สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

118  The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 Sadaeng Banyai Phongsawadan Siam (Lectures on Siam Chronicles) This book contains lectures on Thai history given by Prince Damrong at Chulalongkorn University in 1924. It is divided into four parts which he calls “Kand”. The fi rst part relates events from the time before Thai rule to when the Thais came to rule Siam. He describes the rise and fall of the Sukhothai Kingdom. From the second part up to the fourth part, he relates the founding of Ayutthaya City, how the Ayutthaya Kingdom enlarged her territory, and the consolidation of Ayutthaya up to the great war with Burma, in the reign of King Naresuan Maharaj. In his lectures, Prince Damrong not only relates historical events in detail, but he also gives reasons and references. He offers interesting hypotheses such as the word “Phra Ruang” which can mean either King Si Indraditya or King Ram Khamhaeng. From his hypothesis and reasoning, he comes to the conclusion that Phra Ruang should be King Ram Khamhaeng. “However, if we consider the stories in the Mon Chronicle and Chiang Mai Chronicle, the latter says that Phra Ruang and Phraya Gnam Mueang went to help Phraya Mengrai choose a location to build Chiang Mai. The Northern (Chiangmai) Chronicle says that Phra Ruang went to China. The Mon Chronicle says that Phra Ruang appointed Makkatho as Chao Fa Rua. All the events related happened during the reign of King Ram Khamhaeng Maharaj... It is possible that Phra Ruang was the former name of King Ram Khamhaeng Maharaj, as it appears in the stone inscription where he related that he received the name Ram Khamhaeng after he won the battle on elephant back against Khun Sam Chon, ruler of Muang Chot” (Prince Damrong, 1949: 34-36). In this book, Prince Damrong also talks about other things. Although they do not concern history directly, they give the reader fascinating pieces of historical insight. For example, he relates the reason why people like to build temples in the old days. “They built temples in the old days for two reasons: to make the Buddhist faith continue and prosper, which was the religious reason; the other reason was worldly, concerning the members of their family lineage that passed away to the other world. According to the ancient custom, after the cremation of the dead, the relics were gathered up, but were not kept in their homes. When their relations died and were cremated, they built a stupa to contain the relics in the temple. When the living missed Prince Damrongrajanubhab and Thai Literature