Chiang Mai History

Chiang Mai history dates back thousands of years. It is likely that there has been some sort of village on or near the present day site of Chiang Mai long before the present era. With mountains to the west and a river to the east, Chiang Mai lies in a fertile valley which is ideal for human habitation. However, the city which we know of as Chiang Mai, was founded in 1296 by King Mengrai. Chiang Mai was the "new city" of the Lanna kingdom under King Mengrai.

King Mengrai, a Thai-Laotian prince, had established Chiang Rai in 1261 and set himself up as the ruling power in the north by conquering Haripunchai in 1281. After discovering that his military headquarters at Wiang Kung Kam was poorly sited and subject to floods, Mengrai looked for another site for the capital of the Lanna kingdom, the "Land of a Million Ricefields."

Chiang Mai's history includes a legend which says the current location was chosen after the king's entourage spotted three lucky omens: two white barking deer, two white sambar deers, and a white mouse. King Mengrai ordered the construction of a new royal city which included a palace and Buddhist temples protected by walls and 10-meter moats. King Mengrai ruled for 21 years and his dynasty which dominated northern Thailand for more than two centuries.

Legend also says King Mengrai died when struck by lightning at the intersection of Rajadamnern and Pra Poklao roads. This unlucky spot is now marked by a modest spirit temple dedicated to the memory of the king. About 20 Thai monarchs ruled the Lanna Thai kingdom of northern Thailand during the next 240 years. Chiang Mai enjoyed its own golden age during the 15th-century reign of King Tilokaraja, a beloved ruler who organized the Eighth Buddhist World Council in 1477 and constructed many of the present-day temples. But warfare between Chiang Mai and the Burmese undermined the vitality of the kingdom. Northern Thailand fell to the Burmese in 1556, who ruled the region until 1774, when King Taksin took formal possession of Chiang Mai. King Taksin's successor, King Rama I, appointed a governor-prince who revived the hereditary line of rulers of Chiang Mai.

Go to the Home Page