king mangrai eldest son tried to seize the throne but was caught and executed and his second son khun kham was set up to succeed him king mangrai died in 1317 in chiang mai reputediy during a thunderstorm he was hit by lightning in the city's market there followed a period of confusion in the succession with six kings ruling in eleven years which could have been disastrous if the northern powers had not fallen upon their own troubles and sukhothai to the south had not also been weakened