Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom (or
Kingdom of Ligor) was one of the major constituent city states (
mueang) of the
Siamese kingdoms of
Sukhothai and later
Ayutthaya and controlled a big part of the
Malay peninsula. Thai histories record a Negara Sri Dharmaraja kingdom.
Most historians identify the
Tambralinga kingdom of Chinese records with a precursor of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The somewhat controversial
Ramkhamhaeng stele of 1283 (or 1292) lists Nakhon Si Thammarat as one of the tributary kingdoms of Sukhothai. In the
Palatinate law of King
Trailok dated 1468 Nakhon Si Thammarat was listed as one of 8 great cities (
phraya maha nakhon) belonging to the Ayutthaya. Under king
Naresuan it became instead a first class province (
mueang ek). After the fall of Ayutthaya Nakhon Si Thammarat enjoyed a short period of independence, but was quickly subdued by
Taksin on his mission to reunite Siam.
With the
thesaphiban reform of Prince
Damrong Rajanubhab at the end of the 19th century the kingdom was finally fully absorbed into Siam. A new administrative entity named
monthon (circle) was created, each supervising several provinces.
Monthon Nakhon Si Thammarat, established 1896, covered those areas on the east coast of the peninsula, i.e. the provinces
Songkhla,
Nakhon Si Thammarat and
Phatthalung.
See also
