Kingdom of Ayudhya
In 1350 the prince of Utong, a principality south of Sukhothai, founded a rival dynasty, with Ayudhya as its capital. King Ramatibodi I, as he was called, pursued an expansionist policy, extending his power into the Malay Peninsula and Cambodia. In 1378 Ayudhya annexed Sukhothai. During the next 400 years, the kingdom was frequently at war, battling the Cambodians and the Burmese.
King Mongkut (reigned 1851–68) was a progressive ruler who strove to modernize his country. In the 16th century the Portuguese appeared in Ayudhya. Later the Spanish, Dutch, British, and French established relations with Ayudhya. However, as European influence increased, widespread antiforeign sentiment arose. In the late 17th century, contact between Ayudhya and the West was sharply curtailed.
In 1759 war broke out between Ayudhya and Burma. The entire kingdom fell into Burmese hands in 1767 following the destruction of the capital city of Ayudhya by the Burmese army after a 14-month siege.
