Burmese Invasion and Ayutthaya's Downfall
See also: Burmese–Siamese War (1759–1760) and Burmese–Siamese War (1765–1767)In 1760, Alaungpaya of Burma led his armies invading Ayutthaya. Ekkathat urged his abdicated brother, Uthumphon, to lead the battles. However, Alaungpaya died during the campaigns, postponing the death of Ayutthaya for another 7 years.
Siam under Ekkathat was in turmoil. Ayutthaya lost its control over network cities and Ekkathat was said to be indulged by the luxury of the court and concubines. The peasants went on the rebellion. In 1766, the Burmese armies again invaded Siam—through Mergui under Mahanoratha and Lanna under Neimyo Thihapate after subjugating Lanna and Laotian kingdoms. The Burmese captured various peripheral cities to cut down any supports given to Ayutthaya. A Dutch source said the court faced bankruptcy. The capital totally lost contact with its satellite. Ayutthaya was then helpless.
Local accounts told that Ekkathat desperately tried to counter the Burmese. He ordered his remaining armies and fleets to counter the Burmese at Ratchaburi and Thon Buri, but the Burmese crushed them all. The two Burmese armies joined at Ayutthaya and laid the siege on the city. A foreign account claimed that Ekathat and his family secretly fled from the capital. The nobles then agreed to surrender. On April 7, 1767, Ayutthaya fell. The Burmese looted and burnt the city to the ground.
Siamese chronicles said Ekkathat died upon having been in starvation for more than ten days while concealing himself at Ban Chik Wood (Thai: ป่าบ้านจิก), adjacent to Wat Sangkhawat (Thai: วัดสังฆาวาส). His dead body was discovered by the monk. It was buried at a mound named "Khok Phra Men" (Thai: โคกพระเมรุ), in front of a Siamese revered temple called "Phra Wihan Phra Mongkhonlabophit" (Thai: พระวิหารพระมงคลบพิตร).
The Burmese occupation did not last long. By the end of 1767, the remaining Burmese troops in Siam had been recalled to defend their homeland against the Chinese invasions (1765–1769), leaving Siam in a power vacuum. Taksin (governor of Tak) founded the Kingdom of Thonburi in 1768, and emerged as the primary contender by 1769.
| Ekkathat Ban Phlu Luang Dynasty | ||
| Preceded by Borommarachathirat IV (Uthumphon) |
King of Ayutthaya 1758–1767 |
Succeeded by Taksin (after fall of Ayutthaya, as King of Thonburi) |
|
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ekkathat |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | |
| Date of birth | |
| Place of birth | |
| Date of death | 1767 |
| Place of death | Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya Kingdom |
Read more about this topic: Ekathat
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