The Ancient Kingdom of Patani

Pattani, a small kingdom on the eastern coast of the Malay Peninsula, subject to Siam. In the 15th century this Malay Kingdom was prosperous trading port on the gulf coast side of the peninsula.

Ancient Pattani included parts of modern day Malaysia as well as the Thai provinces of Patani, Yala, Narathiwat, Songkhla and Satun.

In Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, relates the fantastic tale of Raja Merong Mahawangsa whose father descended from a jinni and mother form the demigods and who conducted a diplomatic missions from the ruler of Byzantium.

In the old voyages the capital of Patani was usually spoken of as Pattani or some travelers and geographers known only as Tani.

In one old story was that the news was reached that Pattani was a fine country. Upon to hear that, son of the king of Siam invaded it with a large army, killed the raja of the country and reduced all the inhabitants to subjection.

His astrologers were then commanded to select a suitable site for a new city, which they did, fixing a new place by the seashore where a fishermen resided who had a son called Tani.

The king approved the site and named it as the ‘father of Tani’ or Pa’ Tani.

In the second half of the eight century the Sailendra rulers of the Sri Vijaya kingdom extended their influence up to the peninsula to absorb Langkasuka. Patani developed as one of the centers of the Sailendra’s empire, even rivaling Palembang, the Sailendra capital, in splendor and wealth.
Patani remained a center of Sailendra influence until the Cholas, from southern India, overran the peninsula in the eleventh century.

The first muslim king name Sultan Ismail Shah. His real name Piatu Antara. Before him, was Raja Kurub Maha Chan.

Islam was introduced to Patani in 1457 during the reign of the third prince, Piatu Antara, converted by a man of Pasai named Sheikh Syed, who cures the prince of a deadly disease, on condition that he will embrace Islam.

Patani then was center of Islamic teachings and Malay culture in the northern Malay Peninsula. It had the ability to protect itself militarily against Siam or at least to wage powerful revolts that were inspired by Islamic and teachings.

Known in Europe as the Kingdom of Patani, it was a flourishing trading centre in the 16th an 17th centuries.

A series of wars between Thais and Patani took place in the 17th and 18th century, finally resulting in the outright conquest of Pattani.
The Ancient Kingdom of Patani