Naresuan encamped his armies at Nong Sarai. The Burmese then arrived, leading to the Battle of Nong Sarai. During the battle, the war 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 : My brother, why do you hide yourself in the canopy shadows? Let us fight the elephant battle for our own honors. No future kings will do what we are going to do. The personal battle between Naresuan and Minchit Sra was a highly-romanticized historical scene known as the Elephant battle Songkram Yuddhahatthi. After narrowly missing Naresuan and cutting his hat (a replica of which is on display in Bangkok. Minchit Sra was slashed to death on the back of his elephant.
This was on Monday, the 2nd waning day of the 2nd month of the Chula Sakarat Era year 954. Calculated to correspond to Monday, 18 January 1593 AD of the Gregorian calendar, this date is now observed as Royal Thai Armed Forces day. Naresuan then built a pagoda on the site of the elephant battle as a victory monument. 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 Krom 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 has plan to help Pegu from Siam invasion.
Invasion of Toungoo and Lanna
In 1599 Naresuan attacked Burma again. He occupied the city of Pegu but Minye Thihathu Viceroy of Toungoo took Nanda Bayin and left for Toungoo. When Naresuan reached Pegu, he requested Minye Thihathu to sent Nanda Bayin back to him but Minye Thihathu refused. After that Naresuan laid siege on Toungoo. He then captured the city and Minye Thihathu left for Pyinmana. In 1604 Naresuan had fallen ill and then went back to Ayutthaya. In 1606 Minye Thihathu allied himself with Nyaungyan Min (who had his army based out of Ava in central Burma) to drive out the Siamese from Burmese territory. Naresuan sent his brother Ekathotsarot to deal with the Burmese conflicts.
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 Daen Lao Range, in the southern part of the Shan State.
Legacy
- Thai baht banknotes
- 100-Baht note of series 12, issued with the intention of glorifying Thai monarchs in history who have been revered and honored with the title The Great.
- 50-Baht note of series 16, issued to glorify Thai kings of different periods from past to present.
- 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.
| Preceded by Sanphet I (Maha Tammaratchathirat) | Kings of Ayutthaya 1590–1605 | Succeeded by Sanphet III (Ekathotsarot) |
| Preceded by Maha Thammarachathirat (Sanphet I) | King of Sukhothai at Phitsanulok 1569–1583 | Succeeded by Kingdom annexed |
Source : Wikipedia.
