From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The known
early history of Thailand
begins with the earliest major
archaeological
site at
Ban Chiang
. Dating of artifacts from this site is controversial, but there is a consensus that at least by 3600 BCE, inhabitants had developed
bronze
tools and had begun to cultivate wet
rice
, providing the impetus for social and political organisation.
Later,
Malay
,
Mon
, and
Khmer
civilisations flourished in the region prior to the domination of the
Thais
, most notably the kingdom of
Srivijaya
in the south, the
Dvaravati
kingdom in
central Thailand
, and the
Khmer Empire
based at
Angkor
.
The Thai are part of a larger ethno-linguistic group known as the
Tai
, a group which includes the
Lao
, the people of the
Shan
region of northeastern
Burma
, the
Zhuang people
of
Guangxi
Province in China and the
Th? people
and
Nung people
of northern
Vietnam
. Migrations from
southern China
to Southeast Asia took place primarily during the first millennium CE, most likely via northern
Laos
.
During the first millennium CE the Tai peoples were loosely organised in small entities known as
muang
. They were heavily influenced by the more advanced cultures around them: the Khmer to the east, and the Hindu cultures of India to the west. Most of the Tai were converted to a form of Hinduism, traces of which can still be seen in Thai religious practice today. Between the 6th and 9th centuries CE, Buddhism was introduced into the Tai-speaking lands, probably via
Burma
, and became the dominant religion. The
Theravada
Buddhism now practised in Thailand was introduced by missionaries from
Sri Lanka
in the 13th century.
Phongsawadannuea
(
Chronicle of the North
) is a historical record of this period. The date of its first compilation is unknown, but its content stretches from 500 CE down to the early 11th century. The recent edition was compiled in early
Rattanakosin period
.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]