The Chao Fa Savatthi inscription found at Wat Phra That Chae Haeng, Nan province

Abstract

The Chao Fa Savatthi inscription found at Wat Phra That Chae Haeng in Nan province is a Fak Kham script inscription on two wooden boards. These are 1) The inscription of the vihara construction at Phra That Chae Haeng, Board 1 (NN. 236), which specifies the year of the vihara's construction as the "Year of Dap Rao" in the Tai calendar, corresponding to CS 947 (BE 2128). 2) The inscription of the vihara construction at Phra That Chae Haeng, Board 2 (NN. 237). This inscription is known only from a photograph of a copied reproduction, but it has the same handwriting as Board 1, suggesting it's also an inscription by Chao Fa Savatthi. The age of both inscriptions can be estimated to around BE 2131, based on the year the vihara was completed. This was during the time when Phaya No Kham Chai Sathian Songkhram was the ruler of Nan. The content of Board 1, besides narrating the vihara's construction, also reflects Lanna people's beliefs about relics and the legend of Phra Chao Liap Lok. It also mentions Buddhist predictions about Thao Kha Kan, the ruler of Nan, which differs from ordinary dedicatory inscriptions. Board 2 provides information about the quantity and materials used in vihara construction in ancient Lanna. Although the content of both inscriptions is incomplete and represents only a part of the remaining vihara construction inscriptions, they serve as valuable evidence for studying the early history of Nan when it was under Burmese control, as well as the history of Wat Phra That Chae Haeng.