# Mueang Chaliang

Chaliang (Thai: เชลียง, Chinese: 程良) or Sawankhalok, later known as Si Satchanalai, was a political entity in the upper Chao Phraya Valley in central Thailand. It was founded in the early 600s by uniting four regional chiefdoms,$^{:7}$ with Haritvanlee or Chaliang (นครหริตวัลลีย์) as the center, and became part of the Dvaravati's Lavo.$^{:32–33}$ In 1001, Chaliang was referred to as an independent kingdom Chéng Liáng in the Chinese text Song Shi.$^{:28}$ The term San-lo (三濼) mentioned in Lingwai Daida in 1178$^{:288,290}$ was plausibly referred to Chaliang's new center, Sawankhalok.$^{:8}$
After Haripuñjaya and Suphannabhum reclaimed Lavo from Angkor in 1052,$^{:532}$ Lavo's king, Phra Narai, moved the capital to Ayodhya in the 1080s and left the throne at Lavapura. The Mon-Tai dynasty of Chaliang took over and moved the seat southward to Lavo's former capital Lavapura; Chaliang then became the Lavapura's northern fortress.$^{:21}$ However, this dynasty later lost Lavapura to Angkor following the Angkorian influence-expanding campaign to the Menam Valley in 1181. During this era, this Mon-Tai dynasty also established royal intermarriages with the Siamese (Xiān) at Ayodhya. Their descendants, later known as the Uthong (Lavo) dynasty, continued to rule Ayodhya until the Ayutthaya Kingdom formation in 1351.
In 1157/58, Chaliang was occupied by another Tai monarch from Chawa (ชวา, Muang Sua) or Nam Ou basin. This monarch led by Srinaonamthum [th] expanded political influence to Sukhothai of Lavo$^{:4}$ in 1175. However, nobles of the Lavo faction revolted and recaptured Sukhothai in 1181, which caused Tai kings from Mueang Rad and Mueang Bang Yang to join forces and retake Sukhothai in 1238. This marked the formation of the Sukhothai Kingdom.$^{:4}$
During the Sukhothai era, Chaliang was comparable and equal to Sukhothai, in which both cities were the capitals.$^{:25–26}$ However, after the Sukhothai Kingdom became the vassal of Ayutthaya, Chaliang lost its political influence$^{:9–12}$ and was later demoted to the frontier city after Ayutthaya lost it to Lan Na in the 15th century.

## Etymology

The English term "Chaliang" is the romanization of the Thai word "เชลียง" per the Royal Thai General System of Transcription. The Thai word for the historical country was plausible a transliteration of the combination of two words: the Sanskrit word Chala (Sanskrit: जल) which means "water" and the Old Mon word Wang which means "city". Together, the combined word can be interpreted as meaning "city of water," as the city is almost surrounded by the Yom River.

## History
### Formation

The region was inhabited since the Neolithic–Iron Ages.$^{:30}$ It then evolved into agricultural communities in the early 4th century and turned into complex societies around the 9th century.$^{:29–32}$ Artifacts found in Chaliang-Si Satchanalai show that the communities engaged in trade with several Dvaravati polities, such as Si Mahosot [th] in the southeast, and Mueang Fa Daet Song Yang and Ban Mueang Fai (บ้านเมืองฝ้าย) in northeastern Thailand.$^{:32–33}$ Chaliang, on the great bend of the Yom River, was likely inhabited by people who had migrated from the lower Chao Phraya basin, whereas Si Satchanalai, which was situated close to the base of the mountain and along the river, was probably of the people from the northern highlands.$^{:33–34}$
According to the Northern Chronicle [th], Chaliang was founded in the early 600s by a hermit, Satchanalai (สัชนาลัย; or Anusit อนุสิสส in the Tamnan Mulasasana [th]), who united four surrounding chiefdoms and built moats and walls to define the city's boundaries.$^{:37}$$^{:7}$ Chaliang layout is also the model for Haripuñjaya's plan, which Hermit Suthep built, indicating that it existed before Haripuñjaya's establishment in 629. In the first era, Chaliang's initial territory included Thung Yung [th] or Wiang Chao Ngo [th] to the northeast and met Sukhothai to the south.
Hermit Satchanalai had four colleagues, each of whom played an important role in the establishment of the ancient kingdoms in modern-day Thailand, as detailed below.
* Satchanalai, founder of Chaliang and assisted Suthep in establishing Haripuñjaya.
* Suthep, founder of Haripuñjaya, who seek advice from another hermit Sukkatanta (สุกกทันตะ) in Lavo for selecting the first Haripuñjaya ruler. Lavo princess, Camadevi, was then introduced.
* Sukkatanta, teacher of Camadevi.
* Phutthachatil (พุทธชฎิล or พุทธชลิต) was asked by Anantayot (เจ้าอนันตยศ), prince of Camadevi, to build a new city for him but refused and advised him to meet his colleague, Hermit Suprom.
* Suprom (สุพรม or สุพรหมยาน or อสีพรหมสิฤาษี or พรหมิสิ), founded Lampang for Anantayot.
The kingdom established relations with Tai's Chiang Saen in the late 10th century when the princess of King Supojarat married the King of Chiang Saen, Sri Thammasokkarat,$^{:18}$ and the son of them later enthroned the king of Chaliang.$^{:21}$ This marked the beginning of Tai influence over the Chao Phraya Valley, which had been devastated by the invasion of Tambralinga and the Angkor in 928$^{:23}$ and 1002, respectively.

### Early Tai city-state

Initially, Chaliang was under Mon's Sukhothai, which itself was a trading hotspot of the Lavo Kingdom.$^{:3}$ At least in 1001, it was potentially ruled by the Tai as it was mentioned as an independent polity centered in Chéng Liáng (程良) in the 4th year of Xián Píng [zh] era 咸平 (1001 CE) in the Chinese Song Shi volume 489 section 248.$^{:28}$ It was said to be located 60 chéng (程) from the north of Tambralinga, and to the southeast met the Lavo Kingdom.
   丹眉流國，東至占臘五十程，南至羅越水路十五程，西至西天三十五程，北至程良六十程，東北至羅斛二十五程，
   ...Tambralinga is 50 chéng (程) from Zhanla in the east, 15 chéng from Luoyue waterway in the south, 35 chéng from Xītiān (西天) in the west, 60 chéng from Chéng Liáng in the north, 25 chéng from Luohu in the northeast...
The Chinese term San-lo 三濼 mentioned in Lingwai Daida in 1178,$^{:288}$ which Lawrence P. Briggs speculated to have been an early Chinese attempt to transcribe the name of the country or the people of the upper and central Menam,$^{:290}$ was probably Chaliang.$^{:8}$ The Chinese were soon to call the region Xiān (暹) and Xiānluó (暹羅) in the 13th century.$^{:290}$ The timeframe mentioned in Chinese writings conforms to various archeological findings, which show that the region was occupied since the prehistoric period and continued until the Dvaravati period when the region was influenced by the Lavo Kingdom.$^{:28}$
To the southeast, Lavo's Lavapura faced several circumstances, such as the conquest of Lavo by Tambralinga in 927/928$^{:23}$ and the 9-year-long Angkorian civil wars, which led to the destruction of Lavapura by the Angkorian king Suryavarman I in 1002. These were potentially the reasons for Lavo's decrease in influence over northern polities, which included Chaliang and Sukhothai, in the mid-10th century.
In the late 10th century, after Suphannabhum and Haripuñjaya joined forces and retook Lavapura from the Angkor in 1052$^{:532}$$^{:42}$ and moved the capital to Ayodhya in 1080s. The seat at the former capital, Lavapura, was vacant from 1087–1106, Chaliang or Si Satchanalai's king, Kraisornrat (ไกรศรราช) then took over the seat. This made Chaliang a northern fortress of Lavapura and was ruled by the crown prince.$^{:109}$ An attempt to re-expand influence to Lavo's Lavapura by the Angkor occurred in 1181 when Jayavarman VII appointed his lineage Narupatidnavarman to govern Lavapura. Due to this political pressure, a Tai ruler Sri Thammasokkarat (ศรีธรรมโศกราช), who was also from Si Satchanalai, fled to Nakhon Si Thammarat.$^{:38–39}$ However, Lavapura was probably taken back by a Tai royal from Phraek Si Racha (แพรกศรีราชา; present-day Sankhaburi) in the 13th century.$^{:109}$
The text given in the Pu Khun Chit Khun Jot Inscription (จารึกปู่ขุนจิดขุนจอด) shows the family relationship between Nan [th] and Chaliang, which later expanded its influence on Sukhothai.$^{:4}$ This corresponds with the detail provided in the Nan Chronicles, Wat Phra That Chang Kham version.$^{:89}$

### Sukhothai period

After Chaliang led by Srinaonamthum [th] annexed Sukhothai$^{:4}$ in 1157, the seat was moved to Sukhothai, which subsequently led to the establishment of the Sukhothai Kingdom in 1238.$^{:4}$ Due to the change in the direction of the Yom River, bank erosion occurred; Chaliang was moved 2.5 kilometers westward to the present-day Si Satchanalai Historical Park and was also called Sawankhalok/Si Satchanalai around the early 13th century during the reign of Si Inthrathit (Phra Ruang I; r. 1238–1270).$^{:38–39}$ In the first era, Sukhothai kings were also considered the rulers of Chaliang until the end of the reign of Ram Khamhaeng in 1298, when Sukhothai's influence waned, allowing other vassals to gain independence; Chaliang went nearly 50 years without a ruler$^{:29}$ until Lithai was appointed to the title in 1340.$^{:31}$
According to the text given in several Sukhothai inscriptions, Chaliang or Si Satchanalai was a city-level settlement, comparable to and equal to Sukhothai, both of which were considered capital cities ruled by the kings of the Sukhothai-Si Satchanalai Kingdom.$^{:25–26}$
In the 14th century, Sukhothai-Si Satchanalai expanded its territory to the north by destroying and annexed a Tai Yuan's city-state of Mueang Li [th]. A large number of Li people were forcibly moved to Sukhothai-Si Satchanalai.$^{:2210}$$^{:3}$
After the reign of Lithai, Sukhothai declined; both Sukhothai and Chaliang were vassals of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. According to the legend, Khottrabong (โคตรบอง) was appointed the ruler.$^{:32,35}$ He was dethroned probably in 1429 by an usurper, Saeng Hang (แสงหัง).$^{:35}$

### Ayutthaya period

During this era, Chaliang was known as Sawankalok.$^{:174}$ Historical records on Chaliang during this period are sparse.$^{:9–12}$ After Sukhothai became the vassal of Ayutthaya, it is speculated that Chaliang together with Phitsanulok and Kamphaeng Phet were separated from the Sukhothai Kingdom by Ayutthaya under the divide and rule policy to annex and reduce the power of Sukhothai.$^{:10}$ Sukhothai and the aforementioned principalities were collectively called by Ayutthaya as the Northern cities (หัวเมืองเหนือ). Thai chronicles revised during the Rattanakosin period list these four cities as four of the sixteen vassal states of the Ayutthaya Kingdom during the reign of King Ramathibodi I. However, since the information about these vassals conflicts with other evidence, it is assumed that they were added to the chronicles later, perhaps during the reign of King Intharacha.
Due to the succession issue of Sukhothai which was determined by Ayutthaya, Yutthisathian [th], the son of Maha Thammaracha IV of Sukhothai, was not satisfying to be appointed as the ruler of a lower-tier city, Songkwae–Phitsanulok. He therefore pledged allegiance to Lan Na in 1452 and advised King Tilokaraj of Lan Na to invade the northern cities of Ayutthaya.$^{:54–57}$ As a result, Ayutthaya demoted three of its four northern cities, including Songkwae, Sukhothai, and Kamphaeng Phet, from vassals to frontier cities and sent nobles to govern instead, but Chaliang remained its vassal status until it was conquered by Lan Na in 1462 and was renamed Chienjuen (เชียงชื่น).

## Rulers

| Ruler | Ruler | Reign | Notes/Contemporary events |
| Romanized name | Thai Name | Reign | Notes/Contemporary events |
| Under Dvaravati of Lavo, until the mid–9th century. ||||
| Satchanalai$^{:4}$ | สัชนาไลย | | Chiefdom of Panchamatchakam (Later evolved to "Sawankalok" ("Chaliang" or "Si Satchanalai") |
| Thammaracha$^{:5–6}$ | ธรรมราชา | Early 600s | Son of the previous? |
| Unknown | Unknown | | Thammaracha's lineage |
| Unknown | Unknown | | Thammaracha's lineage |
| Unknown | Unknown | | Thammaracha's lineage. Died with no heir.$^{:10}$ |
| Under Haripuñjaya: mid 9th – late 10th centuries ||||
| Arun Ratchakuman$^{:9–10}$ | อรุณราชกุมาร/พระร่วง | 900s | Son of Aphai Kaminee (อภัยคามินี; Noble from Haripuñjaya ; Refounder of Sukhothai) |
| Pasuchakuman$^{:15}$/ Supojarat$^{:17–19}$ | พสุจกุมาร/ สุพจราช | Late 900s | Younger brother of the previous.$^{:13}$ Grandfather of Kraisornrat, King of Lavo's Lopburi (r. 1106–1115) |
| King of Chiang Saen, Sri Thammasokkarat II (Phrom$^{:72}$), invaded Chaliang.$^{:17}$ To avoid the devastation, Supojarat had his daughter marry Sri Thammasokkarat II.$^{:18}$ Later, their son Kraisornrat ascended to the throne of Chaliang.$^{:21}$ ||||
| In 927/28, Lavo's Lavapura was conquered by Tambralinga's king, Sujita.$^{:23}$ Since then, several polities in the Menam valley, as well as Lavo's rival Haripuñjaya in the north were attacked by Sujita and his son, Kampoch. ||||
| As independent kingdom under Mon–Tai rulers, no later than 1001 (Lavo's Lavapura declined and was destroyed by the Angkorin king, Suryavarman I, in 1002.) ||||
| Unknown | Unknown | | Father-in-law of Kraisornrat Chaliang was mentioned as Chéng Liáng (程良) in the Chinese text History of Song (1001) |
| Kraisornrat$^{:21}$ | ไกรศรราช | ?–1106 | Grandson of Supojarat. Before claiming Lavo's Lopburi throne Son of King of Chiang Saen, Sri Thammasokkarat II, who married the only Supojarat offspring, Pathumdevi. |
| The seat was moved to former Lavo's capital Lavapura in 1106, Chaliang then became the northern fortress of Lavapura. ||||
| Sai Nam Peung$^{:35–36}$ | สายน้ำผึ้ง | 1106–1115? | Son of the previous. Before claiming Lavo's Ayodhya throne Father of Sri Thammasokkarat III who was king of Lavo's Lavapura (r. 1115–1181) and ruler of Phitsanulok (r. ?–1115) |
| Patthasucharat$^{:65–66}$ | พัตตาสุจราช | 1115?–? | Grandfather of Lavo's Ayodhya kings, Thammaraja (r. 1301–1310) and Boromracha (r. 1310–1344) |
| Dhammatrilokthi | ธรรมไตรโลกฒิ | ?– 1157/58 | Son of the previous, father of Lavo's Ayodhya kings, Thammaraja and Boromracha |
| After the reign of a Tai-Mon King, Dhammatrilokthi, Chaliang was occupied by another Tai monarch from Chawa (ชวา, Muang Sua) in Nam Ou basin. ||||
| Chaliang annexed Sukhothai of Lavapura in 1175 and assigned it the new seat, which continued to the formation of Sukhothai Kingdom in 1238. ||||
| Srinaonamthum [th] | พ่อขุนศรีนาวนำถุม | 1157/58–1181/82 | Also ruler of Sukhothai as the founder. The Manam Valley was called San-lo 三濼 as mentioned in Lingwai Daida in 1178.$^{:290}$$^{:8}$ |
| Khom Sabad Khlon Lamphong [th] | ขอมสบาดโขลญลำพง | r. 1181/82–1208? | Usurper, possibly relative of Srinaonamthum [th] Also King of Sukhothai (r.1181/82–1237/38) |
| Chantaracha$^{:11}$ | จันทราชา | 1208?–1238 | Father of the 1st Sukhothai's king, Si Inthrathit. Also ruler of Sukhothai. |
| As Sukhothai Kingdom: 1238–1423 ||||
| Si Inthrathit$^{:24–28}$ | ศรีอินทราทิตย์ | 1238–1270 | Son of the previous. Young brother of the King of Fang.$^{:28}$ Also the first king of Sukhothai Chaliang was moved westward and renamed Sawankhalok (สวรรคโลก). |
| Ban Mueang | บานเมือง | 1270–1271 | Son of the previous. Also king of Sukhothai |
| Ram Khamhaeng$^{:24–28}$ | รามคำแหง | 1279–1298 | Younger brother of the previous. Also king of Sukhothai |
| After the reign of Ram Khamhaeng, several vassals of the Sukhothai Kingdom broke away and the throne of Chaliang/Sawankhalok was vacant for almost 50 years.$^{:29}$ ||||
| Lithai$^{:31}$$^{:98}$ | ลิไทย | 1340–1368 | Also king of Sukhothai (1347–1368) After the reign of Lithai, Sukhothai Kingdom became a vassal of Ayutthaya. |
| Under Sukhothai Kingdom, which itself as the vassal of Ayutthaya Kingdom: 1378–1423 ||||
| Kottrabong (legend)$^{:32,35}$ | โคตรบอง | 1368–1429? | Appointed ruler |
| Saenghung$^{:35}$ | แสงหัง | 1429?–? | Usurper |
| As direct vassal of Ayutthaya Kingdom: 1423–1462 ||||
| Sri Yotsarat | ศรียศราช | Before 1423 | |
| Unknown | | 1434 | |
| Saen | แสน | before 1462–1468 | |
| During the reign of Saen, Ayutthaya Kingdom lost Chaliang to Lan Na. ||||
| As vassal of Lan Na: 1462–1474 ||||
| Yutthisathian [th] | ยุทธิษเฐียร | 1468–1474 | Son of Sukhothai's king, Maha Thammaracha IV. As king of Sukhothai–Chiang Chuean (Si Satchanalai) |
| Chiang Chuean was incorporated into Lan Na and was governed from Lampang. ||||