Page 154 - A History of Siam

I 6 A HISTORT OF SIAM
4
provinces, at that time, carried on an extensive export
trade in elephants, sappan-wood, and spices of all
kinds.
Naresuen now felt that his realm was free from
King
any immediate danger of being overrun by the Burmese.
He therefore began to repopulate the northern provinces,
the inhabitants of which had, for the most been
part,
removed to Ayut'ia eight years previously. By the
end of the year 1593 we thus see Siam, owing to King
Naresuen's energy and genius, practically restored to
the territorial condition in which she had been when
King Chakrap'at mounted the throne in 1549. The
population, however, had been greatly reduced. Some
authorities think that Siam has hardly yet regained the
which she before her conflicts with
population possessed
Burma began in the sixteenth century.
Chinese relates a remarkable not men-
history fact,
tioned in any Siamese documents, which clearly shows
that at this time the Burmese danger was not thought to
be very imminent. In the twentieth year of the reign
of the Emperor Wanleh (thirteenth of the Ming dynasty)
war broke out between China and The
Japan (1592),
King of Siam wrote offering to furnish an army to assist
the Chinese, The offer was refused owing to objections
raised by the Viceroy of Kwangtung and Kwangsi.
It is difficult to imagine what possible reason King
Naresuen can have had for wishing to engage in a war
against Japan.
As we have the Burmese invasion of found
seen, 1592
the King of Siam on the point of leading an expedition
Cambodia. This invasion was
against postponed duly
carried out in
May 1593.
to the P* armies
According ongsawadan> numbering
over 100,000 men were employed on this expedition,