Page 145 - A History of Siam

CHAPTER X

REIGN OF KING NARESUEN THE GREAT

PRINCE NARESUEN became at the of
King age thirty-five.
His first act was to his Prince
appoint brother,
to be Maha * He did
Ekat'otsarot, Uparat. not, however,
send the to as had been usual
Uparat govern P'itsanulok,
in but retained him at There
previous reigns, Ayut'ia.
were two reasons for this the affection
; firstly, great
which existed between the two brothers ; and secondly,
the condition of the northern at
depopulated provinces
that time. Prince Ekat'otsarot was accorded honours
higher than those paid to any previous Uparat. His
brother desired him to be considered as
joint King,
rather than as Crown Prince, and to the same
possess
rank and as himself.
authority
The new King had not been long on the throne before
he was called upon to repel another Burmese invasion.
The for a serious effort to
necessity making subjugate
Siam was impressed upon the King of Burma by all his
who held that the continual rebellions
advisers, rightly
which were in the Shan States were a result
taking place
of the set Siam in off the Burmese
example by throwing
yoke.
In November a Burmese of
1590 army 200,000 men,
under the of the Crown to
leadership Prince, proceeded
invade Siam. The route followed was past the Three
1
See p. 92.
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