Maha Chakkraphat

Maha Chakkraphat (, ; 1509 – 1569; ; also ဗြသာဓိရာဇာ, Phra Sādhirāja) or Phra Chao Chang Phueak (; "King of White Elephants") was king of the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1548 to 1564 and 1568 to 1569. Originally called Prince Thianracha (, ), he was put on the throne by Khun Phiren Thorathep and his supporters of the Sukhothai clan, who had staged a coup by killing the usurper King Worawongsathirat and Si Sudachan.

Prince of Ayutthaya His original name is Thianracha. His initial biography is unclear. Evidence of his family appears in the Royal Chronicles, stating that "he was part of the royal family of King Chairathirat" and in Sangitiyavansa, a Pali text of the Rattanakosin era, stating that he was the nephew of King Chairachathirat. The evidence in Fernão Mendes Pinto's record states that he was the natural brother of King Chairachathirat. Thianracha joined his brother in the campaigns against Lanna and, in 1546, led the siege of Chiang Mai.

Chairacha died in 1546 and his son, Prince Kaewfa succeeded to the throne as King Yodfa, with his mother Sisudachan as regent. She had Yodfa killed in 1548 and eventually put her paramour on the throne as Khun Worawongsathirat. Before doing so however, Thianracha was her co-regent, but wishing to remain faithful to his wife Sri Suriyothai, he became a monk to the Queen Mother's amorous advances.

The Burmese armies stopped near Ayutthaya. Tabinshweti came with his best general, the Uparaja Bayinnaung, Viceroy of Prome and Governor of Bassein. Maha Chakkraphat also took to the battleground his whole family, including Sri Suriyothai, the Uparaja Prince Ramesuan, and Prince Mahinthrathirat. At Pukaothong field, Maha Chakkraphat fought an elephant duel against the Viceroy of Prome but his elephant was overcame and ran away. Sri Suriyothai then rushed to rescue her husband but was slashed to death by the viceroy. The two princes then forced the viceroy to retreat. Though Damrong Rajanubhab asserts the king only entered the monastery after his daughter Phra Thepkasattri was kidnapped by the Burmese, giving up his throne in dishonor. He resumed his regal powers at the urging of his son Mahinthrathirat. According to Prince Damrong, he died sometime during the siege. The Burmese chronicles say that the king died on 15 April 1569.

Ancestry