Page 57 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SIAM
55
and in 1286 the Siamese conferred him
fealty, King upon
the title of Chao Fa Rua. 1
An feature of the of
interesting reign King
Ramk'amheng was the opening of direct political relations
with China. Kublai Khan, in his old age, sought to
consolidate his those
power by conciliating neighbouring
rulers whom he had not thought it necessary to subdue.
In 1282 a Chinese Mandarin named Haw Chow Chi
arrived at the Court of Suk'ot'ai to a of
negotiate treaty
amity between China and Siam, and in 1294 King
Ramk'amheng himself proceeded on a visit to the
Emperor. Would that he had kept a diary of his journey !
We may conclude that he enjoyed his visit, for he repeated
it in 1300, and on this second occasion brought back with
him a number of Chinese artisans, who inaugurated the
famous Sawank'alok the of which are
potteries, products
now so much sought after by collectors. King Ram-
k'amheng did not meet Kublai Khan on his second visit
to China, for the aged Emperor had died in 1295.
King Ramk'amheng maintained friendly relations with
his northern the of Lannat'ai
neighbours, King (Chieng-
and the Prince of
mai) P'ayao.
King Mengrai of Lannat'ai was born at Chiengsen in
the of the establishment of a Siamese at
year Kingdom
Suk'ot'ai has it that he was born under
(1238). Legend
miraculous circumstances, and has invested him with
and semi-divine attributes ; but
superhuman strength,
he was a remarkable man. in his life he
certainly Early
founded the town of where he ruled for
Chiengrai,
several In 1281 he attacked and the
years. captured
ancient of then called which
city Lamp'un, Harip'unjai,
appears then to have been ruled by a Mohn dynasty, as
1 It is related that the King of Siam sent him
Wareru in Burmese history.
a present of a white elephant This is improbable, as the Kings of Siam never
gave white elephants to vassal Pnnces.