Prome Kingdom

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Kingdom of Prome
ဒုတိယ သရေခေတ္တရာ
1482–1542
StatusKingdom
Vassal of Shan States (1532–1542)
Capital
Theravada Buddhism
GovernmentMonarchy
• 1482–1526
Thado Minsaw
• 1526–1532
Bayin Htwe
• 1532–1539
Narapati
• 1539–1542
Minkhaung
LegislatureHluttaw
History 
• Founding of Kingdom
1482
• War with
Confederation of Shan States
1532
• War with Toungoo
1539–1542
• Fall of Kingdom
19 May 1542
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Ava Kingdom
Toungoo dynasty

The Prome Kingdom (

Mrauk U Kingdom, the small kingdom fell to the Toungoo (Taungoo) forces in 1542.[1]

History

Origins

For much of the first half of the second millennium, Prome was a vassal state of

Narapati of Ava were once governor of Prome.[2]

The Forty Years' War, which ended in a stalemate, left Ava exhausted, and its vassals restless. From the 1420s to the 1480s, each new king of Ava had to put down rebellions. In 1469, Prome's long-time governor, Mingyi Swa (r. 1446–1482) rebelled against his brother, when the latter ascended to the Ava throne as Thihathura. But the new king laid siege on Prome, and Mingyi Swa submitted to his brother. Mingyi Swa was forgiven, and reappointed to his former position.

Independence from Ava (1482)

Thihathura died in 1480, and Mingyi Swa died in 1482. The new king

Tharrawaddy, Thado Minsaw
, seized Prome and declared himself king.

Thado Minsaw raised his brother Mingyi Swa's chief queen as his chief queen. Minkhaung managed to send an army to reclaim Prome. But the Avan army could not take Prome, and retreated. Ava could not send another force again as the much more serious Yamethin rebellion (and rebellions by the Shan States of Mohnyin and Kale) consumed its resources for the next two decades. Prome became an independent kingdom with territories up to Tharrawaddy and Myede.

Thado Minsaw largely stayed out of the fighting in Upper Burma. He forged a peaceful relationship with Hanthawaddy, the most powerful kingdom in the region.

Meddling into Upper Burma (1520s)

Thado Minsaw changed his policy in the 1520s when Ava was on its last legs suffering from the sustained assaults by

Shin Maha Rattathara.[3]
Prome remained in a league with the Confederation, which continued its attacks on Ava.

Thado Minsaw died in 1526, and was succeeded by his son Bayin Htwe.

The end (1526–1542)

On 25 March 1527, the Confederation forces captured Ava, and placed Sawlon's eldest son Thohanbwa on the Ava throne. Sawlon was unsatisfied with the level of support he received from Prome, and held a grudge. In 1532, the Confederation forces came down and attacked Prome. Bayin Htwe was taken prisoner back to Upper Burma. The captive king escaped after Sawlon was assassinated by his own ministers. But Bayin Htwe's son Narapati shut the gates against his father. Bayin Htwe died soon after in the adjoining forests.[4]

Narapati remained a nominal vassal to Confederation controlled Ava. Although his authority did not extend beyond the immediate region around Prome, he became ensnarled in the Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War (1534–41). Narapati was an ally of King Takayutpi of Hanthawaddy, and was married to Takayutpi's sister. Narapati provided shelter to the fleeing Hanthawaddy troops in 1539. When Toungoo troops attacked a heavily fortified Prome, Narapati asked for help from the Confederation in Ava. The Confederation troops broke the siege, and refused to follow up on the retreating Toungoo armies.

Narapati formed an alliance with Mrauk U Kingdom of Arakan by sending his sister and his queen (Takayutpi's sister) to King Min Bin of Mrauk U. (Takayutpi had died soon after the battle.) Narapati too died soon after and was succeeded by Minkhaung.

In late 1541, Toungoo again laid siege to Prome. Prome's allies the Confederation and Mrauk U sent in help to break the siege. But Toungoo forces under the command of Gen. Bayinnaung defeated both armies. Mrauk U also sent in a naval flotilla that landed in Bassein (Pathein). Upon hearing of the Mrauk U army's defeat, the flotilla turned back. After a five months' siege, starvation set in. The besieged deserted the city in great numbers. On 19 May 1542 (5th waxing of Nayon 904

Toungoo (Taungoo).[1]

Aftermath

King Tabinshwehti of Toungoo appointed Thado Dhamma Yaza I, restoring the city to its former position of a provincial capital. Thado Dhamma Yaza I revolted in May 1550 after Tabinshwehti's death but the revolt was put down in August 1551 by Bayinnaung.[5] The principality was again in revolt between 1594 and 1608, during the collapse of First Toungoo Empire before being re-annexed by King Anaukpetlun in July 1608.[6]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Harvey 1925: 157–158
  2. ^ Hmannan Vol. 2 1829: 214–215
  3. ^ Harvey 1925: 106–107
  4. ^ Phayre 1883: 88
  5. ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 197
  6. ^ Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 148

References

  • Harvey, G. E. (1925). History of Burma: From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd.
  • Kala, U (1724). Maha Yazawin Gyi (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (2006, 4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
  • Phayre, Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. (1883). History of Burma (1967 ed.). London: Susil Gupta.
  • Ministry of Information, Myanmar
    .