Thihathu of Prome
Encyclopedia
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 (Pyay), arrested his father and forced the king to take poison. To refuse would have meant death by the sword, and with a prayer on his lips that in all his future existences "may no male-child be ever born to him again", the king swallowed the poison and died.
Having killed the king, Thihathu next tried to kill off his two rival half-brothers, Uzana
(Governor of Pathein
) and Kyawswa
(Governor of Dala
) as they were also potential claimants to the throne. Thihathu first went to Pathein, entered Uzana's chambers, and hacked Uzana, who laid sick in his chamber, to pieces. He then sailed to Dala to kill Kyawswa. At the Dala harbor, as he tried to shoot one of the guards with his crossbow, he accidentally killed himself by his own arrow.
Narathihapate
Narathihapate was the last king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1254 to 1287. The king is unkindly remembered for two things: his gluttonous appetite which supposedly required all his dinners to have 300 varieties of dishes; and his panic flight from Mongol invasions. He is forever remembered as ...
, the last sovereign king of the Pagan Empire.
In 1287, Narathihapate fled 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...
to Lower Burma in panic just before Mongols
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
sacked the capital. Thihathu, who was governor of Prome (Pyay), arrested his father and forced the king to take poison. To refuse would have meant death by the sword, and with a prayer on his lips that in all his future existences "may no male-child be ever born to him again", the king swallowed the poison and died.
Having killed the king, Thihathu next tried to kill off his two rival half-brothers, Uzana
Uzana of Bassein
Uzana of Bassein was the eldest son of King Narathihapate, the last sovereign king of the Pagan Empire, and the heir-presumptive of the Pagan throne. Uzana, son of Queen Saw Nan and a grandnephew of powerful Queen Shin Saw, was granted Bassein in fief. Uzana was one of Narathihapate's sons ruling...
(Governor of Pathein
Pathein
Pathein , also called Bassein, is a port city with a 2004 population estimated at 215,600, and the capital of the Ayeyarwady Region, Burma. It lies on the Pathein River , which is a western branch of the Irrawaddy River....
) and Kyawswa
Kyawswa 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...
(Governor of Dala
Dala Township
Dala Township is located on the southern bank of Yangon river across from downtown Yangon, Myanmar. The township, consisted of 23 wards, is bounded by the Yangon river in the north and east, the Twante Canal in the west, and Twante Township in the south...
) as they were also potential claimants to the throne. Thihathu first went to Pathein, entered Uzana's chambers, and hacked Uzana, who laid sick in his chamber, to pieces. He then sailed to Dala to kill Kyawswa. At the Dala harbor, as he tried to shoot one of the guards with his crossbow, he accidentally killed himself by his own arrow.