List of maps; List of illustrations; Preface: Ayutthaya in history; 1. Before Ayutthaya; 2. Ayutthaya rising; 3. An age of warfare; 4. Peace and commerce; 5. An urban and commercial society; 6. Ayutthaya falling; 7. To Bangkok; Appendix: lists of kings; Glossary; Notes on some major sources; References; Index.
The first full history of a great commercial and political center that rose in Asia over almost five centuries.
Chris Baker is an independent scholar. Together, with Pasuk Phongpaichit, he has written eight books and over thirty articles on Thailand's history, literature, and political economy; has translated key historical sources, pioneering works by Thai historians, and literary classics, including the epic poem The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen (2010) which won the 2013 Becker Translation Prize from the Association for Asian Studies; and has held visiting posts at universities in the USA, Japan, and Australia. Pasuk Phongpaichit is Professor of Economics at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. Together, with Chris Baker, she has written eight books and over thirty articles on Thailand's history, literature, and political economy; has translated key historical sources, pioneering works by Thai historians, and literary classics, including the epic poem The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen (2010) which won the 2013 Becker Translation Prize from the Association for Asian Studies; and has held visiting posts at universities in the USA, Japan, and Australia.
'Cast out for more than two hundred years as a failure of the
aristocratic conceit and overlooked by modern historians, Ayutthaya
comes alive again by these two superb scholars and writers. The
book is full of original scholarship on the four centuries of
dynamic Ayutthaya as a trans-Asian entrepot with enormous
land-based resources, an imperial power with complex but fragile
political infrastructure, and an open society with rich and
creative culture that made Siam distinctive as a country. With
thorough research and examination, and exquisite articulation, the
book will not be surpassed for years, perhaps decades to come.'
Thongchai Winichakul, Emeritus Professor of Southeast Asian
History, University of Wisconsin, Madison
'Scholars of Southeast Asia have waited a long time for a detailed
study of the great Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya, but A History of
Ayutthaya will exceed all their expectations. The authors have
demonstrated a masterly knowledge of the historical sources, and
have given us a readable, insightful and scholarly analysis.
Setting a new benchmark for studies of premodern Thai history, this
outstanding book will enrich our understanding of the dynamics of
early modern states in Asia more generally and of the global
interactions that characterize the period in which Ayutthaya
flourished.' Barbara Watson Andaya, University of Hawaii
'This book is a well-researched and long-awaited comprehensive
history of the most important ancient Siamese kingdom: Ayutthaya,
the forerunner of modern Thailand. It will remain the standard
history for anyone wishing to understand pre-modern Thailand and
Southeast Asia.' Charnvit Kasetsiri, Thammasat University,
Bangkok
'Pasuk and Baker's extraordinarily comprehensive history of
Ayutthaya offers an essential re-vision of that kingdom's past. It
centers Ayutthaya within a vibrant early modern Asia, revealing the
dynamic interaction among domestic, regional and transnational
politics, culture, trade, and religion.' Tamara Loos, Cornell
University
'A remarkable work of scholarship. A History of Ayutthaya will help
restore this former Thai kingdom to its rightful place as one of
the pivotal countries of early modern Asia.' Patrick Jory,
University of Queensland
'For those who see the history of Thailand as the history of
peasants and Bangkok, this book will open their eyes to another
Siam, richer and more complex than ever imagined. For those who
want to understand the evolution of states and societies on
mainland Southeast Asia over a longer period than the myopia
induced by nationalism, this book is a must.' Robert H. Taylor,
Journal of Contemporary Asia
'Baker and Phongpaichit's A History of Ayutthaya could very
reasonably be added to an upper-division course on world history
and most definitely to the first semester of a two-semester course
on Southeast Asia. The book could even be used in any number of
graduate courses focusing on early urbanization, trade, or ethnic
and cultural identity … the book could be useful as a reference for
instructors who wish to bring Thai variants to their world history
survey courses.' Paul A. Rodell, World History Connected
'This book makes use of an impressive Thai-language bibliography
and, in particular, literary works and important legal texts,
[which] the … authors … sometimes … [translate into] English …'
Jean Baffie, translated from Moussons
'… this is a book that can be recommended, nay urged, to read for
anyone who is or should be interested in Ayutthaya and the larger
region … an excellent book.' Wolfgang Drechsler, Asian Affairs
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