Page 122 - A History of Siam

n8 A HISTORT OF SIAM

result was almost a foregone conclusion. Moreover,
the northern provinces of Siam were at that time ravaged
and afflicted and
by pestilence by famine, were, therefore,
in no condition to offer a strenuous to an
very opposition
invader.
In the autumn of the year 1563 the King of Burma
advanced into Siam with an army said by the Siamese
historian to have numbered 900,000 men, including
not from Burma, but also from
troops only Chiengmai
and other Lao States. Kamp'engp'et was invested and
was easily taken, the Maharaja of Chiengmai assisting
with a fleet of boats. Suk'ot'ai made a stout resistance,
but could not withstand the force of the Burmese.
superior
Sawank'alok and then
P'ijai capitulated. P'itsanulok,
a prey to famine and pestilence, fell after a short siege.
Maha
T'ammaraja, King Chakrap'at's son-in-law,
accompanied Bhureng Noung on his march to the south,
with an of men from the northern
together army 70,000
Siamese or he thus
provinces. Willingly, unwillingly,
openly ranged himself on the Burmese side.
The Siamese, aided by a few Portuguese free-lances,
made two to the of the immense
attempts stay progress
Burmese army, but were defeated and driven back.
The Burmese reached in
Ayut'ia February 1564.
The King of Siam was quite unable to raise a sufficient
force to offer any effective resistance. After the Burmese
had directed a cannonade the the
against city, population,
that were almost the
realising they helpless, pressed
King to come to terms with the invaders. Their demands
were supported by those nobles who from the first had
been in favour of the white A
surrendering elephants.
conference was held between the two
accordingly
monarchs in
person.
The terms imposed by the King of Burma were