The former capital of the first independent Tai state, called Lanna Thao (Kingdom of One Million Rice Fields)Chiang Mai (New City) was founded in 1296 by King Mengrai At these times it was the cultural and religious center of the northern Tai, those who had migrated from southern China to dwell in Thailand, and remained so throughout the turbulent period of recurring Burmese attacks. The Burmese finally captured Chiang Mai in 1556 and occupied it until King Taksin recaptured the city in 1775 and drove the Burmese forces back to the approximately present border.
Local princes remained in nominal control of the city, though they deferred to the king of Siam in Bangkok. In 1874, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), concerned with encroachment by the British (who had teak-logging interests as occupiers of Burma) and fearful of a conflict with them, sent a commission to Chiang Mai, which eventually limited the power of the local princes and brought the Lanna kingdom further under the control of the central government in Bangkok. In 1939, the city was formally and fully integrated into the kingdom of Thailand, becoming the administrative center of northern Thailand. In 1996, the city celebrated its 700th anniversary.
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