Thado Minsaw of Prome

Thado Minsaw of Prome (Burmese: သတိုးမင်းစော, pronounced: [ðədó mɪ́ɴsɔ́]; died 1526) was the founder of Prome Kingdom, and reigned the minor kingdom from 1482 to 1526. In 1524, he entered into an alliance with the Confederation of Shan States, and participated in the 1525 sack of Ava (Inwa).

Ancestry and early life

He was born Min Ba Saw (မင်းဘစော) to Narapati I of Ava and his chief queen Atula Thiri Maha Yaza Dewi of Ava. He was the seventh of the couple's eight children.^[3]

He had two elder brothers, four elder sisters and a younger sister. He was married to his first cousin Myat Hpone Pyo, who was the youngest daughter of his maternal uncle Minye Kyawswa II, governor of Prome.^[2] He grew up in Ava until 1459 when his father appointed him governor of Tharrawaddy, the southernmost town on the border with the Hanthawaddy Kingdom.^[3]

Governor of Tharrawaddy

His first dozen years at Tharrawaddy were non-eventful. He was reappointed to the post when his eldest brother Thihathura I succeeded the Ava throne in 1468. In late 1472/early 1473, Thado Minsaw entered into an alliance with his elder brother Mingyi Swa, the viceroy of Prome, to raise a rebellion against their brother. They expected to receive military aid from King Dhammazedi of Hanthawaddy but the plan did not materialize. Both brothers submitted to Thihathura in February 1473.^{[note 1]} Thihathura forgave his brothers and reappointed them to their former positions.^[4]

King of Prome

After Thihathura died in 1480, the new king Minkhaung II was greeted by a major rebellion by his brother Minye Kyawswa, the governor of Yamethin. In 1482, Thado Minsaw's another elder brother viceroy of Prome, Mingyi Swa also died.^[5] Thado Minsaw took advantage of the war between his nephews Minkhaung II and Minye Kyawswa in Upper Burma by taking over Prome, and declaring himself independent. He raised his brother Mingyi Swa's chief queen Saw Myat Lay as his chief queen. Minkhaung II managed to send an army to reclaim Prome. But the Avan army could not take Prome, and retreated after a month. Ava could not send another force again as the much more serious Yamethin rebellion (and rebellions by the Shan States of Mohnyin and Kale) consumed its resources for the next two decades. Prome became an independent kingdom with territories that included Tharrawaddy in the south and Myede in the north.^[6]

Thado Minsaw largely stayed out of the fighting in Upper Burma. He forged a peaceful relationship with Hanthawaddy, the most powerful kingdom in the region. He changed his policy in the 1520s when Ava was on its last legs suffering from the sustained assaults by Confederation of Shan States. He entered into a league with Sawlon, the confederation's leader. On 22 March 1525 (14th waning of Tabaung 886 ME), the combined armies of Confederation and Prome sacked the city of Ava.^[7] The king of Ava, Shwenankyawshin, who was Thado Minsaw's grandnephew, escaped. Prome and Confederation forces looted the city. The Prome armies brought back the famed poet monk Shin Maha Rattathara.^[8] Prome remained in a league with the Confederation, which continued its attacks on Ava.

Thado Minsaw died in 1526,^{[note 2]} and was succeeded by his son Bayin Htwe.

Notes

References

Bibliography

• Harvey, G. E. (1925). History of Burma: From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd. 
• Kala, U (1724). Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). 1–3 (2006, 4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing. 
• Royal Historical Commission of Burma (1832). Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). 1–3 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar. 
• Sein Lwin Lay, Kahtika U (1968). Mintaya Shwe Hti and Bayinnaung: Ketumadi Taungoo Yazawin (in Burmese) (2006, 2nd printing ed.). Yangon: Yan Aung Sarpay. 

Burmese monarchs
Pagan Dynasty 849–1297	Pyinbya Tannet Sale Theinhko Nyaung-u Sawrahan Kunhsaw Kyaunghpyu Kyiso Sokkate Anawrahta Sawlu Kyansittha Sithu I Narathu Naratheinkha Sithu II Htilominlo Naratheinga Uzana1 Kyaswa Uzana Narathihapate Kyawswa2
Myinsaing and Pinya Kingdoms 1297–1364	Athinkhaya1, Yazathingyan1 and Thihathu1 Thihathu Uzana I Sithu1 Kyawswa I Kyawswa II Narathu Uzana II
Sagaing Kingdom 1315–1364	Saw Yun Tarabya I Anawrahta I Kyaswa Anawrahta II Tarabya II Minbyauk Thihapate
Ava Kingdom 1364–1555	Thado Minbya Swa Saw Ke Tarabya Minkhaung I Thihathu Min Hla Kale Kyetaungnyo Mohnyin Thado Minye Kyawswa I Narapati I Thihathura Minkhaung II and Thihathura II Narapati II Sawlon3 and Thohanbwa3 Hkonmaing3 Narapati III3 Narapati IV3
Hanthawaddy Kingdom 1287–1539, 1550–1552	Wareru Hkun Law Saw O Saw Zein Zein Pun Saw E Binnya E Law Binnya U Razadarit Binnya Dhammaraza Binnya Ran I Binnya Waru Binnya Kyan Leik Munhtaw Shin Sawbu Dhammazedi Binnya Ran II Takayutpi Smim Sawhtut4 Smim Htaw4
Mrauk U Kingdom 1429–1785	Saw Mon Khayi Ba Saw Phyu Dawlya Ba Saw Nyo Ran Aung Salingathu Raza Gazapati Saw O Thazata Minkhaung Min Bin Dikkha Saw Hla Sekkya Phalaung Razagyi Khamaung Thiri Thudhamma Sanay Narapati Thado Sanda Thudhamma Thiri Thuriya Wara Dhammaraza Muni Thudhammaraza Sanda Thuriya I Nawrahta Mayuppiya Kalamandat Naradipati Sanda Wimala I Sanda Thuriya II Sanda Wizaya Sanda Thuriya III Naradipati II Narapawara Sanda Wizala Madarit Nara Apaya Thirithu Sanda Parama Apaya Sanda Thumana Sanda Wimala II Sanda Thaditha Maha Thammada
Prome Kingdom 1482–1542	Thado Minsaw Bayin Htwe Narapati5 Minkhaung5
Toungoo Dynasty 1510–1752	Mingyi Nyo Tabinshwehti Bayinnaung Nanda Nyaungyan Anaukpetlun Minye Deibba Thalun Pindale Pye Narawara Minye Kyawhtin Sanay Taninganway Mahadhammaraza Dipadi
Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom 1740–1757	Smim Htaw Buddhaketi Binnya Dala
Konbaung Dynasty 1752–1885	Alaungpaya Naungdawgyi Hsinbyushin Singu Phaungka Bodawpaya Bagyidaw Tharrawaddy Pagan Mindon Thibaw
1Regent or Co-Regent 2Mongol vassal (1297) 3Confederation of Shan States (1527–55) 4Brief revival (1550–52) 5Vassal of Confederation of Shan States (1532–42)