Somdet Phra Maha Chakkraphat (Thai: สมเด็จพระมหาจักรพรรดิ)(1509- 1568) was the king of Ayutthaya kingdom from 1548 to 1568. Maha Chakhrapat rose to the throne by the supports of Khun Phiren Thorathep who staged a coup and killed Vorawongsathirat and his lover concubine Sri Sudachan.
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An Ayutthayan Prince
Prince Thianracha was a son of Ramathibodi II. His half-brother, Prince Chairachathirat, was crowned as the king of Ayutthaya in 1534. Chairacha then made Tianracha the Uparaja but didn't conferred him the title of King of Sukhothai as a part of Chairacha's efforts to strip powers from Phitsanulok. He joined his brother during the campaigns against Lanna and led the siege of Chiang Mai in 1546.
Chairacha died in 1546. Chairacha's son, then Tianracha's newphew, Yodfa, succeeded the throne. However, the government was dominated by Yodfa's mother concubine Sri Sudachan and her lover Vorawongsathirat. Yodfa was killed in 1548 and Sri Sudachan put her lover on the throne. Sri Sudachan then made Tianracha her co-regent. However, Sri Suriyothai - Tianracha's wife - recommended her husband to became a monk to avoid being politically murdered.
In the same year, the nobles led by Khun Pirenthorathep and Khun Inthrathep staged a counter-coup and killed Vorawongsathirat and Sri Sudachan. Pirenthorathep then gave the throne to Prince Tianracha.
King of Ayutthaya
The great power, however, was also held by Khun Pirenthorathep who put Maha Chakkrapat on the throne. Maha Chakkrapat then made Pirenthorathep the King of Phitsanulok as Maha Thammarachathirat instead of one of his sons because of possible oppositions from Sukhothai nobles (as Tianracha himself had never been the ruler of Phitsanulok) and made Khun Inthrathep the regent in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Maha Chakkrapat also married his daughter, Sawatdirat, to Maha Thammarachathirat.
Wars with Burma (1548)
Upon Maha Chakkrapat's ascension, Tabinshweti marched to Ayutthaya taking the opportunity of the upheavals in Ayutthayan politics to capture the Siamese kingdom.
The Burmese armies stopped near Ayutthaya. Tabinshweti came with the Uparaja (future Bayinnaung), Lord of Pathein, and Lord of Pyay. Maha Chakkrapat also took his whole family (including Sri Suriyothai, Prince Ramesuan the Uparaja, and Prince Mahinthrathirat) to fought the Burmese. At Pukaothong field, Maha Chakkrapat fought the elephant battle (Yuttahadhi) against the Lord of Pyay but was overcame. Sri Suriyothai then rushed to rescued her husband but was slashed to death.
The Siamese then put Narai Sangharn - a culverin on a barge and sailed along the Chao Phraya to fire the Burmese armies. The mission worked. The Burmese armies went on the retreat. However, they ambushed Siamese troops (led by Prince Ramesuan and Maha Thammarachathirat) at Kampaengpetch. The Burmese held the two in captivity and requested for the white elephant as an ransom. Maha Chakkrapat then gave off the elephants in exchange for his son and Maha Thammarachathirat.
War with Burma (1563)
After the war of 1548, Maha Chakkrapat insisted on battling Burmese armies near Ayutthaya, so he heavily fortified the city. He, however, de-fortified other cities in order to prevent the Burmese from taking them as bases. The census was taken to derive all available manpower to war. The arms and horses and elephants (white elephants) was caught and accumulated in the full-scale preparation for war.
Bayinnaug (now king), upon hearing about the white elephants, requested for some. As Maha Chakkrapat refused to gave off his elephant this time, Bayinnaung marched to Ayutthaya. Bayinnaung had captured the whole kingdom of Lanna in 1558. With auxiliary troops from Lanna, Bayinnaung marched a mass army into Sukhothai kingdom. Maha Thammarachathirat then realised the greatness of Bayinnuang army and readily surrendered, giving up Phitsanulok to Bayinnuang and became Burmese tributary. At Chainat, Bayinnaung clashed with Prince Ramesuan's army but was able to break through.
Bayinnaung reached Ayutthaya and laid siege on the city - bombarding the city so immensely that Maha Chakkrapat sued for peace in 1564. Maha Chakkrapat gave white elephants and his son Prince Ramesuan as a captive to Bayinnaung.
The Burmese War of 1563 was also called the War of White Elephant. In 1568, Maha Chakkrapat went into monkhood again and abdicated for his son, Prince Mahinthrathirat.
Second Reign
Maha Chakkrapat was then asked to leave monkhood by his son Mahinthrathirat to fight Bayinnaung and Maha Thammarachathirat. In 1568, Maha Chakkrapat was crowned again. He led the Siamese against the invading Burmese but he fell ill and suddenly died the same year.
Further reading
- Richard D. Cushman (David K. Wyatt Ed.): The Royal Chronicles Of Ayutthaya. The Siam Society, Bangkok 2000, ISBN 974-8298-48-5
| Preceded by Khun Vorawongsathirat |
Kings of Ayutthaya (First Reign) 1548-1568 |
Succeeded by Mahinthrathirat |
| Preceded by Mahinthrathirat |
Kings of Ayutthaya (Second Reign) 1568 |
Succeeded by Mahinthrathirat |
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