Page 58 - A History of Siam

A HISTORY OF SUM
56
vassals of the King of Cambodia. Lamp'un did not
his as a so in he founded
satisfy requirements capital, 1290
the of the remains of which can
city Wieng Kumkan,
still be seen five miles from 1 This site
Chiengmai.
to the of
being subject inundations, present city Chiengmai
was founded in 1296.
Before the foundation of
laying Chiengmai, King
Mengrai invited King Ramk'amheng and K'un Ngam
Miiang, Prince of P'ayao, to co-operate with him in
choosing a suitable site. The task was an easy one : the
two advisers heard of a site on which two white sambhurs,
two white barking deer, and a white mouse with a family
of five little white mice had been seen. Such omens
were not to be despised, and on that spot the town of
Chiengmai was built.
The of these three must have
friendship potentates
been for it had withstood a severe strain.
very genuine,
King Ramk'amheng, like many other great men, could
not resist a face. Some before the foundation
pretty years
of a visit which he to Prince
Chiengmai, during paid
Ngam Miiang at P'ayao, he was found paying far too much
attention to the Prince's beautiful consort. Prince
Ngam Miiang discovered the intrigue, and seized King
Ramk'amheng. In his jealous anger, his first impulse
was to the but on second he
slay offender, thoughts
decided to submit the matter to the arbitration of King
of
Mengrai (then Chiengrai). King Mengrai proceeded
at once to P'ayao and to him Prince Ngam Miiang poured
out his bitter out
complaints ; but King Mengrai pointed
to him the of between
importance maintaining friendship
the three Tai so as to resist their common
States, enemies,
and urged him to do nothing rash. Finding that King
1
There was probably a more ancient nty near the sight of Chiengmai, stated
by some authorities to have been called Lamaing. The rums of the temple called
Wat Chet Yot date from before the time of King Mengrai.