The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXIV, Part 1-2, 1976 - Khamkoo

246 REVIEW Al\TICLES
"Alas, the inexorable progress of historical research has
stripped away the imposing facade of grandeur and shown that
Majapahit at its greatest extent probably comprised little more than
East Java, Madura and Bali.
The other names in the impressive
catalogue merely reflect the received geographical knowledge of
meaieval Java, and were incorporated only to glorify the Kingdom
of Majapahit in a paean of resounding praise.
South-East Asian
rulers have not normally been too critical of such eulogies."
I wonder if Wheatley is correct. In the first place I doubt if Southeast
Asian rulers read or can read or even understand the gibberish that
court poets produce.
Malay Peninsula as well as on Singapore.
Then I think the Javanese did make raids on the
The story of one such raid is
told in the Thai records, the Chronicles of Nakorn Sri Thammaraj, but no
date is given.
It is inserted after the episode of Tao U-Thong of Ayodbia
meeting Chao Phya Sri Tbammasokaraja and dividing the peninsula with
him (about 1200 A.D.) The story goes something like this:
The Javanese raided Nakorn twice and were repulsed. The King
of Java then retired, but be returned and weighed anchor outside the
harbour. A message was then sent to the King of Nakorn that the King
of Java had brought along a daughter whom be was prepared to present
to the King of Nakorn.
She was more curvaceous than any curve
produced in Java and could win any World Beauty Contest without the
slightest doubt. So would the King of Nakornplease come and fetch her.
The King of Nakorn went-and was promptly taken prisoner. Meanwhile
the Queen of Nakorn set out in pursuit of her husband and arrived at
an island called Koh Nang (Madame Island). The King of Nakorn
was then returned and be paid a tribute to the ~ing of Java. The tribute
consisted of duck eggs.
The duck eggs are too good to be an invention, so the story probably
had some foundation on fact. The Javanese, coming so far from
Java, were likely very hungry and they were prepared to barter even a
king for some grocery to enable them to get home again. The only