Burmese, Mon, Thai, and Pali: The Diversity of Rachathirat Literatures in Thailand

Authors

• Jiaranai Vithidkul
• Chanwit Tudkeao

Publication Date

2020-12-28

Abstract

The story of the Mon King ‘Rachathirat’ or ‘Rājādhirāj’ has been familiar to the Mon, Burmese and Thai people for centuries. There are numerous manuscripts in various versions found in Myanmar, written in Burmese or Mon. Thailand, as the neighboring state and a popular destination of the migratory Mon, also holds the collections of Rājādhirāj manuscripts in many different versions, composed either in Thai, Mon, or Pali, the latter being the language of the most recently discovered Rājādhirāj manuscripts. Despite a wide variety of versions of the story, only two have been extensively mentioned by Thai researchers: the Royal Version by Chao Phraya Phra Khlang (Hon) and the Bradley’s Printed Version. Due to the lack of new studies and properly analysed information, this article focuses on surveying divergent versions of Rājādhirāj story in Thailand and re-examining the available data, aiming to raise awareness of the variety of this literature, and to compile an updated overview of Thailand’s Rājādhirāj as well.

First Page

49

Last Page

66

Recommended Citation

Vithidkul, Jiaranai and Tudkeao, Chanwit (2020) "Burmese, Mon, Thai, and Pali: The Diversity of Rachathirat Literatures in Thailand," Journal of Letters: Vol. 49: Iss. 2, Article 4.
Available at: https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/jletters/vol49/iss2/4