Swasawke
Encyclopedia
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. By the end of his 33-year reign, Swasake had successfully cemented Ava's rule in Upper Burma.
In the north, he successfully fought off the Shan raids into Upper Burma, a longstanding problem since the days of Sagaing
and Pinya
kingdoms. He maintained friendly relations with Lan Na Kingdom in the east, and Launggyet Kingdom of Arakan
in the west. In the south, he brought semi-independent kingdoms of Toungoo (Taungoo) and Prome (Pyay) firmly into Ava's orbit. But his attempts to extend control farther south were unsuccessful. His invasions of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom
(Pegu/Bago) touched off the Forty Years' War
(1385–1424) between Ava and Pegu. Swasawke and King Razadarit of Pegu agreed to a truce in 1391 that would last until Swasawke's death in 1400.
For the most part, his long reign was peaceful. In contrast to the short reigns by various kings since the fall of Pagan, Swasawke's 33-year reign brought brought much needed stability to Upper Burma. He redeveloped the economy of the kingdom by repairing the irrigation system, and reclaiming much of the arable land which had lapsed into wilderness as the result of the Mongol invasions nearly a century earlier. Under Swasawke's leadership, Upper Burma centered in Ava, finally achieved stability it had lacked for much of the past hundred years.
, and his mother was a daughter of Thihathu of Prome
and the only sister of the Shan Brothers. Although only one quarter Shan, he was given a Shan name, and brought up as a Shan from childhood, reflecting the Shan dominance of the era. His father was governor of Thayetmyo
, a small town to the west of the Irrawaddy river. He was taken to Arakan
with his whole family when the family was captured after an Arakanese raid on Thayetmyo. He spent his youth as a princeling at the court of the Arakanese king. He conducted himself well, and became popular in court circles and also with common people. He was educated at the Arakanese court. His tutor was one of the most learned Arakanese monks of the day, and Swasawke became a scholar in his own right.
Later, when his family was freed, he left Arakan to enter the service of the king of Pinya Kingdom
, which controlled the territory east of the Irrawaddy. He won distinction both as a soldier and an administrator. When Thadominbya reunified Pinya and Sagaing kingdoms into a single kingdom in 1364, Swasawke was made governor of Amyin district, which included Yamethin
.
, and tried to rule from there. The ministers at the court intervened and offered the throne to Thilawa, the governor of Yamethin because he was respected by both Shan and Burman officials for his serious of purpose and strength of character. (He is known in Burmese history as the man who smiled three times throughout his life.) But the governor, an ethnic Burman who like all Burman royal officials was married to a Shan princess (Swasawke's sister), declined the offer because he would have found it difficult to control the Shan lords and their mercenaries. He reportedly said: "I do not open my mouth to speak three words a day. You had better choose Swasawke." At his suggestion, the ministers elected his brother-in-law Swasawke who had both Myinsaing (Shan) and Pagan pedigrees. As he was brought up as a Shan, Swasawke, though only one quarter Shan, was accepted by both Shan and Burman officials as king.
Swasawke drove the usurping couple out of Sagaing. Nga Nu ran away, and Saw Omma was given to the officer who captured her. Swasawke took Thadominbya's three younger sisters as queen.
continued to raid Upper Burma during Thadominbya's reign and after Swasawke became king. To deal with the Shans in the north, Swasawke entered into friendly relations with others, especially the Hanthawaddy Pegu Kingdom in the south. In 1371, he met King Binnya U
of Hanthawaddy at a frontier town, and the two kings demarcated the frontier and exchanged gifts. In the east, he received an embassy from Chiang Mai
, the king of Lan Na, assuring him of friendship.
With his base secure, Swasawke turned his attention to the Shans. Still in 1371, the Maw Shan State of Mohnyin
, a leading Shan State, was fighting against another Shan state Kale
of upper Chindwin
region. Saophas of Mohnyin and Kale both sought Swasawke's help, promising to become Ava's tributary. With the advice of his chief minister, Wunzin Minyaza, Swasawke decided to let the Shans fight it out among themselves, and secured nominal suzerainty over both states. The peace did not last long. In 1373, Mohnyin Shans again started raiding Avan territory--Myedu
in today's Shwebo District
. The Shan problem was not contained until 1393. That year, the Maw Shans of Mohnyin raided Tagaung, northernmost Avan frontier. Though Swasawke sent the lord of Legaing (in today's Minbu District
) to reinforce Tagaung, the Shans overran Tagaung and advanced all the way down to Sagaing
, just across the river from Ava. The Mohnyin forces, which left a trail of burnt houses and monasteries along their way, had become overstretched, and could not break the walls of Sagaing. At the battle of Sagaing, Ava's army led by Thilawa, the taciturn governor of Yamethin, decisively defeated the invaders, and pursued them up to Shangon, 20 miles northwest of Sagaing. So great were the Mohnyin losses that their corpses were piled up in heaps. No Shan state would raid the kingdom for the rest of Swasawke's reign.
and later Pinya
kingdoms. In 1347, the ruler of Toungoo, Thinhkaba, declared himself a sovereign king but Pinya was too weak to do anything. After he founded Ava, Thadominbya had to attack repeatedly before Toungoo before its ruler submitted. When Swasawke became king, he did not trust the ruler of Toungoo, who had received his education and training with the Mons at Pegu, for his pro-Hanthawaddy sympathies. In 1377, Swasawke instructed his elder brother, the governor of Prome (Pyay) to lure Pyanchi, the ruler of Toungoo to Prome on a false promise of marriage between his daughter and Pyanchi's son. The Toungoo ruler understood this to be the first step toward a joint rebellion against Swasawke. Pyanchi went to Prome with a strong bodyguard but was ambushed and killed. This act of treachery showed that Swasawke was merely waiting for an opportunity to attack all his enemies, including the Mons of Hanthawaddy. He shared Thadominbya's dream to make Ava the capital of the whole of Burma just as Pagan was.
with whom he had entered into friendly relations had died. Binnya U's teenage son Razadarit proclaimed himself king but faced open rebellions in all directions. Laukpya
, who had always ruled the Irrawaddy delta
like a king under his brother Binnya U, was not prepared to submit to his teenage nephew. In 1385, as Razadarit prepared to march to the delta, Laukpya sought assistance from Swasawke with the promise of submission to Ava. Swasawke's acceptance of Laukpya's invitation resulted in the Forty Years' War between Ava and Pegu.
In 1386, Swasawke launched a two-pronged invasion of Hanthawaddy down the Irrawaddy and Sittaung rivers, and Laukpya sent in his army from the delta. The young king did not lose nerve, and successfully fended off the invasions. In 1387, Swasawke again sent in another invasion force but it too failed to topple Razadarit. In 1388, Razadarit was able to defeat Martaban, and quickly moved in on the delta, defeating Laukpya at Myaungmya. Laukpya was killed in battle, and his son and his two sons-in-law fled to Ava.
Swasawke was now on the defensive. In 1390, Razadarit, having reconsolidated all three regions of Lower Burma, now looked to extend his rule northwards. In 1390, he attacked and conquered Myanaung
, the northernmost town in the delta still under the control of Ava. He then proceeded to lay siege to Prome, farther up the Irrawaddy. But Swasawke now sent in a combined land and a naval force and thwarted Razadarit's advance. In 1391, Razadarit and Swasawke reached a truce that gave Hanthawaddy control of Myanaung. Hanthawaddy now controlled all of Lower Burma south of Prome. Swasawke gave up his dream of unifying all of Burma during his reign.
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...
, who reigned from 1368 to 1400. When he was elected by the ministers to succeed King Thadominbya
Thadominbya
Thadominbya was the founder of the Kingdom of Ava who reunified central Burma in 1364 under a single kingdom. In his short reign of three plus years, the ethnically Shan king achieved accomplishments that would have a long lasting impact in Burmese history...
who left no heir, Swasawke took over a kingdom that was less than four years old, and still faced external and internal threats. By the end of his 33-year reign, Swasake had successfully cemented Ava's rule in Upper Burma.
In the north, he successfully fought off the Shan raids into Upper Burma, a longstanding problem since the days of Sagaing
Sagaing Kingdom
The Sagaing Kingdom was a kingdom that ruled a part of central Burma from 1315 to 1364. The kingdom was the western half of the old Myinsaing Kingdom, which itself was one of many petty kingdoms that emerged after the fall of the Pagan Empire in 1287...
and Pinya
Pinya Kingdom
The Pinya Kingdom was a kingdom that ruled part of central Burma from 1313 to 1364. It was the successor state to the Myinsaing Kingdom, one of many petty kingdoms that emerged after the fall of the Pagan Empire in 1287...
kingdoms. He maintained friendly relations with Lan Na Kingdom in the east, and Launggyet Kingdom of Arakan
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
in the west. In the south, he brought semi-independent kingdoms of Toungoo (Taungoo) and Prome (Pyay) firmly into Ava's orbit. But his attempts to extend control farther south were unsuccessful. His invasions of 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...
(Pegu/Bago) touched off 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...
(1385–1424) between Ava and Pegu. Swasawke and King Razadarit of Pegu agreed to a truce in 1391 that would last until Swasawke's death in 1400.
For the most part, his long reign was peaceful. In contrast to the short reigns by various kings since the fall of Pagan, Swasawke's 33-year reign brought brought much needed stability to Upper Burma. He redeveloped the economy of the kingdom by repairing the irrigation system, and reclaiming much of the arable land which had lapsed into wilderness as the result of the Mongol invasions nearly a century earlier. Under Swasawke's leadership, Upper Burma centered in Ava, finally achieved stability it had lacked for much of the past hundred years.
Early life
Swasawke claimed descent from both Pagan kings and the Three Shan Brothers, who succeeded the Pagan kings. His father Min Shin Saw was a son of King Kyawswa of PaganKyawswa of Pagan
Kyawswa was a king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1287 to 1298. Son of the last sovereign king of Pagan Narathihapate, Kyawswa was one of many "kings" that proliferated after the collapse of the Pagan Empire. Though still styled as King of Pagan, Kyawswa's effective rule amounted to just the area...
, and his mother was a daughter of Thihathu of Prome
Thihathu of Prome
Thihathu of Prome was a Pagan prince who killed his father Narathihapate, the last sovereign king of the Pagan Empire.In 1287, Narathihapate fled Pagan to Lower Burma in panic just before Mongols sacked the capital. Thihathu, who was governor of Prome , arrested his father and forced the king to...
and the only sister of the Shan Brothers. Although only one quarter Shan, he was given a Shan name, and brought up as a Shan from childhood, reflecting the Shan dominance of the era. His father was governor of Thayetmyo
Thayetmyo
Thayet or Thayetmyo is a city in Thayet District of Magway Region in central Burma . It is a port on the right bank of the Irrawaddy River, across and just south of Allanmyo, between Pyay and Magway. Thayet is the administrative seat of both Thayet District and Thayet Township...
, a small town to the west of the Irrawaddy river. He was taken to Arakan
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
with his whole family when the family was captured after an Arakanese raid on Thayetmyo. He spent his youth as a princeling at the court of the Arakanese king. He conducted himself well, and became popular in court circles and also with common people. He was educated at the Arakanese court. His tutor was one of the most learned Arakanese monks of the day, and Swasawke became a scholar in his own right.
Later, when his family was freed, he left Arakan to enter the service of the king of Pinya Kingdom
Pinya Kingdom
The Pinya Kingdom was a kingdom that ruled part of central Burma from 1313 to 1364. It was the successor state to the Myinsaing Kingdom, one of many petty kingdoms that emerged after the fall of the Pagan Empire in 1287...
, which controlled the territory east of the Irrawaddy. He won distinction both as a soldier and an administrator. When Thadominbya reunified Pinya and Sagaing kingdoms into a single kingdom in 1364, Swasawke was made governor of Amyin district, which included Yamethin
Yamethin
Yamethin is a town in central Burma in Yamethin District, Mandalay Region. Yamethin provides a market and processing for local agriculture production of rice and beans, as well having a small textile industry, and serving as a railroad shipping point on the Rangoon – Mandalay...
.
Ascension to throne
In 1368, Thadominbya suddenly died of small pox while on a southern military expedition. He was only 24, and had no children. Thadominbya's chief queen Saw Omma and court official Nga Nu nearly succeeded in seizing the throne. The couple executed everyone who opposed them, crossed over to SagaingSagaing
Sagaing is the capital of Sagaing Region in Myanmar. Located on the Ayeyarwady River, 20 km to the southwest of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river, Sagaing with numerous Buddhist monasteries is an important religious and monastic center. The pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous...
, and tried to rule from there. The ministers at the court intervened and offered the throne to Thilawa, the governor of Yamethin because he was respected by both Shan and Burman officials for his serious of purpose and strength of character. (He is known in Burmese history as the man who smiled three times throughout his life.) But the governor, an ethnic Burman who like all Burman royal officials was married to a Shan princess (Swasawke's sister), declined the offer because he would have found it difficult to control the Shan lords and their mercenaries. He reportedly said: "I do not open my mouth to speak three words a day. You had better choose Swasawke." At his suggestion, the ministers elected his brother-in-law Swasawke who had both Myinsaing (Shan) and Pagan pedigrees. As he was brought up as a Shan, Swasawke, though only one quarter Shan, was accepted by both Shan and Burman officials as king.
Swasawke drove the usurping couple out of Sagaing. Nga Nu ran away, and Saw Omma was given to the officer who captured her. Swasawke took Thadominbya's three younger sisters as queen.
Reign
Swasawke inherited a four-year-old kingdom whose foundations were still shaky. Much of the Irrawaddy valley had not enjoyed long periods of peace since the last days of Pagan dynasty, beginning with the Mongol invasions (1277–1301), and followed by constant raids by the Shans from north since the 1320s. Indeed the accelerated Shan attacks of 1359-1364 severely weakened both Sagaing and Pinya kingdoms, allowing Thadominbya to reunify the region.Shan raids
The Shans (called Maw Shans in Burmese) based in today's Kachin StateKachin State
Kachin State , is the northernmost state of Burma. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Division and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is . The capital of the...
continued to raid Upper Burma during Thadominbya's reign and after Swasawke became king. To deal with the Shans in the north, Swasawke entered into friendly relations with others, especially the Hanthawaddy Pegu Kingdom in the south. In 1371, he met 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 at a frontier town, and the two kings demarcated the frontier and exchanged gifts. In the east, he received an embassy from Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
, the king of Lan Na, assuring him of friendship.
With his base secure, Swasawke turned his attention to the Shans. Still in 1371, the Maw Shan State 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...
, a leading Shan State, was fighting against another Shan state Kale
Kale
Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane , a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Boiling decreases the level of sulforaphane; however, steaming,...
of upper Chindwin
Chindwin River
The Chindwin River is a river in Burma , and the largest tributary of the country's chief river the Ayeyarwady . It flows entirely within Burma and is known as Ning-thi to the Manipuris.-Source:...
region. Saophas of Mohnyin and Kale both sought Swasawke's help, promising to become Ava's tributary. With the advice of his chief minister, Wunzin Minyaza, Swasawke decided to let the Shans fight it out among themselves, and secured nominal suzerainty over both states. The peace did not last long. In 1373, Mohnyin Shans again started raiding Avan territory--Myedu
Myedu
Myedu is a small town located in Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region, Myanmar . The town was the fief of King Hsinbyushin of Konbaung Dynasty, who was also known as Myedu Min....
in today's Shwebo District
Shwebo District
Shwebo District is a district in south-central Sagaing Division of Burma . Its administrative center is the city of Shwebo.The district consists of the townships of Kanbalu, Khin-U, Kyunhla, Shwebo, Taze, Wetlet, and Ye-U....
. The Shan problem was not contained until 1393. That year, the Maw Shans of Mohnyin raided Tagaung, northernmost Avan frontier. Though Swasawke sent the lord of Legaing (in today's Minbu District
Minbu District
Minbu District is a district of the Magway Division in central Myanmar. The city of Minbu is the administrative centre.-Borders:Minbu District is bounded to the south by Thayet District, to the east by Magway District, to the north by Pakokku District and Gangaw District, to the northwest by Mindat...
) to reinforce Tagaung, the Shans overran Tagaung and advanced all the way down to Sagaing
Sagaing
Sagaing is the capital of Sagaing Region in Myanmar. Located on the Ayeyarwady River, 20 km to the southwest of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river, Sagaing with numerous Buddhist monasteries is an important religious and monastic center. The pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous...
, just across the river from Ava. The Mohnyin forces, which left a trail of burnt houses and monasteries along their way, had become overstretched, and could not break the walls of Sagaing. At the battle of Sagaing, Ava's army led by Thilawa, the taciturn governor of Yamethin, decisively defeated the invaders, and pursued them up to Shangon, 20 miles northwest of Sagaing. So great were the Mohnyin losses that their corpses were piled up in heaps. No Shan state would raid the kingdom for the rest of Swasawke's reign.
Arakan
In 1374, the throne of Arakan was vacant by the death of its king who left no heir. The Arakanese court at Launggyet asked Swasawke, who grew up in Arakan during his youth, to anoint one of his relations as king of Arakan. Swasawke nominated his uncle, Sawmungyi as king, charging him to cherish the people and rule justly. Sawmungyi proved a just ruler, and was accepted by the Arakanese. But he died in 1381, and the throne was again vacant. This time, Swasawke sent his own son by the daughter of his chief minister Wunzin Minyaza, to Arakan. But his son proved a tyrant, and came fleeing back to Ava soon after.Toungoo
Since the fall of Pagan, the hereditary rulers of Toungoo (Taungoo) in the southeastern part of the kingdom had acted like sovereign kings although they swore nominal loyalty to MyinsaingMyinsaing Kingdom
The Myinsaing Kingdom was a kingdom that ruled central Burma from 1298 to 1313. Founded by three brothers of Shan and Burman descent, it was one of many petty kingdoms that emerged following the collapse of Pagan Empire in 1287....
and later Pinya
Pinya Kingdom
The Pinya Kingdom was a kingdom that ruled part of central Burma from 1313 to 1364. It was the successor state to the Myinsaing Kingdom, one of many petty kingdoms that emerged after the fall of the Pagan Empire in 1287...
kingdoms. In 1347, the ruler of Toungoo, Thinhkaba, declared himself a sovereign king but Pinya was too weak to do anything. After he founded Ava, Thadominbya had to attack repeatedly before Toungoo before its ruler submitted. When Swasawke became king, he did not trust the ruler of Toungoo, who had received his education and training with the Mons at Pegu, for his pro-Hanthawaddy sympathies. In 1377, Swasawke instructed his elder brother, the governor of Prome (Pyay) to lure Pyanchi, the ruler of Toungoo to Prome on a false promise of marriage between his daughter and Pyanchi's son. The Toungoo ruler understood this to be the first step toward a joint rebellion against Swasawke. Pyanchi went to Prome with a strong bodyguard but was ambushed and killed. This act of treachery showed that Swasawke was merely waiting for an opportunity to attack all his enemies, including the Mons of Hanthawaddy. He shared Thadominbya's dream to make Ava the capital of the whole of Burma just as Pagan was.
Forty Years' War
Swasawke decided to invade Hanthawaddy after King Binnya UBinnya 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...
with whom he had entered into friendly relations had died. Binnya U's teenage son Razadarit proclaimed himself king but faced open rebellions in all directions. Laukpya
Laukpya
Laukpya , the Lord of Myaungmya, was a key figure who started the Forty Years' War between the Mon-speaking Kingdom of Hanthawaddy and the Burmese-speaking Kingdom of Ava. A brother of King Binnya U of Hanthawaddy, Laukpya ruled the Irrawaddy delta like an independent king during his brother's...
, who had always 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 a king under his brother Binnya U, was not prepared to submit to his teenage nephew. In 1385, as Razadarit prepared to march to the delta, Laukpya sought assistance from Swasawke with the promise of submission to Ava. Swasawke's acceptance of Laukpya's invitation resulted in the Forty Years' War between Ava and Pegu.
In 1386, Swasawke launched a two-pronged invasion of Hanthawaddy down the Irrawaddy and Sittaung rivers, and Laukpya sent in his army from the delta. The young king did not lose nerve, and successfully fended off the invasions. In 1387, Swasawke again sent in another invasion force but it too failed to topple Razadarit. In 1388, Razadarit was able to defeat Martaban, and quickly moved in on the delta, defeating Laukpya at Myaungmya. Laukpya was killed in battle, and his son and his two sons-in-law fled to Ava.
Swasawke was now on the defensive. In 1390, Razadarit, having reconsolidated all three regions of Lower Burma, now looked to extend his rule northwards. In 1390, he attacked and conquered Myanaung
Myanaung
Myanaung is a town in the Ayeyarwady Division of south-west Burma. It is the seat of the Myanaung Township in the Hinthada District.-External links:*...
, the northernmost town in the delta still under the control of Ava. He then proceeded to lay siege to Prome, farther up the Irrawaddy. But Swasawke now sent in a combined land and a naval force and thwarted Razadarit's advance. In 1391, Razadarit and Swasawke reached a truce that gave Hanthawaddy control of Myanaung. Hanthawaddy now controlled all of Lower Burma south of Prome. Swasawke gave up his dream of unifying all of Burma during his reign.