Tabinshwehti
Encyclopedia
Tabinshwehti was a king who unified Burma (now Myanmar
) 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. He moved the capital from Toungoo to the important trading center of Pegu (1539).
To rebuild a Burmese state, he engaged in a long series of military campaigns that ended only with his assassination in 1550. His brother-in-law Bayinnaung
re-established his kingdom after his death, expanding the Burmese kingdom through expansionary warfare.
kingdom of Pegu on the Bay of Bengal
. A succession of Mon
kings had ruled over a united Lower Burma
at least since the time of King Rajadhirat
(r. 1385-1421). In 1539 after first taking the western delta region around Bassein and augmenting his forces with military manpower and armaments, Tabinshwehti overcame the defences of Pegu and occupied the capital of the Mon
kingdom.
Several factors explain why Toungoo started attacking Pegu shortly after Tabinshwehti became king of Toungoo in 1531. Trade wealth and maritime markets made coastal Pegu an attractive military target. Toungoo relied on Pegu for important commodities such as cloth and salt. This trade contact brought knowledge of Pegu's wealth.
Another factor was the threat posed by the Shan confederation that had ruled over Ava to the north after conquering it in 1527. The Shans conquered Prome
to the west of Toungoo in 1533, the year after Tabinshwehti became king of Toungoo. This left Toungoo, the only remaining Burmese stronghold, as the next logical target for Shan-controlled Ava to attack and subjugate. Conquering Pegu first would also augment Toungoo's supply of military man and animal power and weapons, strengthening Toungoo to better face the Shan threat from the north.
, north to Prome in pursuit of Takayutpi
the Mon
king of Pegu (r. 1526–1539) who had fled north to seek refuge at Prome.
In the famous Battle of Naungyo
, Bayinnaung
faced a superior force on the other side of a river. After crossing the river on a pontoon bridge (rafts in another version) Bayinnaung ordered the bridge to be destroyed. This action was taken to spur his troops forward in battle and provide a clear signal that there would be no retreat. Before the battle began Bayinnaung also disregarded a message from Tabinshwehti ordering him to wait for the main body of troops to arrive. Bayinnaung replied that he had already met the enemy and defeated them. To those who criticized this action, Bayinnaung replied that if they lost, they would all be dead anyway and it would not matter whether they were alive or not.
Tabinshwehti could not take Prome because it was well-defended with strong walls and supported militarily by Shan Ava. When Takayutpi
died, many of his loyal followers came over to Tabinshwehti's side. Tabinshwehti increased his military strength by employing mercenaries of many nationalities including Portuguese
and Muslims. The number of Portuguese in his employ is said to have numbered as many as 700 men.
proved difficult to subdue because it was supported by Portuguese soldiers and arms. On the land side of the town strong fortifications backed by earthwork and on the water side seven Portuguese ships commanded by Paulo Seixas provided a strong defence. When under siege supplies ran out, Martaban tried to negotiate terms, but Tabinshwehti would only accept a complete surrender. Martaban tried to lure away the Portuguese mercenary Joano Cayeyro who was helping Tabinshwehti, but these efforts failed. Finally, Tabinshwehti used fire rafts to burn and drive away the ships guarding the water side of the fortifications. A high fortress raft armed with guns and cannons was manoeuvred to a position in front of the river side fortifications. The walls were cleared of defenders and a final assault was made on the town. The Portuguese writer Fernão Mendes Pinto
records in great detail the pillaging and executions that supposedly took place in the wake of the defeat after seven months of siege.
. Tai forces arrived first, but Bayinnaung met them in advance before they could reach Prome and defeated them.
The siege of Prome dragged on and when the rainy season arrived Tabinshwehti ordered his troops to plant rice and gather manpower and provisions from Lower Burma. The overland contingent of forces sent by Arakan was ambushed by Bayinnaung. This defeat caused both the land and river forces of Arakan to return to Arakan. After five months of siege, starvation led to defections and the weakened defences of Prome were easily overcome. The sack of Prome and the punishments that were supposedly meted out to the inhabitants are described in great detail by Fernão Mendes Pinto
.
In 1543, Shan forces led a counter-attack but were again defeated by Tabinshwehti's forces. In 1544, Tabinshwehti marched north and took Pagan and Salin, leaving a garrison in Salin. Instead of driving northwards and re-establishing a Burmese state at Ava, Tabinshwehti turned his attention to the coastal polities to his west and east, Arakan
and Ayutthaya
.
in southern Arakan had pledged loyalty to Tabinshwehti in exchange for the throne of Arakan
. The fortifications at Mrauk U
, the capital of Arakan had been built with the assistance of the Portuguese. The normal strategies of frontal assault or siege were ineffective against these fortifications. Arakan with the intercession of monks finally convinced Tabinshwehti to abandon the siege and return to Pegu.
had sent raiding parties against Tavoy
in Tenasserim. Tabinshwehti ordered the lord of Martaban to regain Tenasserim and in 1548 Tabinshwehti himself led a large invasion force westwards over the Three Pagodas Pass
Route to attack Ayutthaya.
The famous Queen Sri Suriyothai
participated in the battle between Ayutthaya and Tabinshwehti's forces. Facing strong fortifications and Portuguese mercenaries at Ayutthaya, Tabinshwehti decided to move north and attack the weaker towns to the north, Kamphaengphet, Sukhothai
, and Phitsanulok.
While Tabinshwehti had been campaigning in the east, a Mon
revival had been gathering momentum in Lower Burma. Upon his return Tabinshwehti was assassinated by Mon members of his own court in 1550, decapitated by his chamberlains whilst searching for a fictitious white elephant
. He is one of four Burmese kings who died an elephant-related death, A short period of Mon rule ensued while Bayinnnaung fought to restore the kingdom that Tabinshwehti had built., although he was assassinated.
(spirits) worshipped in Myanmar in addition to Buddhism. He is portrayed sitting cross-legged on a throne in full regalia, with two swords in his left hand and right hands above his knee.
. Thai historian Sunait Chutintaranond wrote the story for the film.
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
) in 1539 and known as the founder of the Second Burmese Empire.
Tabinshwehti succeeded his father Mingyinyo
Mingyinyo
Mingyinyo was the founder of Toungoo dynasty of Burma . Under his 44-year leadership , Toungoo , grew from a remote backwater vassal state of Ava Kingdom to a small but stable independent kingdom. In 1510, he declared Toungoo's independence from its nominal overlord Ava. He skillfully kept his...
as ruler of the Toungoo dynasty in 1530. He moved the capital from Toungoo to the important trading center of Pegu (1539).
To rebuild a Burmese state, he engaged in a long series of military campaigns that ended only with his assassination in 1550. His brother-in-law 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...
re-established his kingdom after his death, expanding the Burmese kingdom through expansionary warfare.
Pegu (1535–39)
Between 1535 and 1539 Tabinshwehti marched south from Toungoo in a series of four military expeditions against the MonMon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
kingdom of Pegu on the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
. A succession of Mon
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
kings had ruled over a united Lower Burma
Lower Burma
Lower Burma is a geographic region of Burma and includes the low-lying Irrawaddy delta , as well as coastal regions of the country ....
at least since the time of King Rajadhirat
Rajadhirat
Razadarit was the ninth king of Hanthawaddy Pegu from 1384 to 1422, and is considered one of the greatest kings in Burmese history. He successfully reunified all three Mon-speaking regions of southern Burma , and fended off major assaults by the Burmese-speaking northern Kingdom of Ava in the...
(r. 1385-1421). In 1539 after first taking the western delta region around Bassein and augmenting his forces with military manpower and armaments, Tabinshwehti overcame the defences of Pegu and occupied the capital of the Mon
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
kingdom.
Several factors explain why Toungoo started attacking Pegu shortly after Tabinshwehti became king of Toungoo in 1531. Trade wealth and maritime markets made coastal Pegu an attractive military target. Toungoo relied on Pegu for important commodities such as cloth and salt. This trade contact brought knowledge of Pegu's wealth.
Another factor was the threat posed by the Shan confederation that had ruled over Ava to the north after conquering it in 1527. The Shans conquered Prome
Pyay
Pyay is a town in the Bago Division in Burma. It has an estimated population of 123,800 . Pyay is positioned on the Ayeyarwady River and is northwest of Yangon....
to the west of Toungoo in 1533, the year after Tabinshwehti became king of Toungoo. This left Toungoo, the only remaining Burmese stronghold, as the next logical target for Shan-controlled Ava to attack and subjugate. Conquering Pegu first would also augment Toungoo's supply of military man and animal power and weapons, strengthening Toungoo to better face the Shan threat from the north.
Prome (1539)
Tabinshwehti sent his top general and brother-in-law, the future King BayinnaungBayinnaung
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...
, north to Prome in pursuit of Takayutpi
Takayutpi
Thushin Takayutpi was the last sovereign king of Hanthawaddy Pegu who reigned from 1526 to 1539. At his ascension, the 15-year-old king inherited the most prosperous and powerful kingdom of all post-Pagan kingdoms...
the Mon
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
king of Pegu (r. 1526–1539) who had fled north to seek refuge at Prome.
In the famous Battle of Naungyo
Battle of Naungyo
The Battle of Naungyo was a land battle fought between the armies of the Toungoo Kingdom and Hanthawaddy Kingdom during the Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War . The battle was the most decisive Toungoo victory of the war. Toungoo armies led by Gen. Kyawhtin Nawrahta decisively defeated a numerically far...
, 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...
faced a superior force on the other side of a river. After crossing the river on a pontoon bridge (rafts in another version) Bayinnaung ordered the bridge to be destroyed. This action was taken to spur his troops forward in battle and provide a clear signal that there would be no retreat. Before the battle began Bayinnaung also disregarded a message from Tabinshwehti ordering him to wait for the main body of troops to arrive. Bayinnaung replied that he had already met the enemy and defeated them. To those who criticized this action, Bayinnaung replied that if they lost, they would all be dead anyway and it would not matter whether they were alive or not.
Tabinshwehti could not take Prome because it was well-defended with strong walls and supported militarily by Shan Ava. When Takayutpi
Takayutpi
Thushin Takayutpi was the last sovereign king of Hanthawaddy Pegu who reigned from 1526 to 1539. At his ascension, the 15-year-old king inherited the most prosperous and powerful kingdom of all post-Pagan kingdoms...
died, many of his loyal followers came over to Tabinshwehti's side. Tabinshwehti increased his military strength by employing mercenaries of many nationalities including Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
and Muslims. The number of Portuguese in his employ is said to have numbered as many as 700 men.
Martaban (1540–41)
The thriving port of MartabanMottama
Mottama, formerly Martaban, is a small town in the Thaton district of Mon State, Myanmar. Located on the north bank of the Thanlwin river, on the opposite side of Mawlamyaing, Mottama was the first capital of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, and an entrepôt of international...
proved difficult to subdue because it was supported by Portuguese soldiers and arms. On the land side of the town strong fortifications backed by earthwork and on the water side seven Portuguese ships commanded by Paulo Seixas provided a strong defence. When under siege supplies ran out, Martaban tried to negotiate terms, but Tabinshwehti would only accept a complete surrender. Martaban tried to lure away the Portuguese mercenary Joano Cayeyro who was helping Tabinshwehti, but these efforts failed. Finally, Tabinshwehti used fire rafts to burn and drive away the ships guarding the water side of the fortifications. A high fortress raft armed with guns and cannons was manoeuvred to a position in front of the river side fortifications. The walls were cleared of defenders and a final assault was made on the town. The Portuguese writer Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto was a Portuguese explorer and writer. His exploits are known through the posthumous publication of his memoir Pilgrimage in 1614, an autobiographical work whose truthfulness is nearly impossible to assess...
records in great detail the pillaging and executions that supposedly took place in the wake of the defeat after seven months of siege.
Prome and Upper Burma (1542–1544)
After a coronation ceremony and religious donations at the Shwedagon Pagoda in 1541, Tabinshwehti led an expedition to the north to subjugate Prome. The first assaults against the walls of Prome failed. Prome requested aid from Shan Ava and ArakanRakhine 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...
. Tai forces arrived first, but Bayinnaung met them in advance before they could reach Prome and defeated them.
The siege of Prome dragged on and when the rainy season arrived Tabinshwehti ordered his troops to plant rice and gather manpower and provisions from Lower Burma. The overland contingent of forces sent by Arakan was ambushed by Bayinnaung. This defeat caused both the land and river forces of Arakan to return to Arakan. After five months of siege, starvation led to defections and the weakened defences of Prome were easily overcome. The sack of Prome and the punishments that were supposedly meted out to the inhabitants are described in great detail by Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto was a Portuguese explorer and writer. His exploits are known through the posthumous publication of his memoir Pilgrimage in 1614, an autobiographical work whose truthfulness is nearly impossible to assess...
.
In 1543, Shan forces led a counter-attack but were again defeated by Tabinshwehti's forces. In 1544, Tabinshwehti marched north and took Pagan and Salin, leaving a garrison in Salin. Instead of driving northwards and re-establishing a Burmese state at Ava, Tabinshwehti turned his attention to the coastal polities to his west and east, 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...
and Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
.
Arakan (1546–1547)
The ruler of SandowayThandwe
-Ngapali Beach:Ngapali Beach is a beach located 7 kilometres from the town of Thandwe , in Rakhine State, Myanmar. It is the most famous beach in Myanmar and is a popular tourist destination...
in southern Arakan had pledged loyalty to Tabinshwehti in exchange for the throne 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...
. The fortifications at Mrauk U
Mrauk U
Mrauk U is an archaeologically important town in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar. It is also the capital of Mrauk-U Township, a sub region of the Sittwe District. It was the capital of Mrauk U Kingdom, the most important and powerful Rakhine kingdom from 1433 to 1784.-Geography:Mrauk U lies...
, the capital of Arakan had been built with the assistance of the Portuguese. The normal strategies of frontal assault or siege were ineffective against these fortifications. Arakan with the intercession of monks finally convinced Tabinshwehti to abandon the siege and return to Pegu.
Ayutthaya (1548)
While Tabinshwehti was campaigning in Arakan, AyutthayaAyutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
had sent raiding parties against Tavoy
Dawei
-Transport:Only recently Dawei was connected to the rest of Myanmar by road and rail. There are plans to construct a deepwater port in Dawei. In November 2010, the Myanmar Port Authority signed a USD $8.6 billion deal with Italian-Thai Development to develop a deep sea port at Dawei...
in Tenasserim. Tabinshwehti ordered the lord of Martaban to regain Tenasserim and in 1548 Tabinshwehti himself led a large invasion force westwards over the Three Pagodas Pass
Three Pagodas Pass
The Three Pagodas Pass is a pass in the Tenasserim Hills on the border between Thailand and Burma , at an altitude of above sea level....
Route to attack Ayutthaya.
The famous Queen Sri Suriyothai
Queen Sri Suriyothai
Somdet Phra Sri Suriyothai was a royal consort during the 16th century Ayutthaya period of Siam . She is famous for having given up her life in the defense of her husband, King Maha Chakkraphat in a battle during the Burmese-Siamese War of 1548....
participated in the battle between Ayutthaya and Tabinshwehti's forces. Facing strong fortifications and Portuguese mercenaries at Ayutthaya, Tabinshwehti decided to move north and attack the weaker towns to the north, Kamphaengphet, Sukhothai
Sukhothai kingdom
The Sukhothai Kingdom ) was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. The Kingdom existed from 1238 till 1438...
, and Phitsanulok.
While Tabinshwehti had been campaigning in the east, a Mon
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
revival had been gathering momentum in Lower Burma. Upon his return Tabinshwehti was assassinated by Mon members of his own court in 1550, decapitated by his chamberlains whilst searching for a fictitious white elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
. He is one of four Burmese kings who died an elephant-related death, A short period of Mon rule ensued while Bayinnnaung fought to restore the kingdom that Tabinshwehti had built., although he was assassinated.
Tabinshwehti nat
The Tabinshwehti nat is one of the 37 natsNat (spirit)
The nats are spirits worshipped in Burma in conjunction with Buddhism. They are divided between the 37 Great Nats and all the rest . Almost all of the 37 Great Nats were human beings who met violent deaths . They may thus also be called nat sein...
(spirits) worshipped in Myanmar in addition to Buddhism. He is portrayed sitting cross-legged on a throne in full regalia, with two swords in his left hand and right hands above his knee.
Historical fiction
One of the first modern novels published in the Burmese language in the early 20th century was a fictional recreation of Tabinshweihti's reign named Tabinshwehti Wuttu Daw Gyi.The Legend of Suriyothai (Thai epic film)
Tabinshwehti's invasion of Ayutthaya was an important part of the plot in the 2001 Thai-produced epic film The Legend of SuriyothaiThe Legend of Suriyothai
The Legend of Suriyothai is a 2001 Thai film directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol, telling the story of Queen Suriyothai, who died in a battle in 1548 against Burmese invaders...
. Thai historian Sunait Chutintaranond wrote the story for the film.
Modern military operations
The campaign against communist insurgents in 1962 was named "Operation Tabinshwehti".External sources
- Charney, Michael Walter (1998). "Rise of a Mainland Trading State: Rahkaing Under the Early Mrauk-U Kings, c. 1430-1603." Journal of Burma Studies 3: 1-34.
- Fernquest, Jon (2005b) "Min-gyi-nyo, the Shan Invasions of Ava(1524-27), and the *Beginnings of Expansionary Warfare in Toungoo Burma: 1486-1539." SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research 3.2 Autumn.
- Harvey, G.E. (1925) History of Burma from the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824, The Beginning of the English Conquest, London: Longmans, Green and Co.
- Kala, U. 1959-1961. Mahayazawinkyi [The great chronicles]. 3 vols. Burma Research Society,Burmese text series no. 5. vol. 1 (1959) and vol. 2 (1960), edited by Saya Pwa, vol. 3 (1961), edited by Saya U Khine Soe. Rangoon: Hanthawaddy Press. (Kala I, 1959; Kala II, 1960; Kala III, 1961)
- Leider, Jacques Pierre. (1998) "Le Royaume D'Arakan (Birmanie): Son Histoire Politique Entre le Debut du XV et la Fin du XVII Siecle," PhD dissertation, Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, Paris.
- Lieberman, Victor B. (1980) "Europeans, Trade, and the Unification of Burma, c. 1540-1620," Oriens Extremus 27 (1980):203-226.
- Pinto, Fernão Mendes. 1989. The travels of Mendes Pinto. Translated and edited by Rebecca. D. Catz. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Shorto (tr.) (no date) Unpublished typescript translation of pp. 34–44, 61-264 of Phra Candakanto (ed.) Nidana Ramadhipati-katha (or as on binding Rajawamsa Dhammaceti Mahapitakadhara), authorship attributed to Bannyadala (c. 1518–1572), Pak Lat, Siam, 1912.
- Surakiat, Pamaree (2005) "Thai-Burmese Warfare during the Sixteenth Century and the Growth of the First Toungoo Empire." Journal of the Siam Society 93: 69-100.
- Surakiat, Pamaree (2006) "The Changing Nature of Conflict between Burma and Siam as seen from the growth and development of Burmese states from the 16th to the 19th centuries." ARI Working Paper, No. 64, March 2006,