Thihathu of Ava
Encyclopedia
Thihathu of Ava was the fifth king of Ava
who reigned from 1422 to 1426. It was during his reign that the Forty Years' War
(1385–1424) between Ava and Hanthawaddy Pegu kingdoms came to a formal close. Unlike his late elder brother Minyekyawswa
, he did not consider Pegu his enemy, and followed a policy of conciliation and friendship toward Pegu. In 1423, he actually helped to broker a truce between two rival claimants to the Hanthawaddy throne. For his help in breaking up the fight, Thihathu was given the rival princes' sister Lady Shin Sawbu
whom he made his queen.
Though he made peace with Hanthawaddy Pegu in the south, the Shans from various Shan States
in the north continued to raid Avan territory. In 1426, Thihathu was killed in ambush by the Shan raiders of Thibaw
. The ambush was arranged by his chief queen Shin Bo-Me
who wanted to put her lover Kale Kyetaungnyo
on the throne.
, the Prince of Pyinsi by his chief queen Shin Mi-Nauk
, a daughter of the saopha
(Chief) of the Shan state of Mohnyin
. As Minkhaung himself was one-eighth Shan, Thihathu was slightly more Shan (9/16th to be exact) than Burman
. During his youth, he grew up in Pyinsi, located about 30 miles south of Ava where his father was in charge. In 1401, he came to Ava when his father ascended the Ava throne. Thihathu was not like his fiery elder brother Minyekyawswa
, who led a battalion at age 13 and an army by 16. In his 20s, Thihathu did join his brother's campaigns. In 1415, he led a naval contingent that accompanied Minyekyawswa's land forces that invaded the Irrawaddy delta
. In 1417, Minyekyawswa, who was the heir-apparent of Ava, fell in battle. Thihathu, who governor of Prome, was made the next heir-apparent in 1419.
to be his chief queen. He was so fond of her that his first wife, Min Hla Htut, retired into religion. He also took his brother Minyekyawswa's wife Saw Minhla as queen. In 1423, following the death of King Razadarit of Hanthawaddy, he marched south to the Irrawaddy delta
to break up a succession crisis between Prince Binnya Ran I
who was rebelling against his elder brother King Binnya Dhammaraza
. For his help in breaking up the fight, Thihathu came back with the two brothers' sister Lady Shin Sawbu
and made her queen.
The king soon grew so fond her Shin Sawbu that his chief queen Shin Bo-Me became jealous. In 1426, she secretly called in the chief of Hsipaw
(Thibaw) to attack Ava. In his march to meet the raiders, Thihathu was severely wounded in an ambush, and died soon after. The ambush was arranged by Shin Bo-Me who wanted to put her lover Kalekyetaungnyo on the throne.
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 1422 to 1426. It was during his reign that 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 Hanthawaddy Pegu kingdoms came to a formal close. Unlike his late elder brother Minyekyawswa
Minyekyawswa
Minyekyawswa was crown prince of Ava from 1407 to 1417, and commander-in-chief of Ava's military from 1410 to 1417. He is best remembered in Burmese history as the courageous general who waged the most fierce battles of Forty Years' War against King Razadarit of Hanthawaddy Pegu.The prince, who...
, he did not consider Pegu his enemy, and followed a policy of conciliation and friendship toward Pegu. In 1423, he actually helped to broker a truce between two rival claimants to the Hanthawaddy throne. For his help in breaking up the fight, Thihathu was given the rival princes' sister Lady Shin Sawbu
Shin Sawbu
Shin Sawbu was the queen of Hanthawaddy from 1453 to 1472. Queen Shin Sawbu was also known as Binnya Thau or Old Queen in Mon. Queen Shin Sawbu and Queen Jamadevi of Haripunjaya are the two most famous queens among the small number of queens who ruled in mainland Southeast Asia...
whom he made his queen.
Though he made peace with Hanthawaddy Pegu in the south, the Shans from various Shan States
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...
in the north continued to raid Avan territory. In 1426, Thihathu was killed in ambush by the Shan raiders of Thibaw
Thibaw
Thibaw may refer to:* Thibaw Min , last king of Burma, Konbaung Dynasty* Thibaw , Myanmar...
. The ambush was arranged by his chief queen Shin Bo-Me
Shin Bo-Me
Shin Bo-Me was queen to five consecutive kings of Ava. The ethnic Shan queen was considered a great beauty. She was the favorite and chief queen of Minkhaung I. In 1426, she engineered the death of the next two kings Thihathu and Minhlange. She personally poisoned an 8-year-old Minhlange and put...
who wanted to put her lover Kale Kyetaungnyo
Kale Kyetaungnyo
Kale Kyetaungnyo was the seventh king of Ava who reigned for seven months from 1426 to 1427. He came to the Ava throne with the help of Queen Shin Bo-Me who had engineered the deaths of her husband King Thihathu and his eight-year-old son King Minhlange in 1426 to put her lover on the throne...
on the throne.
Early life
Thihathu was the second son of MinkhaungMinkhaung I
Minkhaung I of Ava was the fourth king of Ava from 1401 to 1422. Minkhaung is best remembered in Burmese history for his epic struggles against King Razadarit of Hanthawaddy Pegu in the Forty Years' War , and for being the father of Crown Prince Minyekyawswa, who did most of the fighting.Minkhaung...
, the Prince of Pyinsi by his chief queen Shin Mi-Nauk
Shin Mi-Nauk
Shin Mi-Nauk was the chief queen of King Minkhaung I of Ava from 1401 to 1409. She was the mother of Crown Prince Minyekyawswa, who is one of the most celebrated generals in Burmese history, and King Thihathu of Ava. Mi-Nauk was a daughter of Hsongamhpa, the saopha of Shan state of Mohnyin...
, a daughter of the 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 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...
. As Minkhaung himself was one-eighth Shan, Thihathu was slightly more Shan (9/16th to be exact) than Burman
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
. During his youth, he grew up in Pyinsi, located about 30 miles south of Ava where his father was in charge. In 1401, he came to Ava when his father ascended the Ava throne. Thihathu was not like his fiery elder brother Minyekyawswa
Minyekyawswa
Minyekyawswa was crown prince of Ava from 1407 to 1417, and commander-in-chief of Ava's military from 1410 to 1417. He is best remembered in Burmese history as the courageous general who waged the most fierce battles of Forty Years' War against King Razadarit of Hanthawaddy Pegu.The prince, who...
, who led a battalion at age 13 and an army by 16. In his 20s, Thihathu did join his brother's campaigns. In 1415, he led a naval contingent that accompanied Minyekyawswa's land forces that invaded 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...
. In 1417, Minyekyawswa, who was the heir-apparent of Ava, fell in battle. Thihathu, who governor of Prome, was made the next heir-apparent in 1419.
Reign
Thihathu ascended the Ava throne in circa February 1422 without incident. He raised his father's favorite queen Shin Bo-MeShin Bo-Me
Shin Bo-Me was queen to five consecutive kings of Ava. The ethnic Shan queen was considered a great beauty. She was the favorite and chief queen of Minkhaung I. In 1426, she engineered the death of the next two kings Thihathu and Minhlange. She personally poisoned an 8-year-old Minhlange and put...
to be his chief queen. He was so fond of her that his first wife, Min Hla Htut, retired into religion. He also took his brother Minyekyawswa's wife Saw Minhla as queen. In 1423, following the death of King Razadarit of Hanthawaddy, he marched south to 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...
to break up a succession crisis between Prince Binnya Ran I
Binnya Ran I
Binnya Ran I was the eleventh king of Hanthawaddy Pegu who reigned from 1426 to 1446. As crown prince, he ended the Forty Years' War with the rival Ava Kingdom in 1423. He came to the throne after poisoning his brother King Binnya Dhammaraza in 1426...
who was rebelling against his elder brother King Binnya Dhammaraza
Binnya Dhammaraza
Binnya Dhammaraza was the tenth king of Hanthawaddy Pegu who reigned for three tumultuous years between 1422 and 1426. Having ascended to the Hanthawaddy throne after his father Razadarit died in a hunting accident, Binnya Dhammaraza faced both internal rebellions by his brothers Binnya Ran I and...
. For his help in breaking up the fight, Thihathu came back with the two brothers' sister Lady Shin Sawbu
Shin Sawbu
Shin Sawbu was the queen of Hanthawaddy from 1453 to 1472. Queen Shin Sawbu was also known as Binnya Thau or Old Queen in Mon. Queen Shin Sawbu and Queen Jamadevi of Haripunjaya are the two most famous queens among the small number of queens who ruled in mainland Southeast Asia...
and made her queen.
The king soon grew so fond her Shin Sawbu that his chief queen Shin Bo-Me became jealous. In 1426, she secretly called in the chief of 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...
(Thibaw) to attack Ava. In his march to meet the raiders, Thihathu was severely wounded in an ambush, and died soon after. The ambush was arranged by Shin Bo-Me who wanted to put her lover Kalekyetaungnyo on the throne.