Early Life
Prince Naret was born in the city of Phitsanulok on the 25 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 (Thai: พระองค์ดำ), and his younger brother Ekathotsarot was known as the White Prince. It is a common belief that these nicknames was given later due to a good cop/bad cop image of Naresuan and his brother. That is to say, while King "Naresuan the Black" ruled with an iron-fist, his brother "Ekathotsarot the White" intercedes on the behalf of the people. General opinion, however, attributes the virtues of Ekathotsarot to Naresuan. Supporter of this theory claims that as a military king, Naresuan needs to be seen as a strict and severe leader, and therefore commissioned his brother to act out the role play. His elder sister Suphankanlaya was known as the Golden Princess, presumably due to her adherence to chivalric honor.
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.
Read more about this topic: Naresuan
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