| Biography
of King Naresuan the Great (reign:1590-1605)
Phitsanulok was the birthplace of one of the greatest
heroes in Thai history - King Naresuan who was born
in 1555. His father, King Mahathammaracha was a descendant
of the Phra Ruang dynasty of Sukhothai, and his mother
was Queen Phra Wisut Kasattri of the Suwannaphum dynasty
of Ayutthaya.
At the age of nine, he had been taken as hostage to
Burma for 6 years. King Naresuan was a great warrior
king. He liberated Ayutthaya from Burma while he was
the Crown Prince. He led the soldiers into battles to
defend the country against Burmese invasions many times.
He is also widely known among the Thais nowadays for
his heroic efforts. He led the assault of a Burmese
camp by climbing the wooden stockade with the blunt
side of a saber in his mouth. He had a duel on elephants
with the Burmese Crown Prince and slew him. He took
the offensive against Burma and also dealt with the
Cambodians who made a series of raids. King Naresuan
extended Ayutthaya's territory to include Lanna, Lanchang,
Cambodia and some parts of Burma. He enforced strict
discipline on his soldiers and the people. During his
reign, Ayutthaya was a very secure and powerful state.
Apart from being a great warrior, King Naresuan also
played a significant role in foreign relations and trade.
Realizing the importance of foreign trade, he sent envoys
to China and Spain, and cultivated friendly relations
with the Europeans. Ayutthaya concluded a treaty of
friendship and commerce with Spain, which was the second
treaty that Siam made with a European Power. (The first
European power with which Siam had a treaty was Portugal.)
Under this treaty, Spaniards had the right to reside,
to trade and to practice their religion in Siam. At
the end of his reign, he exposed Ayutthaya to another
western nation - the Dutch.
King Naresuan deserved the honor of being "the Great".
He not only restored the national independence but also
made Siam such a powerful country that no enemy threatened
the walls of Ayutthaya again for a period of one hundred
seventy three years.
Three of King Naresuan's weapons and belongings have
constituted a part of the Royal Regalia down to the
present. The first is the musket with which he shot
the Burmese leader in one of the battles to defend Ayutthaya
against Burma. Second is the saber that he carried in
his mouth during his assault on the Burmese camp at
Ayutthaya. The last is the leather hat with a brim cut-off
in the shape of a crescent moon, which he was wearing
when he engaged in a duel on elephants with the Crown
Prince of Burma.
References:
- Teacher.net
- The Government Public Relations Department (Thailand)
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