Kyawswa of Pagan
Kyawswa ကျော်စွာ | |
---|---|
Theravada Buddhism |
Kyawswa (
Early life
Kyawswa was a son of King Narathihapate and Queen Shin Hpa.[4] He was born on 2 August 1260.[citation needed] The table below lists the dates given by the four main chronicles.[6]
Chronicles | Birth–Death | Age | Reign | Length of reign |
---|---|---|---|---|
Zatadawbon Yazawin | 1261–1300 | 39 | 1287–1300 | 13 |
Maha Yazawin | 1254–1301 | 47 | 1286–1300 | 14 |
Yazawin Thit and Hmannan Yazawin | 1259–1298 | 39 | 1286–1298 | 12 |
Reign
Kyawswa was the governor of Dala (modern Twante) in 1285 when his father King
Ruler of Pagan (1289–1297)
After the death of Narathihapate, the Pagan Empire collapsed, and a period of interregnum ensued. Kyawswa, who hitherto had been governor of
Mongol vassal (1297)
With the three brothers increasingly acting as sovereign kings, Kyawswa sent his son Theingapati to the Mongols in Tagaung and asked for recognition as their vassal king in January 1297. He received the official recognition and a Chinese title on 20 March 1297.[9] In December, the brothers invited the now puppet king to Myinsaing, their stronghold, to take part in the dedication ceremony of a monastery built by them. The king, with the backing of the Mongols, felt secure and went to Myinsaing. But as soon as the ceremony was over, he was arrested, dethroned, and forced to become a monk in the very monastery he had just dedicated.[13]
Aftermath
After deposing Kyawswa, the brothers went on to found the Kingdom of Myinsaing which covered central Burma along the upper Irrawaddy valley. Saw Hnit, a son of Kyawswa, was elected king by the dowager queen Pwa Saw but soon became a governor under the authority of Myinsaing. The Mongols discovered Kyawswa's dethronement only six months later in June/July 1298. The brothers executed Kyawswa on 10 May 1299.[9] Another of Kyawswa's sons, Kumara Kassapa, escaped to China to seek help in September 1299. The Mongol Emperor declared Kumara Kassapa king of Burma on 22 June 1300, and sent in an army. A Mongol army of 12,000 invaded central Burma in January 1301, reaching the Male fort, north of modern Mandalay on 15 January 1301 and reaching Myinsaing on 25 January 1301. Myinsaing's defenses held. The attacking army was persuaded to retreat with bribes, and the retreat began on 6 April 1301. On 4 April 1303, the Mongols abolished the province of Chiang-Mien based in Tagaung, and withdrew entirely from northern Burma.[14][15]
Notes
- ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 234 (fn#3), 257 (fn#1)
- ^ a b Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 360
- ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 257 (fn#1)
- ^ a b Pe Maung Tin, Luce 1960: 179
- ^ Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 358
- ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 349
- ^ Aung-Thwin 1985: 196
- ^ Htin Aung 1967: 71
- ^ a b c Than Tun 1959: 119–120
- ^ Coedès 1968: 210
- ^ Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 361–362
- ^ Htin Aung 1967: 73
- ^ Htin Aung 1967: 74
- ^ Coedès 1968: 210–211
- ^ Than Tun 1959: 121–122
References
- ISBN 0-8248-0960-2.
- ISBN 978-0-8248-0368-1.
- Htin Aung, Maung (1967). A History of Burma. New York and London: Cambridge University Press.
- Kala, U (2006) [1724]. Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
- Luce, G.H.(1960) [1923]. The Glass Palace Chronicle of the Kings of Burma. Rangoon University Press.
- Royal Historians of Burma (1960) [c. 1680]. U Hla Tin (Hla Thamein) (ed.). Zatadawbon Yazawin. Historical Research Directorate of the Union of Burma.
- Royal Historical Commission of Burma (2003) [1832]. Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3. Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.
- Than Tun (December 1959). "History of Burma: A.D. 1300–1400". Journal of Burma Research Society. XLII (II).