Page 162 - A History of Siam

A HISTORY OF SIAM
154
held that his rank was at least to that of the Burmese
equal
Prince of Chiengmai. Disputes arose, and the Chiengmai
dominions became divided into two sections, the northern
Ram and the southern
portion governed by P'ya Dejo by
Tharawadi Min. The latter complained to King Nare-
suen, who sent up Prince Ekat'otsarot to settle the
This was done to the satisfaction of
dispute. entirely
the Prince of Chiengmai, no support being given to the
of Ram
pretensions P'ya Dejo.
This incident well illustrates the honourable character
of King Naresuen, By encouraging P'ya Ram Dejo, or
even matters take their own a
by letting course, position
would have been brought about which would have
rendered it an matter to annex the whole dominions
easy
of Chiengmai to Siam. Tharawadi Min had, however,
himself under the and had
placed protection of Siam,
since acted as a vassal. Naresuen therefore
loyal King
supported him, even though it was strongly against his
own interest to do so.
Before to Siam, King Naresuen installed
returning
one Dala as Siamese Governor of Martaban.
1
P'ya
the next four Siam and Burma were at
During years
This was to the disturbed condition of
peace. owing
Burma, which rendered that country quite incapable of
any serious acts of aggression. The ill-starred Nanda
Bhureng, after being kept at Taungu for over eight
months as a ruler under the of his
puppet leading-strings
faithless cousin, was poisoned in December 1600 at the
of the eldest son of his thus
instigation captor, bringing
to a tragic end an inglorious reign. The Prince of
Taungu claimed to be his successor ; but two other sons
of Bhureng Noung were ruling, at Prome and Ava
as The Prince of
respectively, independent sovereigns.
1 Dala : A small town on the Irawadi, opposite Rangoon.