Among the forty-four wars with Burma between 1538 and 1853,
according to Damrong’s counting, moreover, he emphasised that two
series of those wars were most important ones. One was the series from
1548 to 1604, that is, from the reign of King Chakkraphat to the end
of King Naresuan’s reign. The other was the one from 1759 to 1809,
that is, from the reign of King Ekkathat, the last king of Ayutthaya,
to the end of the reign of King Rama I of Bangkok. The first series
covered the beginning of conflicts that eventually resulted in the first
fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese in 1569, and the heroic triumph of
King Naresuan who not only recovered Siam’s independence but also
fought back until the Burmese were defeated and Ayutthaya returned
to its grandeur. The second series covered the situations that eventually
led to the second fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese in 1767, the recovery
of Siam’s independence by King Taksin, and the strengthening of
Siam and its return to glory under Rama I of Bangkok. Here, a new
plot of Thai history was formulated. It was a story of struggles for
independence