Yazathingyan
ရာဇသင်္ကြန်
Minister at the Court of Ava
In office
c. 1365 – c. October 1400
Monarchs
Governor of Sagaing
In office
by 1383/84 – c. October 1400
Monarchs
Preceded bySaw Me
Succeeded byTheiddat
Personal details
Bornc. 1330s
Diedc. October 1400
SpouseSaw Omma of Pinya
Military service
AllegianceAva Kingdom
Branch/serviceRoyal Burmese Army
Years of servicec. 1365–1390
RankCommander
CommandsSagaing Regiment (1385–1391)
Battles/warsNga Nu's insurrection (1367)
Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1385–1391)

Yazathingyan (Burmese: ရာဇသင်္ကြန်, pronounced [jàza̰ θɪ́ɴdʑàɴ]; also known by his birth name Nga Mauk, (ငမောက်; [ŋə maʊʔ]); d. c. October 1400) was a senior court minister under the first three kings of Ava from c. 1365 to 1400. He was the sixth and last husband of Queen Saw Omma of Pinya, and hence a brother-in-law of King Swa Saw Ke (r. 1367–1400). He also served as governor of Sagaing at least from 1383/84 to 1400.

He is best remembered in Burmese history for putting down his brother Nga Nu's and Queen Saw Omma's short-lived insurrection, following King Thado Minbya's death in 1367.

He is also known for dying from a freak accident while on his way to seize the Ava throne from King Tarabya in 1400.

Early life and career edit

According to the royal chronicles, he was of commoner background and his personal name was Nga Mauk. He had at least one younger brother named Nga Nu.[1][2][3] By 1367, both brothers were in the service of King Thado Minbya who founded the Kingdom of Ava two years earlier. Mauk had risen to be a minister at the Ava court with the title of Yazathingyan while Nu had become the commander of the Inner Royal Household Guards, who accompanied the king on military campaigns.[1][2][3]

Succession crisis of 1367 edit

Yazathingyan played a key role in the succession crisis following Thado Minbya's sudden death in 1367. Nu and Queen Saw Omma attempted to seize the throne but the powerful court did not accept the usurping couple.[4][5] When asked to choose between his brother the self-proclaimed king and the court's nominee Swa Saw Ke, Yazathingyan sided with the court. He decided to prove his loyalty by agreeing to the mission to capture the couple, who had fled to Sagaing across the river from Ava (Inwa). Swa had promised him that if he succeeded in capturing Sagaing, Yazathingyan would be given the districts of Taungbyon and Wayindok in fief, as well as Queen Saw Omma, who happened to be Swa's yougest sister, in marriage.[1][2][3]

Yazathingyan captured the city by using guile.[6][7] Instead of storming the heavily fortified city, which used to be the capital of the Sagaing Kingdom, he asked Nu to meet him outside the city to accept his defection to Nu's side. When Nu came out to meet him as asked, Yazathingyan promptly arrested him. He is said to have admonished his brother, "Neither your father or mother is of royal line".[2][6] The city fell with no resistance. Saw Omma too was captured.[5][6] However, Nu soon escaped to the Shan states to the north, likely with Yazathingyan's turning a blind eye.[note 1]

Despite Nu's escape, Swa was satisfied with the overall outcome. Though he suspected Yazathingyan of willful negligence, the king kept nonetheless kept his word. He gave Yazathingyan the two fiefs and his sister Saw Omma in marriage.[5][6][7] However, when Nu began raiding Ava's northern regions in 1369–1370, a furious Swa blamed Yazathingyan for allowing Nu to escape, and seriously considered taking back the fiefs and his sister from Yazathingyan. However, one of the newest advisers at the court, Nga Nyo gently advised the king that keeping one's word even in times of adversity would be essential in the king's future actions with others. The king relented, and allowed Yazathingyan to keep the two fiefs, as well as stay married to Saw Omma.[10][11]

Governor of Sagaing (by 1383/84–1400) edit

Yazathingyan continued to serve at the Ava court until the early 1380s. Sometime between 1380/81 and 1383/84, Swa appointed Yazathingyan governor of Sagaing.[note 2] He would govern the important district until 1400. Chronicles have nothing about his tenure at Sagaing except for his military service in the Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1385–1391). As the lord of a major fief, he commanded the Sagaing Regiment throughout the war, twice under the command of Crown Prince Tarabya (1385–1386,[20] and 1390–1391)[21], and once under the command of King Swa (1386–1387).[22]


Military service edit

The following is a list of military campaigns in which Yazathingyan is explicitly mentioned in the royal chronicles as a commander.

Campaign Duration Troops commanded[note 3] Notes
First Ava invasion of Hanthawaddy 1385–1386 1 regiment (1000 troops) Served in the 1st Army commanded by Crown Prince Tarabya[23][20][24]
Second Ava invasion of Hanthawaddy 1386–1387 1 regiment Part of the naval flotilla under the overall command of King Swa that invaded via the Irrawaddy river[25][22][26]
Third Ava invasion of Hanthawaddy 1390–1391 1 regiment Served under the command of Crown Prince Tarabya[27][21][28]

Notes edit

  1. ^ The chronicles Maha Yazawin and Hmannan Yazawin say Nu was placed in iron ankle shackles but he somehow escaped and fled north to a place called Lahu or Mya Taung.[8][9] The Yazawin Thit simply says Yazathingyan allowed Nu to escape to the Shan states.[2]
  2. ^ Some chronicle narratives are ambiguous; and can be read as Yazathingyan being appointed governor of Sagaing in 1368 and in the early 1380s.
    • The chronicle Maha Yazawin (1724) mentions Yazathingyan's appointment at Sagaing in two places. Its first mention of Yazathingyan being governor of Sagaing is in the section about the governors of the kingdom that comes right after Swa's coronation ceremony on the new year's day of 730 ME (29 March 1368). Thus, it can be construed that Yazathingyan was also appointed on the same day or shortly after.[12] However, the chronicle later states that Yazathingyan was still governor of Taungbyon and Wayindok, not Sagaing c. 731 ME (1369/70),[13] and that Yazathingyan was appointed governor of Sagaing only between 742 ME (1380/81) and 745 ME (1383/84), succeeding Saw Me.[14]
    • The Yazawin Thit chronicle (1798) tries to clarify the confusing narrative of the Maha Yazawin. It says King Swa gave his second ranked queen Saw Omma of Sagaing [not his sister Saw Omma of Pinya] Sagaing in fief in Tabaung 729 ME (February/March 1368).[15] It continues that Swa appointed Yazathingyan to the Sagaing post only between 742 ME (1380/81) and 745 ME (1383/84), succeeding Saw Me.[16]
    • The Hmannan Yazawin (1832) simply follows the Maha Yazawin's ambiguous, conflicting narrative: 1368?[17] and between 1380/81 and 1383/84.[18]

    Historian Michael Aung-Thwin places Yazathingyan's appointment in 1367/68 as part of Swa's coronation ceremony, citing the Maha Yazawin's initial narrative.[19]

  3. ^ Chronicle reported troop levels reduced by an order of magnitude per (Harvey 1925: 333–336)

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 278–279
  2. ^ a b c d e Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 184
  3. ^ a b c Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 400–401
  4. ^ Aung-Thwin 2017: 59
  5. ^ a b c Harvey 1925: 81
  6. ^ a b c d Aung-Thwin 2017: 60–61
  7. ^ a b Taw, Forchhammer 1899: 7
  8. ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 279
  9. ^ Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 402
  10. ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 282–283
  11. ^ Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 188–189
  12. ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 279, 281
  13. ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 283
  14. ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 288–289
  15. ^ Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 185
  16. ^ Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 194
  17. ^ Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 402, 405
  18. ^ Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 415–416
  19. ^ Aung-Thwin 2017: 61
  20. ^ a b Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 196
  21. ^ a b Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 202
  22. ^ a b Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 198
  23. ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 291
  24. ^ Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 417–418
  25. ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 295
  26. ^ Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 422
  27. ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 301
  28. ^ Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 429–430

Bibliography edit

  • Aung-Thwin, Michael A. (2017). Myanmar in the Fifteenth Century. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-6783-6.
  • Kala, U (2006) [1724]. Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
  • Harvey, G. E. (1925). History of Burma: From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd.
  • Maha Sithu (2012) [1798]. Kyaw Win; Thein Hlaing (eds.). Yazawin Thit (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (2nd ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
  • Royal Historical Commission of Burma (2003) [1832]. Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3. Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.
  • Sandalinka, Shin (2009) [1781]. Mani Yadanabon (in Burmese) (4th printing ed.). Yangon: Seit-Ku Cho Cho.
  • Taw, Sein Ko; Emanuel Forchhammer (1899). Inscriptions of Pagan, Pinya and Ava: Translation, with Notes. Rangoon: Archaeological Survey of India.


Hybernator/test
Born: c. 1330s Died: c. October 1400
Preceded by Governor of Sagaing
by 1383/84–1400
Succeeded by

Category:1330s births Category:1400 deaths