Page 136 - A History of Siam

i o A HISTORY OF SIAM
3
sons, Tharawadi Min, as vassal Prince of Chiengmai.
He was given the title of Nohrata Zaw.
In 1580 King Maha T'ammaraja began to make
further improvements in the fortifications of Ayut'ia,
doubtless the Cambodian menace as an excuse.
giving
In the same year a serious rebellion broke out in eastern
Siam. The rebel leader, Yan Prajien, defeated and killed
the General who was sent against him, and the King's
troops went over to the rebels. Yan Prajien then attacked
Lopburi, but was killed in action, whereupon the rebels
were
dispersed.
Later in that same the of Cambodia attacked
year King
and captured P'etchaburi, removing most of the popula-
tion as and in another Cambodian
prisoners, 1582 yet
incursion was made into eastern Siam.
Siamese concerns itself but little with the
history
condition of the common We
people. can, however,
easily guess that at this period they had reached the lowest
of and want. Numberless men
possible degree misery
had been killed in the wars with Burma, and thousands
more had been swept away into slavery in Burma and
Cambodia. The few who remained were
barely able,
we may suppose, to plant the rice crop from year to year ;
yet all had to work like slaves in order to raise the tribute
to the of Burma.
payable King
But the of deliverance was at hand. In the month
day
of December 1581 King Bhureng Noung of Burma died.
He was of and had for
sixty-six years age, reigned thirty-
one The Burmese whose
years. Empire, heterogeneous
elements had only been held together by the strong
of was inherited his
personality Bhureng Noung, by son,
Nanda Bhureng, a man who possessed all his father's
ruthlessness and but none of his or
cruelty, will-power
military capacity.