The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. XLIV, Part 1-2, 1956 - Khamkoo

66 Charles Nelson Spinks
again headed, acconl ing to 'l'hai tradition, by the king. This second
mission was probably for the purpose of paying homage to Kublai
!{han's successor who took the Chinese dynastic style of Ch'eng
'1 1 snng ( JN. ';f.). Snbseq nent 'l'hai rulers occasionally sent tribute
miss1ons t,u Uhina. For example, on the overthrow of the Mongol
llynasty in 1368, the Thai state of Ayuthia despatched a mission to
the Ming capital at Nanking in 1371. Another Thai embal:lsy in
1373 was reportedly headed by a Siarrwse princess. Throughout the
15th century tllere we1•e several such Thai missions, and down to
modern t.imes China has always looked upon Siam as one of her
vassal states while tb.e Siamese kings to varying degrees appeaL' to
have vagn('ly recognized theiJ· tributary status.
Chinese Ceramic Influence at Sukhothai
The significant point of all this for our· story, however, lies
in the fact that from the close of the 13th cent.tuy some form of
contact was establishNl betwtJen the 'l'hai kingdoms and China,
which in turn provided the opportunity for commercial relatione.
The official exchanges and missions connected wit.h the tribntal'Y
status of kingdoms lying along the periphery of the Chinese Empil•e
were often thin]JT disguised cmmnet·cial enterprises, the tributat·y
goods and 1•eturn presents merely affording a pretext for profitable
trade.
Trade as wel'l as politics. therefore, may hav-e accounted in
part for King Rama Khamheng's supposed visits to China in 1294
and 1300. During, his first visit. he and his suite were undoubtedly
overawed by the material sp.lendor of China, and what must have
impressed them as much as anything was the great abundance of
fine pottery. 'l'haj tradition holds,. thet•efore, that 011 his second
visit Ra,ma: Kha.mheng brought back with him to Sukhothai a
company of Oh1nese pottel's·.
Some writers, notably the late Phraya Nakorn Pbrah Ram,
have tried to upset this tradition. Until recently it had restecl
]argely on references in the enrly rrhai chronicle, more recently
known as the PongsawLtdan Y onak, a:uc1 tb:e· modern researches