Page 280 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SUM
264
P'ya Chaban was made Prince of Chiengmai, with the
title of P'ya Wijien, and Chao Kawila was sent back
to rule Lampang. 1
The of marks the
capture Chiengmai practically
establishment of the Kingdom of Siam as known to us
It was followed the submission
to-day. speedily by
of the Chiefs of P're and Nan.
Any chance of peace between Siam and Burma which
might have existed was destroyed as a result of the
rebellion in Pegu. 1 Thousands of Peguan refugees fled
across the frontier into Siam, and each band of refugees
was in turn followed by a Burmese force, sent to bring
them back. Two of these Burmese incursions into
the Raheng district were repulsed during and after the
of On to his in
siege Chiengmai. returning capital
February 1775 King Taksin was greeted by the tidings
that a third Burmese force had crossed the frontier
yet
by the Three Pagodas route, and had driven back the
Siamese frontier guard to Kanburi. He at once gave
orders that the which were from
troops returning Chieng-
mai were to proceed at once to Ratburi, and that no man
was to waste time by going home to see his wife or
relations. Only one man, P'ra T'ep Yot'a, ventured
to this order. The sent for and with
disobey King him,
his own hand cut ofF his head. After the rest of
that,*
the army made no further trouble about going to Ratburi.
The Burmese, encouraged by their first success, pushed
on into Siam. One force, consisting of 2,000 men,
advanced towards and Nak'on
Sup'an Jaisi, pillaging
and was
plundering ; another, 3,000 strong, despatched
towards Ratburi. The result was a defeat.
complete
1
Fya Chaban was only Chief of Chiengmai for about a year, after which the
dty was deserted for twenty years, until 1796, when Chao Kawila became Prince.
This rebellion in Pegu had unfortunate results for the ex- King of Pegu, P'ya
Dala, who had been a prisoner since* 1757. He was accused of complicity, and
was executed, together with several members of his family.