Naresuan

King Naresuan the Great (1555 - April 25 1605, also sometimes called Naret or the Black Prince) was king of Siam (today Thailand) from 1590 until his death in 1605. During his reign Siam had the biggest territorial extent in history.

Born in Phitsanulok, Naresuan was taken captive by the Burmese to ensure the fidelity of his father Maha Tammaraja, who became king of the Ayutthaya kingdom after it was occupied by the Burmese in 1569. After spending nine years of his youth at Pegu, Naresuan was exchanged with his sister Princess Suparntevi when he was 16 years old, and became governor of Phitsanulok.

In 1584 the tributary relation with Burma was cancelled, which was inevitably followed by a vigorous attack by the Burmese army. Naresuan could fight back the attack, and in 1586 he could even occupy Lannathai, which was a kind of buffer state between the two kingdoms.

1590 the king died, and Naresuan also officially became the leader of the kingdom. 1591 the Burmese started another attack, which was cancelled when the Burmese crown prince Minchit Sra was killed by Naresuan in Nong Sarai (Suphanburi). The following year Naresuan himself attacked Tenasserim, as well as Cambodia in 1593.

Naresuan died in 1605 during another battle with the Burmese in Muang Hang. His brother Ekathotsarot became his successor.