War with Burma (1563)

Second Siege of Ayutthaya

Burmese victory

Siam becomes Burmese vassal (1564–1568)

After the war of 1548,Maha Chakkrapat insisted on battling Burmese armies near Ayutthaya, so he heavily fortified the city. He, however, de-fortified other cities in order to prevent the Burmese from taking them as bases. The census was taken to derive all available manpower to war. The arms and horses and elephants (white elephants) was caught and accumulated in the full-scale preparation for war.

King Chakkraphat (r. 1548-1569) captured a lot of white elephants during his reign and this news crossed the borders quickly.

In 1563 AD, the successor of Tabinshweti, King Bhueng Noreng invaded for another time Ayuthaya Kingdom after he had taken Chiang Mai in 1556 AD / 2 April 1558.

King Bayinnuang, takes control of the situation, crushes all opposition and sets about colonizing all neighboring states. Chiangmai (which was not part of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya) and all of northern Thailand fall to the colonizing Burmese forces and King Bayinnuang soon becomes known as “The Conqueror of Ten Directions”

Bayinnaug (now king), upon hearing about theseven “lucky” white elephants,demands two for himself. As Maha Chakkrapatrefused to giveoff his elephant this time,Bayinnaung marched to Ayutthaya.

King Bayinnuang, who knew Siam from his campaigns withTabinshweti,leads a vast army throughThree Pagodas Pass.A further army comes throughMae Lamow Pass (Tak Province). It is reported that the armies number120,000 men (including 2,000 Portuguese mercenaries), 18,000 cavalry and8,500 war elephants. On the way, the town ofPitsanulokehas to be taken but the Governor,Phra Mahathamraja , proved a “turncoat” and, after signing a treaty of friendship with King Bayinnuang, joins forces with the Burmese King.

Bayinnaung had captured the whole kingdom ofLanna in 1558. With auxiliary troops from Lanna, Bayinnaung marched a mass army intoSukhothaikingdom.Maha Thammarachathirat then realised the greatness of Bayinnuang army and readily surrendered, giving upPhitsanulok to Bayinnuang and became Burmese tributary.

Maha Thammarachathirat, the King ofPhitsanulok and Maha Chakkrapat’s handful noble, had allied himself with Bayinnuang in 1563.

AtChainat, Bayinnaung clashed with PrinceRamesuan‘s army but was able to break through.

First he seized the towns ofSawankalokandPijaiand then he turned his full attention on the capital. As the troops of200,000 Burmese and vassal state warriors clearly outnumber the Thais, King Chakraphat has no other option than to agree on the Burmese peace conditions.

Bayinnaung reachedAyutthaya and laid siege on the city –bombarding the city so immenselythatMaha Chakkrapat sued for peace in 1564. Maha Chakkrapatgave white elephants and hisson Prince Ramesuan as a captive to Bayinnaung.

Wat Na Phra Men or the “Monastery in Front of the Funeral Pyre” sometimes calledWat Na Phra Meru has marked a historical event in the reign of King Maha Jakrapad. He chose it as ameeting place to stop the war with King of Burma, Bayinnaung in A.D 1563.

King Chakkraphat saw that the Burmese army largely outnumbered his and decided toresolve the issue through parleys.He ordered to erect a royal building with two thrones, equal in height in the area between the Phra Meru Rachikaram Monastery and theHatdawatMonastery. Then he had a jeweled-adorned throne prepared higher than the royal thrones, and had a Buddha image to preside over the meeting. Theterms imposed by the King of Burma were onerous.Prince Ramesuen, Phya Chakri andPhya Sunthorn Songkhram, the leaders of the war party,were to be delivered up as hostages, anannual tribute of thirty elephants andthree hundred catties of silver was to be sent to Burma, and theBurmese were to be granted the right to collect and retain the customs duties of  the port of Mergui – then the chief emporium of foreign trade. In addition to this,four white elephants were to be handed over, instead of the two originally demanded.Phra Mahathamraja is to remain as ruler of Pitsanuloke and Viceroy of Siam.

King Chakkraphat had no choice thandeliver up to keep a truce.All Siamese prisoners were released and theBurmese army returned.

The Burmese War of 1563 was also called theWar of White Elephant.

Tags:history,infotainment,Myanmar,Thailand

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