation, 2011: 43.


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ban Mueang Kings of Sukhothai Year of birth unknown 13th-century monarchs in Asia Thai princes 13th-century Thai people 1279 deaths Year of death uncertain