The Wat Si Chum Inscription, formally known as Sukhothai Inscription No. 2, is sema stone bearing inscriptions in the early Thai script, which is most significant as the historical source of the foundation of Sukhkothai in the 13th century.[1] Discovered in 1887 by Lt.Gen. Lord Samosorn Pollakarn. It was eventually deciphered and dated to 1341–1367 during the time of king Maha Thammaracha I,[1] and was expected to be made by Phra Maha Thera Sri Sattha [th] who is the descendant of Srinaw Namthum [th], founder of the Sukhothai-Si Satchanalai.[2][3]
The text gives, among other things, the establishment of Sukhothai with more details from the Ram Khamhaeng Inscription; especially the contents related to the political movements of Sukhothai royalty before the Phra Ruang dynasty [th], that is, the Namthum dynasty [th], as well as displays the biography of Phra Maha Thera Sri Sattha (พระมหาเถรศรีศรัทธา) during the secular and monastic life.[2]
The inscription was also the first historical evidence to mention Khom, groups of people practicing Hinduism or Mahayana buddhism that settled in the south of Sukhothai along the Chao Phraya River basin.[4][5]
Description and discovery
The stele is made of shale in a Bai sema-shaped sheet with a width of 67 cm, a height of 275 cm, and a thickness of 8 cm. The upper left tip of the first side is damaged.[1] It was discovered in 1887 by Lt.Gen. Lord Samosorn Pollakarn (Thai: พลโท หลวงสโมสรพลการ; ทัด สิริสัมพันธ์) in Wat Si Chum's Mandapa tunnel in Sukhothai Old City, while on duty to search for other historical shreds of evidence after the discovery of the Ram Khamhaeng Inscription in 1833.[1] It was sent to be placed in the Bangkok National Museum in 1908, then to the National Library of Thailand for deciphering, and back to be kept at the Bangkok National Museum.[1]
Deciphering
The inscription of Wat Si Chum, which contains 212 lines of writing; 107 lines on the first side, and 95 lines on another side, is one of the Sukhothai inscriptions that is difficult to decipher as the script at the beginning and end of both sides is faded. In addition, the overall inscription content has complicated details and is not in chronological order, making it difficult to conclude the continuity of the content from beginning to end. In 1891, the inscription which was still preserved at Wat Si Chum was photographed by a French archaeologist Lucien Fournereau [fr] and was later published in Le Siam Ancien (Part 2) in 1908, but the decipherment was not completed.[2]
The inscription was deciphered into Thai and later published in the Book of Siam Inscription Conference Part 1 (ประชุมจารึกสยาม ภาค ๑) in 1934. The Fine Arts Department also held seminars to decipher the text three times: in 1977, 1979, and 1980. After that, the completed decipherment version of the text was published in late 1980.[2]
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