Phraya Pan
| Phraya Pan พระยาพาน | |
|---|---|
| King of Nakhon Pathom | |
| King of Dvaravati's Kamalanka | |
| Reign | 867–913 |
| Predecessor | Phraya Kong |
| Successor |
|
| King of Haripuñjaya[1]: 530 | |
| Reign |
|
| Predecessor | |
| Successor | |
| Born | c. 847[2]: 67 Nakhon Pathom |
| Died | 916 Lamphun |
| Issue | Pansa of Suphannaphum |
| Father | Phraya Kong |
Phraya Pan (Thai: พระยาพาน) or Balaraj (พาลราช; พาละราช) is a semi–legendary monarch associated with the later phase of the Dvaravati period in west-central Thailand. He is primarily attested in the Legend of Phra Pathommachedi (ตำนานพระปฐมเจดีย์) and various versions of the Legend of Phraya Kong – Phraya Pan, which identifies him as the son and successor of Phraya Kong, ruler of Nakhon Pathom.[3]: 15 [4]: 39 [5] According to the narrative, Phraya Pan ascended the throne after defeating and killing his father.[6]: 11 Based on information preserved in the Northern Chronicle and the Yonok Chronicle, Borihan Thepthani calculated the period of Phraya Pan’s reign in Nakhon Pathom as spanning from 867 to 913.[2]: 31, 67 Following the seizure of the throne by his adopted father, the king of Ratchaburi, Phraya Pan is said to have moved northward,[2]: 67 where he ruled Haripuñjaya until he died in 916.[1]: 530
Phraya Pan is credited with founding several cities, most notably Suphan Buri,[2]: 33–4 which later became the principal city of the Suphannabhum Kingdom.[7]: 140 Its foundation is traditionally dated between 877 and 882,[2]: 33–4 coinciding with the appointment of Phraya Pan’s son, Pansa (พรรษา), as its first ruler.[8]: 59 The Yonok Chronicle indicates that Pansa was likely succeeded by Chandra Devaraja, as suggested by the alignment of his reign with the period between 927 and 946, during which Tambralinga, led by Sujita and his son Kampoch, conducted military campaigns that conquered several polities in the Menam Valley. The chronicle further notes that Chandra Devaraja faced external threats,[1]: 191 which are plausibly associated with these Tambralinga incursions.[2]: 70
The legends present Phraya Pan as a controversial figure, remembered less for his governance than for the act of patricide that secured his reign. His story reflects themes of dynastic conflict, moral consequence, and the fragility of royal authority within the legendary cycle of Dvaravati rulers.[6]: 10–43
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Yonok Chronicle" (PDF) (in Thai). 1936. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Thepthani, Phra Borihan (1953). Thai National Chronicles: the history of the nation since ancient times (in Thai). S. Thammasamakkhi. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ Saritpong Khumsong (2014). โบราณคดีเมืองนครปฐม: การศึกษาอดีตศูนย์กลางแห่งทวารวดี [Nakhon Pathom Archaeology: A Study of the Former Center of Dvaravati] (PDF) (in Thai). Bangkok: Papermet (Thailand). p. 230. ISBN 978-974-641-498-2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2025.
- ^ Chao Phraya Thiphakornwong; Supattaradit Ditsakul. "เรื่องพระปฐมเจดีย์" [The Stories of Phra Pathom Chedi] (PDF) (in Thai). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 June 2025. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ^ "ตำนานพระยากง – พระยาพาน" [Legend of Phraya Kong – Phraya Pan]. Digital School Thailand 4.0 (in Thai). Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ a b Aphilak Kasemphonkun, ed. (2024). "ประชุมเรื่อง พญากง พญาพาน และตำนานพระปฐมเจดีย์" [Meeting about Phaya Kong, Phaya Phan and the legend of Phra Pathom Chedi] (PDF). Local Cultural Knowledge Dissemination Project, Siam Tassan Studies Center, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Mahidol University (in Thai). Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ Luce, G.H. (1958). "The Early Syam in Burma's History" (PDF). Journal of the Siam Society. 46: 123–213. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-07-01.
- ^ Phra Wichianpreecha (Noi) (1934). Northern Chronicle (in Thai). Royal Society of Thailand. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
