Pattani

Pattani was a Malay port and sultanate on the eastern coast of the peninsula, where the Pattani River meets the Gulf of Siam. Its harbour drew merchants from across maritime Asia, and its court became a centre of Malay and Islamic culture. The kingdom maintained relations with Ayutthaya to the north while trading with ships from China, Japan and the lands farther west.

Beginning in 1584 Pattani was ruled by a succession of queens, among them Raja Hijau, Raja Biru, Raja Ungu and Raja Kuning. Their reigns coincided with a flourishing period of commerce and diplomacy, though relations with Siam could be strained. In 1786 a Siamese army conquered Pattani. Further resistance followed, and after another defeat in 1808 Siam divided the old kingdom into smaller principalities, changing the political landscape of the Malay south.