Page 268 - A History of Siam

A HISTORY OF SIAM
252
The Governor of Chantabun at first made
friendly
overtures to on of the fall of
P'ya Taksin, but, learning
he himself that he make a
Ayut'ia, bethought might
better King than the Chinese General, whom he
therefore invited to Chantabun, intending to make a
treacherous onslaught upon him. The design was
revealed, and P'ya Taksin attacked Chantabun by night
and after an action in which he
captured it, greatly
himself his The
distinguished by bravery. capture
of Chantabun took in two months after
place June 1767,
the fall of and was followed the of
Ayut'ia, by capture
Trat. Taksin thus became master of a
P'ya large
of and which had not been
strip territory, territory
and the Burmese. Officials
plundered depopulated by
and soldiers from other of Siam now to
parts began
join him, and by October of the same year his army of
five hundred had increased to five thousand, and he
felt strong enough to attack the Burmese.
With a fleet of a hundred boats he sailed up the Menam
River and took T'anaburi where he
speedily (Bangkok),
executed Nai a Siamese who had
T'ong In, renegade
been set up by the Burmese as Governor. Sugyi now
sent a under one to
large army, Maung Ya, expel P'ya
Taksin. Maung Ya's force was, however, partly com-
posed of Siamese, who at once began to desert, and
Maung Ya fled back to the camp of the Three Bo Trees.
P'ya Taksin pursued him and attacked the Burmese
camp, which was taken after a short but fierce fight,
the Burmese General killed in action. This
being
event marks the liberation of Siam from the Burmese,
only six months after the capture and destruction of
the
capital.
A good many members of the Royal Family were still
at Taksin treated them with
living Ayut'ia. P'ya great