As a young child, Prince Naresuan was taken to Burma after the capital
city fell in defeat to Burmese King Bayin Naung in 1564 and 1569. Ayutthaya became a
vassal state as a consequence, and the Burmese installed Prince Naresuan’s father -
King Maha Thammaracha (1569-1590) - on the throne. Prince Naresuan was
subsequently raised in the land of his enemies as a type of collateral against future
uprisings. While still in Burma, Prince Naresuan proved himself as a skilled fighter with a
keen sense of military strategy. With his complicated rise in power, a string of events
provoked Prince Naresuan to shift allegiances and declare Ayutthaya independent once
again.