The Portrayal of the Battle of Ayutthaya in Myanmar Literature

Recently a long-lost account of the siege and sack of Ayutthaya in 1767 was rediscovered in Yangon. This book presents the first translation of this important document. The author of the document, Letwe Nawrahta, was a long-serving minister at the Myanmar royal court and a prolific poet. His account, probably written immediately after the events, is in the form of a mawgun, a panegyric in verse. It has details on the Myanmar armies nd commanders, the routes marched, strategies for overcoming Ayutthaya's defenses, and the distribution of spoils and rewards. Soe Thuzar Myint discusses this rare document in the context of Myanmar literary traditions, and the politics of Southeast Asia in the eighteenth century. She also provides a full account of Letwe Nawrahta's life and works, and presents other poems on Siam-Myanmar conflict. This book is a major contribution to the history of Southeast Asia in the eighteenth century.