Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c44.22

c44.22

Although the Tai kingdom was founded in the thirteenth century, and has continued until recent times during this long period of some six hundred years, it has naturally experienced several decisive political and other changes, which have reacted on the course of the building art. The earlier examples of the movement are to be found in the northern region, where the first advancing tide of the Tai race swept into the country soon to become prominent in North-Central Siam in the areas of Suk'-ot'-ai, Sawank'alok and Pitsanulok, as the remains of the buildings already referred to bear witness. Progressing still further southwards in 1350 the city of Ayudhya became the capital, situated, some forty-five miles north of Bangkok, thus bringing the Tai ascendency into the southern region and so completing the domination of the entire country Ayudhya was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767, and is now a scene of desolation and ruin, but in the seventeenth century according to writers of the date, it was a city of great size and importance. The principal record of its one time greatness are the extensive remains, now a vast array of disintegrated buildings holding the imagination, but implying the decay of a significant yet all too transient phase. Among these are the ruins of the temple of Cri Sarap'et of which sufficient is still standing to show that in the fifteenth century, in spite of indications of an approaching decadence, it was a notable work of architecture In the mode of the more northerly group of temples, as at Suk'-ot'-ai, to which class it obviously belongs, the columns of its pillared hall, the stupas, including two of considerable size fully representative of the style at this period, and above all the colossal seated Buddha, fifty feet high, from these remains some idea of the magnitude, if not the sumptuousness of this temple composition may be surmised.