Ayutthaya, Thailand

#Thailand Attractions The Kingdom of Ayutthaya, also known as the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767 and was centered on the ancient city of Ayutthaya, a World Cultural Heritage Site. Ayutthaya is considered the forerunner of modern Thailand and its development is an important part of Thai history. The Ayutthaya Kingdom arose from the mandala of city-states along the lower Chao Phraya River during the decline of the Khmer Empire in the late 14th century. After a century of territorial expansion, Ayutthaya transformed itself into a centralized state and emerged as a major power in Southeast Asia. Ayutthaya faced invasion from the Burmese Tanggu Dynasty, and centuries of war between the two regional powers began, leading to the first fall of Ayutthaya in 1569. However, the 18th Ayutthaya King Naresuan liberated Ayutthaya from a brief period of Burmese rule and strengthened its military power. By 1600, the Ayutthaya Kingdom's vassal states included the Malay Peninsula, Sukhothai, Lanna, and parts of Burma and Cambodia, although the extent of Ayutthaya's control over its neighbors varied over time. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Ayutthaya became an entrepot for international trade and its culture flourished. The 27th King, Narai the Great, is known for historical contacts between the Siamese court and Europeans, most notably sending a Siamese diplomatic mission to France to meet King Louis XIV in 1686. The Late Ayutthaya period has been described as the "Golden Age" of Siamese culture, and saw the rise of trade dominance and the influence of Chinese trade on politics and culture, a development that would continue to expand Ayutthaya over the next century. During the 18th century, a series of socio-economic and political pressures within the kingdom, most notably a prolonged internal succession conflict, left Ayutthaya militarily weakened and unable to respond effectively to a series of invasions in 1759-60 and again in 1765. The dynamic and expansionist Konbaung dynasty of Burma was determined to eliminate their long-time regional rivals in order to gain greater wealth and In April 1767, after a 14-month siege, the city of Ayutthaya fell to the besieging Burmese army and was completely destroyed, thus ending the 417-year-old Ayutthaya Kingdom. However, Siam quickly recovered from the collapse, and the center of power for Siamese authorities shifted over the next 15 years to Thonburi and present-day Bangkok. #OverseasTravel #ThailandTravelGuide #Thailand #ThailandTravel2022 #ThailandTravel #ThailandTravelGuide #ThailandGoodPlaces #ThailandTravel #ThailandTourism #WorldCulturalHeritage #WorldHeritage