Restoration
The city chronicle already mentions a fortification when the town was refounded in 1278. The Ram Khamhaeng inscription of 1283 lists Nakorn Sri Dharmaraj as one of the tributary kingdoms of Sukhothai.
However, it is now widely acknowledged that the Ramkhamhaeng inscription was fraudulently made, probably by its "founder" Rama IV (King Mongkut). In the Palatinate law of King Boromma Trailokanat dated 1468, Nakorn Sri Dharmaraj was listed as one of 8 great cities (Phraya maha nakhon) belonging to the Ayutthaya.
During the reign of King Naresh Vorarajadhiraj the great period it became a first class province (Mueang Aek).
After the fall of Ayutthaya, Nakorn Sri Dharmaraj enjoyed a short period of independence, but quickly subdued by King Taksin the great on his mission to reunite Siam.
Restorations were recorded at the time of King Ramesavara (Ramesuan, 1388-1395), as well as King Narayana (Narai, 1656-1688) of Ayutthaya Kingdom. The latter one was supported by the French engineer M. de la Mare.
The walls spread 456 m from East to West, and 2238 m North to South, thus enclosing an area of about one square kilometre. The northern wall had only one gate, called Pratu Chai Nuea or Pratu Chai Sak, also the southern wall had only one gate. To the east there were three gates, which connected the town with the sea. To the west were five gates. Today only the northern gate still exists, together with a short stretch of the northern city wall.
By the end of nineteenth century, the thesaphiban (เทศาภิบาล) reform of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab in the reign of King Rama V the great, the kingdom was finally fully absorbed into Siam. A new administrative entity named monthon ("Mandala") was created, each supervising several provinces. Nakorn Sri Dhamaraj mandala, established in 1896, covered those areas on the east coast of the peninsula, i.e. the provinces Songkhla, Nakorn Sri Dhamaraj and Phatthalung.
Read more about this topic: Tambralinga
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