Laukpya the Lord of Myaungmya

Myaungmya

Myaungmya is a town in Myaungmya Township, Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar.The town is home to the Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary, a Seventh Day Adventist seminary and Myaungmya Education College....

, was a key figure who started the Forty Years' War

Forty Years' War

The Forty Years' War was a military conflict fought between the Burmese-speaking Kingdom of Ava and the Mon-speaking Kingdom of Hanthawaddy Pegu. The war was fought during two separate periods: 1385 to 1391 and 1404 to 1424, interrupted by two truces of 1391–1404 and 1406–1407...

 (1386–1425) between the Mon

Mon language

The Mon language is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Mon, who live in Burma and Thailand. Mon, like the related language Cambodian—but unlike most languages in Mainland Southeast Asia—is not tonal. Mon is spoken by more than a million people today. In recent years, usage of Mon has...

-speaking Kingdom of Hanthawaddy (Pegu) and the Burmese

Burmese language

The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...

-speaking Kingdom of Ava. A brother of King Binnya U

Binnya U

Binnya U was the eighth king of Hanthawaddy Pegu, who ruled from 1348 to 1383. Over his 35-year reign, the king faced several internal rebellions and external invasions...

 of Hanthawaddy, Laukpya ruled the Irrawaddy delta

Irrawaddy Delta

The Irrawaddy Delta or Ayeyarwady Delta lies in the Ayeyarwady Region , the lowest expanse of land in Burma that fans out from the limit of tidal influence at Myan Aung to the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, 290 km to the south at the mouth of the Ayeyarwady River...

 like an independent king during his brother's 35-year reign. In 1383, when Binnya U

Binnya U

Binnya U was the eighth king of Hanthawaddy Pegu, who ruled from 1348 to 1383. Over his 35-year reign, the king faced several internal rebellions and external invasions...

's eldest son Razadarit proclaimed himself king after Binnya U's death, Laukpya refused to submit to his 16-year-old nephew. In 1385, as Razadarit prepared to march to the delta, Laukpya sought assistance from King Swasawke

Swasawke

Swasawke was the second king of Ava, who reigned from 1368 to 1400. When he was elected by the ministers to succeed King Thadominbya who left no heir, Swasawke took over a kingdom that was less than four years old, and still faced external and internal threats...

 of Ava with the promise of submission to Ava.

Laukpya's wrote to Swasawke:

Glorious king, the ungrateful son, who was rebel when his father was alive, now has dared to ascend the great Binnya U's throne, assuming the title of "Razadarit". Before he can make his position secure, I beg my lord to attack Pegu both by land and by water. Your humble servant holds both Bassein and Myaungmya, and shall attack Pegu by water. When you have achieved your great triumph, take all the treasures for yourself; as to your humble servant, grant him only the annual revenue.

Swasawke's acceptance of Laukpya's invitation resulted in the Forty Years' War between Ava and Pegu. Swasawke's inaugural invasions of Hanthawaddy in 1386 and 1387 could not break Razadarit's defenses. In 1388/89, Razadarit attacked the delta. Razadarit's army could not take Myaungmya, which was heavily fortified, and was defeated at Bassein which was defended by Laukpya's three sons. Then Laukpya ventured out of his defenses, and was promptly captured by Razadarit's forces. Myaungmya surrendered in 1390. The entire delta followed. Laukpya's son Nawrahta and son-in-law Pyanchi both fled to Ava. Swasawke welcomed the princes, and made Nawrahta the lord of Salin

Salin

Salin is a town of Minbu District in the Magway Division of Myanmar....

 and Pyanchi, the lord of Prome.