The rise and rise of Ayudhya.
1442 in the Christian calendar.
OTL
Borommaracha II king of Ayudhya, a brilliant ruler has taken his kingdom and strengthened it. He has captured the city of Ankor, forcing the remainder of the Khmer kingdom to flee to the east to Phnom Penh. He has claimed the heartland of the old Sukhothai Empire on the death of its king. Ayudhya is in ascendancy, now the gods have handed this most blessed of kingdoms another opportunity.
To the north lies the powerful kingdom of Lan Na, and as fate would have it the kingdom is descending into civil war. In 1441 the king of Lan Na was overthrown by a minor palace official who has forced King Sam Fang Kean to abdicate. His son King Tilokaracha (Tilok) has been crowned in his place. The new king in a bid to consolidate his power has declared war on his exiled father, it is 1442 and Ayudhya has spotted its chance to capitalise on the civil war.
The army of Ayudhya marches north, making it to the city of Lamphun before it is defeated by King Tilok, who has managed to subdue the armies of his father and the governor of Fang. After Tilok restored order in his kingdom there follow several decades of warfare between Lan Na and Ayudhya.
POD ATL
King Tilok’s campaign against his father, is progressing less well than had been hoped. News from the south reports that the armies of Ayudhya are advancing on the capital at Chiang Mai. King Tilok has little option but to divide his army, leaving behind a portion to defend his back against his father he marches to meet the army of Ayudhya. At the battle of Lamphun Ayudhya is victorious distroying Tilok’s army, and continuing its march on Chiang Mai. By the time the army of Ayudhya reaches the capital only a few hours march from Lamphun panic has set in. Tilok mounts a defence of his capital, but already the freemen are deserting his army (little sense in dying for usurper who can’t keep his own kingdom safe). The killing blow to the Lan Na kingdom is struck, with the loss of central power it begins to unravel as the provinces take the opportunity to declare their independence.
Ayudhya has now secured its position, with the removal of its northern competitor it is in a much stronger position to expand and consolidate its empire. However further to the north in Fang province Sam Fang Kean has declared himself king of Lan Na, where he is joined by the provinces of Chiang Saen and Phayao. To the north east the provinces of Phrae and Nan look down onto the plain that is the source of much of Ayudhya’s prosperity...