Page 159 - A History of Siam

A BISTORT OF SIAM
151
Naresuen, offering him their assistance if he would
undertake another invasion of Burma.
In the Prince Noh son of the former
year 1594, Keo,
of had been sent
King Jai Jett'a Luang P'rabang, back,
after been a State in Burma for about
having prisoner
to the throne of
twenty years, occupy Luang P'rabang.
He at once took to make himself
steps independent
of Burma. In he with Tharawadi Min
1595 quarrelled
of Chiengmai and incited the Chief of Nan to rebel.
Three later he declared war on and
years Chiengmai
The unfortunate Tharawadi Min
captured Chiengsen.
was in a of He was a
position great danger. foreigner,
placed by force on the throne of Chiengmai, and could
not look for much or from his own
loyalty support
subjects. They were far more likely to assist the King
of who had a claim
Luang P'rabang, strong hereditary
to be their ruler. Burma was in no to
position help
him. In he to to
despair appealed Siam, offering place
his realm under Siamese Naresuen
suzerainty. King
the sent an to drove
accepted offer, up army Chiengsen,
out the and installed a Lao nobleman named
invaders,
Ram to reside at as a sort of
P'ya Dejo Chiengsen
Siamese Commissioner.
In the of that this
light subsequent events, it appears
was a mistaken Naresuen could have
policy. King easily
annexed the whole of the Chiengmai dominions to
Siam. Had he done so, the dawn of the seventeenth
would have seen him over a and
century ruling strong
united Tai Empire. He missed a great opportunity,
and as a result the northern and southern Tai drifted
and were never united until about
apart, truly together
three hundred later.
years
In 1599 King Naresuen once more invaded Burma,
intending this time to reduce that Kingdom to a state