Sindhob Amarin

Sindhob Amarin (, ), also known by the abbreviated title Phraya Kreak , emerges as a monarch of the 10th century in mainland Southeast Asian historiography, principally attested in the Northern Chronicle, and the . Moreover, his reign also associated with the episode of Sricandradhipati, who, after being ordered arrested by the king of Indaprasthanagara, fled and was subsequently offered the throne of Sukhothai in 959 CE. Chinese historical sources record that the dynasty’s first monarch ascended the throne in 1180 CE. This chronological datum serves as a basis for retrospective calculation in determining the approximate period of reigns of the Siamese rulers belonging to this lineage. However, the Dong Mè Nang Mưo’ng Inscription (K. 766), dated to 1167 CE, suggests that Sri Dharmasokaraja II may have extended his authority northward as far as present-day Nakhon Sawan Province, which would imply that the Phraek Si Racha region likewise fell under his control; if this interpretation is accepted, the reigns of the Phraek Si Racha rulers in question must have ended no later than 1167 CE, rather than in 1180 CE. The apparent overlap can be plausibly reconciled by the testimony of the Ayutthaya Testimonies, which records that Sudhammaraja subsequently relocated northward to establish Phitsanulok as his new political seat.

Sindhob Amarin is also found in the regnal lists of Ayutthaya reconstructed by the Burmese compilers of the Ayutthaya Testimonies. However, these Burmese-derived king lists have subsequently been interpreted by Thai scholars as containing numerous errors and chronological inconsistencies when compared with other extant sources.

Background The chronicle does not identify Sindhob Amarin's parents but states that he ascended the throne at the age of 17 after Gotraboṅ fled to Saccanāha , later associated with Lan Xang.

By contrast, the Northern Chronicle is silent on how Sindhob Amarin came to rule Phraek Si Racha. During one retreat from Haripuñjaya to Lavo, Kampoch reportedly led his forces to attack Nakaburi , but the attempt was unsuccessful.

During the reconstructed reign of Sindhob Amarin (937–996 CE), Lavo is described in the Northern Chronicle as a tributary of Indaprasthanagara. In the same source, Sricandradhipati, originally named Ruang and identified as a commoner of Lavo, fled after being ordered arrested by the ruler of Indaprasthanagara and was subsequently offered the throne of Sukhothai in 959 CE.

Following his victory over the ruling house of Mueang Wat Derm, Sindhob Amarin consolidated political authority over both Mueang Wat Derm (Ayodhya) and Mueang Phreak, thereby unifying two key centers within the lower Pasak–Menam corridor. Notably, despite this expansion of control, he continued to maintain his principal seat of power at Phraek Si Racha.

Legacy The legacy of Phraya Kreak [also known as Phraya Phreak , the title which later also referred to of Ayutthaya, who once ruled Phraek Si Racha], persisted into the Ayutthaya period through regalia believed to have originated in his reign. Chief among these was the Phra Saeng Khan Chaiyasi (; ), regarded as a sacred emblem of kingship and employed in the royal oath-taking ceremony . A late Ayutthayan account, , states that this sword was lost during the succession conflict during the late period of King Thai Sa in the 18th century, when fleeing princes cast it into the river amid political turmoil.

Equally significant was the Crown of Phraya Kreak, which symbolized primordial royal authority and continuity of sovereignty. Unlike the sword, the crown was said to have survived the dynastic upheavals of the late Ayutthaya court and remained in royal possession until the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767.