Page 250 - A History of Siam

A HISTORY OF SIAM
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Maha and himself
T'ammaraja Dhiphati, proclaimed
He murdered his
independent. was, however, by
in The who was
Peguan subjects 1740. King's uncle,
then sent to govern Pegu, was at first well received, but
later shared the fate of Maung Tha Aung, and a Shan
who to be a scion of the Burmese
priest, pretended
was chosen in to be of
Royal Family, 1742 King
independent Pegu, with the title of Saming T'oh. 1
The Burmese Governors of Martaban and Tavoy,
who remained faithful to Ava, found themselves cut off
from all assistance. In despair, they fled, with several
hundred followers, to Ayut'ia, and appealed to King
Boromokot for an He received them with
asylum.
great kindness, and provided them with dwelling-places.
From this time onwards his became more and
policy
more He that the
pro-Burmese. probably thought
power of Burma was waning, and that it was unwise to
or assist the who seemed to
encourage Peguans, likely
become too The new of more-
powerful. King Pegu,
caused offence to Boromokot
over, personal King by
writing to suggest an alliance with Siam, and at the
same time for a Siamese Princess in
asking marriage.
The Siamese monarch refused, with some indignation,
to marry any of his daughters to a man whom he looked
upon as a mere upstart. Saming T'oh was more fortun-
ate in another direction, for he obtained as one of his
Queens a daughter of Chao Ong K'am, the Prince of
Chiengmai.
In 1744 the King of Burma sent an embassy to Ayut'ia
the first for over a hundred to thank
years King
Boromokot for his generous treatment of the fugitives
from Pegu, and to obtain, if possible, Siamese aid to
subdue the at the a
Peguans, or, very least, promise
1 Or Mintara.