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SHADES OF SIAM: The allegorical aspects of Inscription I, NATION
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MICHAEL WRIGHT
The Nation (Thailand)
01-18-1998
INSCRIPTION I (Silaa Jaruek lak thee nueng) was (and still is, for
some people) something of a national icon. It was thought to have been
written in the 13th century by the great King Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai,
and claimed to be the first example of Thai language written in a newly
invented Thai script. It described a prosperous and powerful Sukhothai
kingdom of great extent, with free trade, paternal administration, egalitarian
legislation and a refined form of Theravada Buddhism.
The inscription was, in short, a nationalist's treasure trove, and was
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