Key Points in Thai History
A map of Thialand.
There are many key points in history that aided in the creation of Thailand culture today; not only did it directly affect the structure and culture of Thailand, but in doing so, greatly affected the musical identity of the country.
The first settlers of Thailand are recorded to have arrived during the Paleolithic era, dating back nearly 100 000 years ago. As humans developed in the area, they began creating their own simple technologies, including river navigators and fish nets; people also began to make use of the animals and plants through domestication, which helped result in the growing of rice, cucumbers, and farming chicken. These settlements began to expand into the richer areas of land and of fishing, which eventually developed into the early kingdoms of Thailand.
The Malay, Khmer, and Mon are known as the original kingdoms of Thailand. The kingdoms often competed for any available land and resources, but found themselves being invaded for the same reasons by the ethnic Thais from Southern China in approximately 10th Century A.D. These Thais fough of the Khmer empire, who governed the land during this period, and eventually established the Sukhothia Kingdom (1238-1448), and later on the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351-1776). The Ayutthaya Kingdom grew to overcome that of the Sukhothia and claimed southern and central Thailand.
In the year 1776, the Ayutthaya kingdom was invaded and demolished by the Burmese army, but who only cntrolled central Thailand for two years before being defeated by the Siamese leader, General Taskin. It was only shortly after the Taskin had gone mad, and was replaced by Rama I; the founder of the Chakri dynasty, which continues to rule over Thailand today. The capital of Thailand became marked as Bangkok in this era.
During the 19th Century, European colonialism began taking control of most areas near Southeast and Southern Asia; Burma and Malaysia became British, while Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos were claimed by the French shortly after. Soon after 1945's attacks on Japan, the Thais realized they must return the land they had gained to the British and the French, as their treatment of Thailand was that of a defeated nation.
King Bhumibol Aulyadej, who came to monarchy in 1946 after the death of his brother, is still the current leader of Thailand today. However, power has been constantly been changing possession from civilians to military since 1973.
The first settlers of Thailand are recorded to have arrived during the Paleolithic era, dating back nearly 100 000 years ago. As humans developed in the area, they began creating their own simple technologies, including river navigators and fish nets; people also began to make use of the animals and plants through domestication, which helped result in the growing of rice, cucumbers, and farming chicken. These settlements began to expand into the richer areas of land and of fishing, which eventually developed into the early kingdoms of Thailand.
The Malay, Khmer, and Mon are known as the original kingdoms of Thailand. The kingdoms often competed for any available land and resources, but found themselves being invaded for the same reasons by the ethnic Thais from Southern China in approximately 10th Century A.D. These Thais fough of the Khmer empire, who governed the land during this period, and eventually established the Sukhothia Kingdom (1238-1448), and later on the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351-1776). The Ayutthaya Kingdom grew to overcome that of the Sukhothia and claimed southern and central Thailand.
In the year 1776, the Ayutthaya kingdom was invaded and demolished by the Burmese army, but who only cntrolled central Thailand for two years before being defeated by the Siamese leader, General Taskin. It was only shortly after the Taskin had gone mad, and was replaced by Rama I; the founder of the Chakri dynasty, which continues to rule over Thailand today. The capital of Thailand became marked as Bangkok in this era.
During the 19th Century, European colonialism began taking control of most areas near Southeast and Southern Asia; Burma and Malaysia became British, while Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos were claimed by the French shortly after. Soon after 1945's attacks on Japan, the Thais realized they must return the land they had gained to the British and the French, as their treatment of Thailand was that of a defeated nation.
King Bhumibol Aulyadej, who came to monarchy in 1946 after the death of his brother, is still the current leader of Thailand today. However, power has been constantly been changing possession from civilians to military since 1973.