4*
up." Prince Khun Ram Khambaeng, lord of the
realm, could hear the call. When he had made in-
vestigation, he would sift the case for them according
to right.1
From this royal inscription, we know something
of the Siamese society. The nobles of Siam were
called Cdo or Khun and tie ordinary people—Phrai
and KI&.
Towards the East, the kingdom of Sukhodaya
extended to the banks of the Mekhong and beyond
it to Chava; to the West to Hamsavatl or Pegu.5
The king bore a high-sounding title—Pho Khun
JRam Khamhen Cao Murah Sri Sajanalaya Sukho-
daya. The king was often called Khun Nat (mean-
ing Prince and master) of the Ma, Kao, Lao and Thai
races. He gave to his father the title of Pho Khun:
Pho meaning father, and Khun—one who nourishes.
.The King Ram Khamen was the ideal king of
Siam. He enjoyed a long and prosperous reign. He
' sought to be ruler and lord unto all the Thai, sought
to be preceptor and instructor to teach all the Thai
to know true virtue and righteousness. Among men
that lived in the realm of the Thai, for knowledge
and insight, for bravery and daring, for energy and
force, there could not be found a man to equal him^
able to subdue hosts of enemies with cities wide and
elephants many/___________
1. J. a a, VI, I, p. 26.
2. Hinduism and Buddhism, III, p. 80.