Coordinates	40°26′30″N80°00′00″N
Name	Naresuan The Greatสมเด็จพระนเรศวรมหาราช
Title	King of Ayutthaya
Succession	King of Siam
Reign	29 July 1590 – 25 April 1605
Othertitles	Sanphet II
Predecessor	Maha Thammaracha (Sanphet I)
Successor	Ekathotsarot (Sanphet III)
House	Sukhothai dynasty
Father	Maha Thammaracha (Sanphet I)
Mother	Wisutkasat
Birth date	April 25, 1555
Birth place	Chan Palace, Phitsanulok, Thailand
Death date	April 07, 1605 (aged 49)
Death place	Haeng, Thailand }}

Somdet Phra Naresuan Maharat () or Somdet Phra Sanphet II () (1555, 25 April - 1605) was the King of the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1590 until his death in 1605. Naresuan was one of Siam's most revered monarchs as he was known for his campaigns to free Siam from Burmese rule. During his reign numerous wars were fought against Burma, and Siam reached its greatest territorial extent and influence.

Early life

Prince Naret was born in the city of Phitsanulok on the 25th of April 1555. He was the son of King Maha Thammarachathirat of Phitsanulok and his queen Wisutkasat. His mother was a daughter of Maha Chakkrapat and Queen Sri Suriyothai. His father was a Sukhothai noble, who had defeated Vorawongsathirat in 1548 and put Maha Chakkrapat on the throne. He was therefore an influential figure.

Prince Naret was also known as the Black Prince () to distinguish him from his siblings. His younger brother Ekathotsarot was known as the White Prince, and his elder sister Suphankanlaya was known as the Golden Princess.

In 1563 Bayinnaung, the King of Pegu, led massive Burmese armies in an invasion of Siam. King Bayinnuang laid siege to Phitsanulok. Maha Thammarachathirat came to believe that the city would not be able to withstand a long siege, so he surrendered to the Burmese. King Bayinnuang took Phitsanulok and made the Kingdom of Sukhothai a Burmese tributary. Maha Thammarachathirat had to send his sons - the Black and the White Prince - to Pegu as captives to ensure the king's fidelity.

At Pegu

Naret, along with other captive princes from other kingdoms, were educated in martial arts and war strategy of Burmese and Portuguese style. He was later noted for his new tactics that enabled him to gain victory over the Burmese. Naret then found himself under competition with Bayinnuang's grandson (Nanda Bayin's son) Minchit Sra.

In 1569, Bayinnuang was able to take Ayutthaya and installed Maha Thammarachathirat as the King of Ayutthaya. After seven years of captivity, Prince Naret, along with his brother the White Prince, was released to Ayutthaya in exchange for his sister Supankanlaya as Bayinnuang's concubine.

King of Sukhothai

Maha Thammarachathirat made Naret the ''Uparaja'' and King of Phitsanulok as Naresuan in 1569, aged 14. In 1574, Naresuan joined his father in the expedition to conquer Vientiane but he suffered smallpox.

In 1581, Bayinnuang died, to be succeeded by his son Nanda Bayin. In 1583, Nanda Bayin's uncle who was the Lord of Innwa rebelled against his newphew at Pegu. Nanda Bayin then requested for Siamese troops and supports against Innwa. Naresuan marched the Siamese armies to Innwa but slowly to leave the rebellion defeated before he would reach Innwa or else the Lord of Innwa would get Nanda Bayin.

However, this raised Nanda Bayin's suspicions about Naresuan's loyalty. Nanda Bayin then secretly ordered his son Minchit Sra to defeat Naresuan's army and kill him upon reaching Pegu and ordered Kiet and Ram - the two Mons of the city of Kraeng on the Sittoung River - to attack Naresuan on the rear after he had passed Kraeng while Minchit Sra would attack the front.

Naresuan reached Kraeng in 1584. However, Ram and Kiet were Naresuan's childhood acquintances, so they informed Naresuan about Nanda Bayin's plans. Naresuan, upon realising the intentions of Nanda Bayin, performed a ceremony to denounce Burmese tributary, saying;

Naresuan then levied the Mons to join his campaigns under the leadership of Kiet and Ram and then marched to Pegu. However, Nanda Bayin had already defeated the Lord of Innwa and was marching back to Pegu. Naresuan decided to retreat but Minchit Sra himself led the Peguan army to follow Naresuan. The Burmese caught the Siamese at Sittoung River, culminating the Battle of Sittoung River. The legend says that Naresuan shot a fire at a Burmese general accurately across the Sittoung River - called the ''Royal Shot Across the Sittoung River'' (). After the death of his general, Minchit Sra retreated.

In 1583, Naresuan ordered all northern cities including Phitsanulok to be evacuated as it would became the warfronts between Ayutthaya and Pegu. So, Phitsanulok ceased to be the seat of Sukhothai kingdom and Naresuan became, therefore, the last king of Sukhothai.

In the same year Nanda Bayin ordered his uncle the Lord of Pathein and Noratra Mangsosri the Burmese King of Lanna to lead the Burmese armies into Siam but was defeated by the Siamese. In 1586, Nanda Bayin himself led the Burmese armies to Ayutthaya and laid siege on the city for 13 months and failed. In 1590, Maha Thammarachathirat died. Naresuan was crowned as the King of Ayutthaya as Sanphet II.

Reign as King of Ayutthaya

King Naresuan made his brother the White Prince the ''Uparaja'' with equal honor as Naresuan himself. In 1590, Minchit Sra marched into Siam through Chedi Sam Ong. Instead of taking defensives at Ayutthaya, Naresuan chose to march to Chedi Sam Ong. Minchit Sra, thinking that the Siamese would stay at Ayutthaya for defensive, marched unprepared. The Burmese were persuaded into a field and ambushed by Naresuan's armies. With his armies scatttered, Minchit Sra retreated back to Pegu.

Yuddhahatthi

In 1592, Nanda Bayin ordered his son to attack Ayutthaya again. Minchit Sra, along with the Lord of Pyay, Natshinnaung the son of the Lord of Toungoo, and the Burmese King of Lanna, led the Burmese into Siam. Minchit Sra himself went through Chedi Sam Ong peacefully and reached Suphanburi, while other came from the north. Naresuan was planning to conquer Cambodia, but then he had to change his intentions. Naresuan encamped his armies at Nong Sarai. The Burmese then arrived, leading to the Battle of Nong Sarai.

During the battle, the elephants of Naresuan and Ekathotsarot went mad and ran into the midst of the Burmese. Siamese Chronicles stated that there were fake Minchit Sras but Naresuan pointed out the real one from the honorary decorations. Naresuan then urged Minchit Sra to fight with him:

The personal battle between Naresuan and Minchit Sra was a highly-romanticized historical scene known as Yuddhahatthi, the ''Elephant battle''. After narrowly missing Naresuan and cutting his hat (on display in Bangkok) Minchit Sra was slashed to death on the back of his elephant. This was on Monday, the 2^nd waning day of the 2^nd month of the Buddhist calendar Chulasakarat Era year 954. Calculated to correspond to Monday, 18 January, AD 1593 of the Gregorian calendar, this date is now observed as Royal Thai Armed Forces day. Naresuan then built a pagoda on the site of Yutthahadhi as a victory monument. However, modern historians are still unable to locate the pagoda.

Naresuan intended to execute all the soldiers in the battle of Nong Sarai who had provided no support to him and his brother. Somdet Phra Wannarat - a bhikkhu - calmed Naresuan to get him to lift the punishment. Naresuan then instead ordered them to take Tavoy and Tenasserim.

Tavoy and Tenasserim

In 1593, Naresuan sent Siamese forces to lay siege on Tavoy - a Mon city - by the Minister of ''Kromma Tha'' and Tenasserim and Mergui by the ''Samuha Kalahom'' , all quickly fell. Nanda Bayin launched Burmese fleets to recapture the cities. The ''Samuha Kalahom'' then seized the galleons at Mergui to construct a fleet and sailed and marched his armies on land to counter Burmese attack from Martaban. The Siamese were then able to repel the Burmese.

Capture of Lovek

After Yuttahadhi, Naresuan then launched his campaigns to subjugate Cambodia. He sent four armies to capture Champasak, Banteymas (modern Ha Tien in Vietnam), Siem Reap, and Naresuan himself Battambang - all to be joined at Lovek. In 1594, they all reached Lovek and looted Lovek to the grounds. King Borommaracha V fled to Vientiene. Naresuan took Borommaracha's brother Sri Suriyopor as captive and took his daughter as his concubine.

Naresuan left a Siamese army at Oudong to oversee Cambodia, only to be driven out by Rama Chungprey in 1595.

Capture of Martaban

As Burmese control over the tributaries had weakened, the Mons took this opportunity to free themselves. The Mon governor of Moulmein rebelled against Pegu and requested Siamese support. Naresuan sent troops to take the Mon city of Martaban that sided with Pegu. Nanda Bayin sent the Lord of Toungoo to Martaban but was repelled and retreated. Capture of Martaban exerted Siamese control over the Mon state.

Invasion of Pegu

Naresuan eventually marched his troops to Pegu in 1595. He laid siege on the city for three months but was unable to enter. The huge forces of the Lords of Pyay, Toungoo, and Ava then arrived to free Pegu. Naresuan decided to retreat.

The Lord of Pyay staged a rebellion against Nanda Bayin in 1595, followed by Toungoo, Rakhine, Lanna, and Lan Xang. King Nokeo of Lan Xang prepared to march through Lanna to Pegu to rescue the Laotian captives. Noratra Mangsosri of Lanna (Nanda Bayin's brother) then put his kingdom under Siamese tributary to get Ayutthayan supports. Naresuan sent Siamese forces to prevent Laotian forces from entering Lanna.

After the series of upheavals in the Burmese Empire, Naresuan decided to invade Pegu again in 1599. Naresuan allied himself with Rakhine. However, the Lord of Toungoo feared that if Naresuan had taken Pegu the Siamese power would have been too large and might engulf Toungoo itself. So, the Lord of Toungoo encouraged the Mons to rebel against Siam. Naresuan then had to subjugate the Mon rebellions.

Toungoo finally took Pegu the same year with the help of Rakhine. Toungoo took Nanda Bayin and left for Toungoo. When Naresuan reached Pegu, what he found was only the city ruins. He requested Toungoo to sent Nanda Bayin back to him but Toungoo refused.

Invasion of Toungoo and Lanna

Naresuan laid the siege on Toungoo but readily failed. Naresuan then went back. He sent his brother Ekathotsarot to calm Lanna inner conflicts.

As in 1600, the Kingdom of Ayutthaya reached the greatest extend.

Death

Anaukpetlun crowned himself as the King of Ava to counter Toungoo and went on his campaigns to subjugate the Shans. However, the Shan King of Hsenwi was Naresuan's childhood friend. So, he marched armies to rescue Hsenwi. During his journey, however, Naresuan died in 1605.

Recent studies of Burmese records by historians of Silpakorn University showed that he returned to Wiang Haeng, where he died of disease, probably smallpox.

His brother King Ekathotsarot became his successor as king.

According to the Shan, King Naresuan helped them win independence for the Shan State in 1600 with his ally, the Prince of Hsenwi. Both had been hostages at the Burmese court, and King Naresuan died while rushing to the aid of a friend of his youth, they say.

Many Shan believe King Naresuan was cremated and his ashes interred in a stupa in Mongton, in the southern part of the Shan State.

Legacy

Royal Thai Armed Forces Day, 18 January, commemorates victory.

HTMS Naresuan, Royal Thai Navy frigate.

Naresuan University in Phitsanulok is named after the king and features a large statue of the king.

One of the two largest dams in Phitsanulok Province is named the Naresuan Dam. It controls water flow of the Nan River north of the city of Phitsanulok.

King Naresuan has been incorrectly attributed to winning his freedom through kickboxing matches with Burmese fighters, a feat actually accredited to Nai Khanom Tom.

In media

''King Naresuan'' is a 2007 film series based on the king's life.

''Khan Kluay'' is a 2006 animated Thai film based on the life of the king's war elephant.

''King Naresuan Online'' is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2010.

In the 2010 PC game ''Civilization V'', Siam has a unique unit named "Naresuan's Elephant" in honor of the king's elephant armies.

References

External links

The Flight of Lao War Captives from Burma back to Laos in 1596:A Comparison of Historical Sources Jon Fernquest, Mae Fa Luang University, SOAS bulletin, Spring 2005

Reference sources are inadequate to corroborate any information given. Ref no.1 goes nowhere. Ref no.2 is in Thai. Ref no.3 is a newspaper article which in a nutshell says historians are still debating much of King Naresuan's life

Category:1555 births Category:1605 deaths Category:Thai monarchs Category:Rulers of Ayutthaya

de:Naresuan fr:Naresuan ko:나레수안 id:Naresuan nl:Naresuan ja:ナレースワン ru:Наресуан simple:King Naresuan sv:Naresuan th:สมเด็จพระนเรศวรมหาราช yo:Naresuan zh:纳黎萱

Coordinates	40°26′30″N80°00′00″N
type	monarch
name	Nanda Bayin
reign	November 1581 – December 1599 (18 years)
succession	King of Burma
predecessor	Bayinnaung
successor	Nyaungyan
suc-type	Successor
issue	Mingyi Swa Minyekyawswa I
full name	Zeya Thiha ()
house	Toungoo
father	Bayinnaung
mother	Atula Thiri Mahayazadewi
birth date	1535 897 ME
birth place	Toungoo
death date	c. November 1600 (aged 65) 10th waning of Tazaungmon 962 ME
death place	Toungoo
place of burial	Toungoo
religion	Theravada Buddhism
signature	}}

Nanda Bayin (, ; 1535 – November 1600), was the king of the Toungoo Dynasty of Myanmar from 1581 to 1599. Nanda was the first son of King Bayinnaung. He was made the crown prince upon the ascension of his father in January 1551. As the crown prince, he led subjugation of Lanna and the sack of Vientiene in 1565. He also waged wars alongside his father against Ayutthaya that eventually led to the fall of the city in 1564 and 1569.

Bayinnaung died in 1581. Crown Prince Nanda succeeded his father as the king of Pegu and appointed his first son Minchit as the Crown Prince. Thadominthaw the viceroy of Ava (Nanda Bayin’s brother-in-law), however, didn’t attend the coronation audience due to the crown prince’s treatment to the crown princess who was Thadominthaw’s daughter. Nanda was enraged at the inobedience of his brother-in-law, ordered the massacre of people supporting the viceroy of Ava, and prepared a full-scale war against Ava.

Nanda also requested auxiliary troops from Prome, Toungoo, and Ayutthaya. The king was also to take Ava with the help of Prome and Toungoo and installed his son Minyekyawswa. The Siamese armies led by crown prince Naresuan, however, marched towards Pegu. Nanda hurried down south to stop the Siamese from reaching the capital, only to find out that the Siamese prince had returned and sacked Mon cities on the way.

In 1584, Nanda sent his armies into Siam led by the crown prince Mingyi Swa to subjugate the country. The campaign, however, failed. Nanda decided to lead the armies himself into Siam in 1586 and reached Ayutthaya but laid siege on the city for five months without success. Then Nanda decided to retreat but was followed and harassed by Siamese armies. In 1590, the king marched into Siam again with Mingyi Swa in the vanguard, but the crown prince was again defeated by the Siamese led by Naresuan.

Nanda then mustered all available forces at his disposal aganist the Siamese. In 1592, a very large campaign was organized and the Burmese armies amassed towards Ayutthaya led by the crown prince. The Burmese and Siamese battled near Ayutthaya. The Burmese crown prince and King Naresuan of Ayutthaya engaged a personal elephant battle, which resulted in Mingyi Swa’s death.

With the death of Mingyi Swa, Nanda appointed Minyekyawswa the viceroy of Ava as the crown prince. Nanda suffered several rebellions around the city of Martaban and Moulmein that led to the expansion of Siamese influence into the Mon state. In 1594, Naresuan, with the supports from the Mon rebels, marched towards Pegu and laid siege on the city but then retreated due to an aggressive defence by the viceroys of Prome and Toungoo.

In 1595, however, the viceroy of Prome who was Nanda’s son led a huge rebellion taking Toungoo and a large northern portion of the kingdom, proclaiming himself as an independent king. Nanda then lost trust in those close to him and requested the sons of tributary kings to be held hostage in Pegu. Viceroy of Toungoo Minye Thihathu then requested the King of Rakhine to invade Pegu and declared himself king of Toungoo. The Arakan invasion was countered by the crown prince but the crown prince then gave himself up to Toungoo – where he was killed by Natshinnaung, son of Minye Thihathu. Shocked by the death of his son and his own defeat, Nanda abdicated the throne to the King of Toungoo in 1599 and was captured to Toungoo – therefore his epithet Toungooyauk Min (; the king who was captured to Toungoo).

The abdicated king survived for another year in captivity in Toungoo but was assassinated by Natshinnaung in November 1600.

Notes

External links

Myanmar History: King Nanda

Category:Burmese monarchs Category:Toungoo dynasty Category:1600 deaths Category:1535 births

fr:Nandabayin my:နန္ဒဘုရင် pt:Nandabayin th:พระเจ้านันทบุเรง zh:莽应里