Sanda Min Hla

Sanda Min Hla (Burmese: စန္ဒာမင်းလှ, pronounced: [sàɴdà mɪ́ɴ l̥a̰]; died c. 1363) was the queen consort of three kings of Hanthawaddy Kingdom, and the real palace power behind the throne. Her murder of her second husband King Saw E, grandson of king of Sukhothai provoked an invasion from Sukhothai. Her third husband King Binnya E Law, whom she placed on the throne, defeated the invasion, allowing the kingdom to achieve its independence from Sukhothai.^[3]

Early life

Like all Hanthawaddy royal family, Sanda Min Hla was of Shan and Mon descent. She was a daughter of King Hkun Law, and a niece of King Wareru, the founder of the dynasty. Her birth name was Hnin An Po (နှင်းအံပို; Burmese pronunciation: [n̥ɪ́ɴ ʔàɴ pò]). She was first married to her first cousin Saw Zein, whose mother Hnin U Yaing and her father Hkun Law were siblings. The marriage must been difficult for her as it was Saw Zein's father Min Bala that killed her father the king in 1311. (Min Bala and Hnin U Yaing placed their eldest son Saw O, Saw Zein's elder brother, on the throne).^[3]

Palace power

Saw O died in 1323, and with Saw Zein's ascension to the throne, Sanda Min Hla herself became the chief queen. After Saw Zein died in 1330, she emerged as the king maker. When former court official Zein Pun seized the throne, she led the palace coup, and placed Saw E, nephew of Saw Zein and grandson of king of Sukhothai, on the throne. Though she was an aunt to the young king, she naturally made herself his chief queen. When Saw E spent more time with concubines, she poisoned Saw E. She anointed her half-brother Binnya E Law to the throne, and again made herself the chief queen.

Her murder of Saw E greatly angered the king of Sukhothai as Saw E was a grandson of his. Sukhothai forces invaded but were defeated. From then on, Hanthawaddy threw off its nominal vassal status to Sukhothai.^[3]

She was queen of Hanthawaddy for 25 years, from 1323 to 1348. She died c. 1363 as the Martaban rebellion was beginning.^[4]

References

Bibliography

• Pan Hla, Nai (1968). Razadarit Ayedawbon (in Burmese) (8th printing, 2005 ed.). Yangon. 
• Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. Phayre (1883). History of Burma (1967 ed.). London: Susil Gupta. pp. 66–67.