Conflict between Ayutthaya and Burma

Timeline

1. 1563Ayutthaya · AyutthayaBayinnaung accused Ayutthaya of disloyalty for refusing to tribute a white elephant and mobilized a great army for an eastern campaign. The white elephant symbolized royal legitimacy in Southeast Asian political symbolism; this dispute was in fact a pretext for Burmese expansionist policy, aimed at forcing Ayutthaya into the Toungoo tributary system.
2. 1564City of Ayutthaya · AyutthayaThe Burmese army besieged Ayutthaya, cutting off waterborne supplies; after the city fell, Maha Chakkaphat and royal family members were taken to Pegu. Burma installed a vassal regime and carried off large numbers of artisans and people; Ayutthaya lost its independence for the first time, becoming part of Bayinnaung's vision of a 'Southeast Asian empire'.
3. 1568–1569Ayutthaya · AyutthayaIn 1568 Ayutthaya, with support from the royal clan and local nobles, launched a restoration and sought aid from Lan Xang and other states. Bayinnaung led a larger coalition army east again, breaching Ayutthaya in 1569, thoroughly suppressing resistance, and bringing Lan Xang, Chiang Mai, and other powers into the tributary network; Burma reached the peak of its 16th-century power.