Hkonmaing
Encyclopedia
Hkonmaing was king of Ava
from 1543 to 1546. The long-ruling saopha
(chief) of the Shan state
of Onbaung Hsipaw
was the main ally of King Shwenankyawshin
of Ava in their 20 years' war against the Confederation of Shan States led by Mohnyin
. After Ava's fall, he became a member of the confederation and contributed to its war effort against the Kingdom of Toungoo
in 1542.
Hkonmaing was elected to the Ava throne in 1543 despite the opposition by the House of Mohnyin. His efforts in 1544 to reclaim the former Ava vassal of Prome (Pyay) ended in failure. King Tabinshwehti
of Toungoo ended up taking Ava territory up to Pagan
. He died in 1546 and was succeeded by his son Mobye Narapati
.
west of the Salween river
(Thanlwin).
of Ava
. For over two decades, the two allies fought against the Confederation of Shan States led by Sawlon
of Mohnyin
and its allies. After Shwenankyawshin ascended the throne in 1502, Ava's former vassal states (Mohnyin and Prome) and nominal vassal state (Toungoo) attacked Ava from the north and the south. Hsipaw was the only ally of Ava that provided help. In 1507, Hsipaw's forces were driven back by the combined forces of Prome and Toungoo, and by 1512, Mohnyin seized 16 villages (including Bhamo
) from Hsipaw's territory.
In the early 1520s, Sawlon assembled a confederation which included Mohnyin, Mogaung, Momeik and Bhamo (Hsipaw's former territory) as well as the southern kingdom of Prome, and invaded Avan territories from both directions. Hkonmaing with troops from Hsipaw and his vassal states of Yawnghwe and Mobye fought against the confederation. But the confederation sacked Ava in 1524, forcing the blood brothers Shwenankyawshin and Hkonmaing to flee the city. They returned to Ava after the confederation's troop left. In April 1527, the confederation armies laid siege to Ava again. On the eighth day of the siege, Shwenankyawshin on his war elephant was killed by a gunshot.
The Kingdom of Ava became a puppet state of the confederation with Thohanbwa
, son of Sawlon, as "king".
, a former vassal of Ava, which had conquered the Hanthawaddy Kingdom
of Lower Burma in 1539, and turned to Prome (Pyay), a vassal state of Ava that Thohanbwa was able to galvanize his Shan allies. Hkonmaing contributed Hsipaw's troops to the war effort. But the Confederation's forces were driven back by Gen. Bayinnaung
of Toungoo in 1542.
, lord of Salin
and a younger brother of Thohanbwa, felt the throne was his as Mohnyin was the long-time leader of the confederation.
Nonetheless, with the Toungoo threat looming, Hkonmaing was able to assemble another confederation army (consisted of Mohnyin, Momeik, Mone, Hsenwi, Bhamo, Hsipaw and Yawnghwe) and attacked Toungoo-held Prome in 1544. The venture was a failure. The confederation armies were again defeated by King Tabinshwehti
of Toungoo, who followed up to conquer up to the ancient city of Pagan
(Bagan).
Hkonmaing died in 1546, and was succeeded by his son, saopha of Mobye, who ascended the throne of Narapati III
. Sithu Kyawhtin of Mohyin openly rebelled, further weakening the kingdom, and making it an easy takeover target for Toungoo.
Ava Kingdom
The Ava Kingdom was the dominant kingdom that ruled upper Burma from 1364 to 1555. Founded in 1364, the kingdom was the successor state to the petty kingdoms that had ruled central Burma since the collapse of Pagan Empire in the late 13th century...
from 1543 to 1546. The long-ruling saopha
Saopha
Saopha, Chaofa, or Sawbwa was a royal title used by the rulers of the Shan States of Myanmar . The word means "king" in the Shan and Tai languages...
(chief) of the Shan state
Shan States
The Shan States were the princely states that ruled large areas of today's Burma , Yunnan Province in China, Laos and Thailand from the late 13th century until mid-20th century...
of Onbaung Hsipaw
Hsipaw
Hsipaw , is a town in Shan State, Myanmar on the riverbank of Myitnge River. It is 200 km northeast of Mandalay.-Shan Saopha:Hsipaw is perhaps one of the most well known and powerful saopha states of Shan State...
was the main ally of King Shwenankyawshin
Shwenankyawshin
Shwenankyawshin Narapati was the last sovereign king of Ava who reigned 25 tumultuous years between 1502 and 1527. A confederation of Shan states led by Mohnyin continued their relentless attacks, and gradually absorbed Avan territory from the north, while their ally Prome took Avan territory in...
of Ava in their 20 years' war against the Confederation of Shan States led by Mohnyin
Mohnyin
Mohnyin is a town in Kachin State, Myanmar. It is the administrative center for both Mohnyin Township and Mohnyin District.Shells of different sizes were found in mass on 19 September. Those were found in apple-pie order while rooting up a tree between MohnyinDistrict Court and the Township...
. After Ava's fall, he became a member of the confederation and contributed to its war effort against the Kingdom of Toungoo
Toungoo Dynasty
The Toungoo Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Burma from the mid-16th century to 1752. Its early kings Tabinshwehti and Bayinnaung succeeded in reunifying the Pagan Empire for the first time since 1287, and in incorporating the Shan States for the first time...
in 1542.
Hkonmaing was elected to the Ava throne in 1543 despite the opposition by the House of Mohnyin. His efforts in 1544 to reclaim the former Ava vassal of Prome (Pyay) ended in failure. King Tabinshwehti
Tabinshwehti
Tabinshwehti was a king who unified Burma in 1539 and known as the founder of the Second Burmese Empire.Tabinshwehti succeeded his father Mingyinyo as ruler of the Toungoo dynasty in 1530...
of Toungoo ended up taking Ava territory up to Pagan
Bagan
Bagan , formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana and also known as Tambadipa or Tassadessa , it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma...
. He died in 1546 and was succeeded by his son Mobye Narapati
Mobye Narapati
Mobye Narapati was the penultimate king of Ava who reigned from 1546 to 1552, as the disputed representative of the Confederation of Shan States that had ruled Ava since 1527. Before succeeding his father Hkonmaing as king of Ava, Narapati was saopha of the Shan state of Mong Pai , which was a...
.
Saopha of Onbaung Hsipaw
Prior to ascending to the Ava throne, for over thirty years, he was saopha of the Shan state of Onbaung Hsipaw (Thibaw), with tributary Shan States of Yawnghwe (Nyaungshwe) and Mong Pai (Mobye), which covered an area the entire stretch of eastern Shan HillsShan Hills
The Shan Hills , also known as Shan Highland, are part of the range of hills that extends through Yunnan to Burma and Thailand, linking to the Himalayas, of which they may be considered foothills.-Etymology:...
west of the Salween river
Salween River
The Salween is a river, about long, that flows from the Tibetan Plateau into the Andaman Sea in Southeast Asia. It drains a narrow and mountainous watershed of that extends into the countries China, Burma and Thailand. Steep canyon walls line the swift, powerful and undammed Salween, one of the...
(Thanlwin).
Ally of Ava
Hkonmaing was a steadfast (thwethauk, blood brother) ally of King ShwenankyawshinShwenankyawshin
Shwenankyawshin Narapati was the last sovereign king of Ava who reigned 25 tumultuous years between 1502 and 1527. A confederation of Shan states led by Mohnyin continued their relentless attacks, and gradually absorbed Avan territory from the north, while their ally Prome took Avan territory in...
of Ava
Ava Kingdom
The Ava Kingdom was the dominant kingdom that ruled upper Burma from 1364 to 1555. Founded in 1364, the kingdom was the successor state to the petty kingdoms that had ruled central Burma since the collapse of Pagan Empire in the late 13th century...
. For over two decades, the two allies fought against the Confederation of Shan States led by Sawlon
Sawlon
Sawlon of Mohnyin was saopha of the Shan state of Mohnyin from 1482? to 1533. He is best remembered in Burmese history as the conqueror of Ava Kingdom....
of Mohnyin
Mohnyin
Mohnyin is a town in Kachin State, Myanmar. It is the administrative center for both Mohnyin Township and Mohnyin District.Shells of different sizes were found in mass on 19 September. Those were found in apple-pie order while rooting up a tree between MohnyinDistrict Court and the Township...
and its allies. After Shwenankyawshin ascended the throne in 1502, Ava's former vassal states (Mohnyin and Prome) and nominal vassal state (Toungoo) attacked Ava from the north and the south. Hsipaw was the only ally of Ava that provided help. In 1507, Hsipaw's forces were driven back by the combined forces of Prome and Toungoo, and by 1512, Mohnyin seized 16 villages (including Bhamo
Bhamo
Bhamo is a city of Kachin State in northernmost part of Myanmar, located 186 km south from the capital city of Myitkyina. It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within 65 km of the border with Yunnan Province, China. The population consists of Chinese and Shan, with Kachin peoples in...
) from Hsipaw's territory.
In the early 1520s, Sawlon assembled a confederation which included Mohnyin, Mogaung, Momeik and Bhamo (Hsipaw's former territory) as well as the southern kingdom of Prome, and invaded Avan territories from both directions. Hkonmaing with troops from Hsipaw and his vassal states of Yawnghwe and Mobye fought against the confederation. But the confederation sacked Ava in 1524, forcing the blood brothers Shwenankyawshin and Hkonmaing to flee the city. They returned to Ava after the confederation's troop left. In April 1527, the confederation armies laid siege to Ava again. On the eighth day of the siege, Shwenankyawshin on his war elephant was killed by a gunshot.
The Kingdom of Ava became a puppet state of the confederation with Thohanbwa
Thohanbwa
Thohanbwa was a king of Ava who reigned from 1527 to 1543. The eldest son of Sawlon of Mohnyin was a commander who actively participated in Monhyin's numerous raids of Ava's territories in the first quarter of 16th century. In 1527, the ethnically Shan king was appointed king of Ava by Sawlon...
, son of Sawlon, as "king".
Alliance with the Confederation
After the defeat at Ava, Hkonmaing retreated to Hsipaw. He later entered into a truce with the confederation although it is unclear when he did. It is likely that Hkonmaing agreed to a truce soon after as the confederation did not attack Hsipaw after Ava's fall. Nevertheless, the confederation ceased to be effective after Sawlon's death in 1533. The saophas of the confederation could not agree on Thohanbwa's claim as son of Sawlon to be the next leader of the confederation. It was not until 1541 when the Kingdom of ToungooToungoo Dynasty
The Toungoo Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Burma from the mid-16th century to 1752. Its early kings Tabinshwehti and Bayinnaung succeeded in reunifying the Pagan Empire for the first time since 1287, and in incorporating the Shan States for the first time...
, a former vassal of Ava, which had conquered the Hanthawaddy Kingdom
Hanthawaddy Kingdom
The Hanthawaddy Kingdom was the dominant kingdom that ruled lower Burma from 1287 to 1539. The Mon-speaking kingdom was founded as Ramannadesa by King Wareru following the collapse of the Pagan Empire in 1287 as a nominal vassal state of Sukhothai Kingdom, and of the Mongol Yuan dynasty...
of Lower Burma in 1539, and turned to Prome (Pyay), a vassal state of Ava that Thohanbwa was able to galvanize his Shan allies. Hkonmaing contributed Hsipaw's troops to the war effort. But the Confederation's forces were driven back by Gen. Bayinnaung
Bayinnaung
Bayinnaung Kyawhtin Nawrahta was the third king of the Toungoo dynasty of Burma . During his 30-year reign, which has been called the "greatest explosion of human energy ever seen in Burma", Bayinnaung assembled the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, which included much of modern day...
of Toungoo in 1542.
King of Ava
Hkonmaing was elected to be king of Ava in April 1543, after Thohanbwa, who was deeply unpopular among his subjects, was assassinated by his court ministers. The leader of the court insurrection, Yan Naung, was offered the throne, and Hkonmaing pledged his allegiance. But Yan Naung refused the offer, and instead gave the throne to Hkonmaing. The House of Mohnyin, which Thohanbwa belonged to, did not agree with Hkonmaing's ascension. Sithu KyawhtinSithu Kyawhtin
Sithu Kyawhtin was the last king of Ava who reigned from 1552 to 1555. The ethnically Shan king, a son of Sawlon the saopha of Mohnyin, came to power in 1552 after driving out King Mobye Narapati from Ava. In March 1555, Ava was taken by King Bayinnaung of Toungoo, and Sithu Kyawhtin was carried...
, lord of Salin
Salin
Salin is a town of Minbu District in the Magway Division of Myanmar....
and a younger brother of Thohanbwa, felt the throne was his as Mohnyin was the long-time leader of the confederation.
Nonetheless, with the Toungoo threat looming, Hkonmaing was able to assemble another confederation army (consisted of Mohnyin, Momeik, Mone, Hsenwi, Bhamo, Hsipaw and Yawnghwe) and attacked Toungoo-held Prome in 1544. The venture was a failure. The confederation armies were again defeated by King Tabinshwehti
Tabinshwehti
Tabinshwehti was a king who unified Burma in 1539 and known as the founder of the Second Burmese Empire.Tabinshwehti succeeded his father Mingyinyo as ruler of the Toungoo dynasty in 1530...
of Toungoo, who followed up to conquer up to the ancient city of Pagan
Bagan
Bagan , formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana and also known as Tambadipa or Tassadessa , it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma...
(Bagan).
Hkonmaing died in 1546, and was succeeded by his son, saopha of Mobye, who ascended the throne of Narapati III
Mobye Narapati
Mobye Narapati was the penultimate king of Ava who reigned from 1546 to 1552, as the disputed representative of the Confederation of Shan States that had ruled Ava since 1527. Before succeeding his father Hkonmaing as king of Ava, Narapati was saopha of the Shan state of Mong Pai , which was a...
. Sithu Kyawhtin of Mohyin openly rebelled, further weakening the kingdom, and making it an easy takeover target for Toungoo.