CHAPTER I.
Sources of Siamese History.

Siam is one of the independent kingdoms of

South-Eastern Asia, where the religion of Lord

Buddha is in a flourishing condition even at the pre-

ent day. It seems to be an irony of fate that, though

3uddhism had its origin in India, yet it could not find

i congenial home in India and had to take refuge to

listant lands like Ceylon, Burma, Siam, Japan, China

ind Tibet. In Siam, Buddhism still ' basks in royal

ravour/ and reminds us of a Buddhist mediaeval king-

lom with the glamour of the days of Asoka and

Kaniska, Siam still boasts of over fifty thousand

nonks and ten thousand novices.1

It is, therefore, interesting to trace how Buddhism
penetrated into Siam and how with Buddhism all the
elements of Indian culture and civilisation found their
way in Siam. The history of Siam begins with the
foundation of an Indian dynasty. In telling the history
of Siam, we have to dwell on the coming in of the
Indian civilisation and culture. The Indian influence
can be seen from the very name of Siam, The primi-
tive population of Siam, according to the Chinese
sources, was black and had curled hair. They were
allied to the wild tribes now inhabiting the interior of

1, K. J. Saunders—Epochs in Buddhist History (Chicago,
1924) p. 114.