Thailand History - King Taksin: Warfare and National Revival (1767-1782)
 After the shattering defeat that had culminated in Ayutthaya's
destruction, the death and capture of thousands of Thais by the victorious
Burmese, and the dispersal of several potential Thai leaders, the situation
seemed hopeless. It was a time of darkness and of troubles for the Thai
nation. Members of the old royal family of Ayutthaya had died, escaped, or
been captured by the Burmese and many rival claimants for the throne
emerged, based in different areas of the country. But out of this national
catastrophe emerged yet another savior of the Thai state: the half-Chinese
general Phraya Taksin, former governor of Tak. Within a few years this
determined warrior had defeated not only all his rivals but also the Burmese
invaders and had set himself up as king.
Since Ayutthaya had been so completely devastated. King Taksin chose to
establish his capital at Thon Buri (across the river from Bangkok). Although
a small town, Thon Buri was strategically situated near the mouth of the
Chao Phraya River and therefore suitable as a seaport. The Thais needed
weapons, and one way of acquiring them was through trade. Besides, foreign
trade was also needed to bolster the Thai economy, which had suffered
extensively during the war with Burma. Chinese and Chinese-Thai traders
helped revive the economy by engaging in maritime trade with neighboring
states, with China, and with some European nations.
King Taksin's prowess as a general and as an inspirational leader meant
that all attempts by the Burmese to reconquer Siam failed. The rallying of
the Thai nation during a time of crisis was King Taksin's greatest
achievement. However, he was also interested in cultural revival, in
literature and the arts. He was deeply religious and studied meditation to
an advanced level. The stress and strain of such much fighting and the
responsibility of rebuilding a centralized Thai state took their toll on the
king. Following an internal political conflict in 1782. King Taksin's fellow
general Chao Phraya Chakri was chosen king. King Taksin's achievements have
caused posterity to bestow on him the epithet "the Great".
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