Minye Kyawswa (, ; also Minyekyawswa and Minrekyawswa; January 1391 – 13 March 1415) was crown prince of Ava from 1406 to 1415, and commander-in-chief of Ava's military from 1410 to 1415. He is best remembered in Burmese history as the courageous general who waged the fiercest battles of the Forty Years' War (1385–1424) against King Razadarit of Hanthawaddy Pegu.
The prince was his father King Minkhaung I's best and most trusted general. Between 1406 and 1415, the father and son team waged war on all of Ava's neighbors, and nearly succeeded in reassembling the Pagan Empire under Ava's leadership. On the cusp of final victory, he was wounded in a battle near Twante–Dala, and captured in March 1415. The crown prince of Ava refused treatment, and died shortly after. He was 24.
Minkhaung and Minye Kyawswa's struggles against Razadarit are retold as classic stories of legend in Burmese popular culture. Minye Kyawswa's name is still invoked alongside the names of greatest warrior kings of Burmese history. He has also entered the pantheon of Burmese nats (spirits) as Maung Minbyu as well as Min Kyawzwa in some versions.
Early life
Born Min Phyu (မင်းဖြူ, ) January 1391, the future prince was the first child of Prince Min Swe of Pyinzi and his first wife Shin Mi-Nauk. His father was a son of then King Swa Saw Ke of Ava while his mother was a daughter of Sawbwa (Chief) Tho Ngan Bwa of Mohnyin.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 424 Min Swe and Mi-Nauk had been wedded in a marriage of state in 1389/90 during a brief respite of hostilities between Ava and Mohnyin.Harvey 1925: 86
According to the royal chronicles, Phyu had already gained notoriety before his birth, which came near the end of the first phase of the Forty Years' War between Ava and Hanthawaddy Pegu. Ava and Pegu courts believed that he was the reincarnation of Prince Baw Law Kyan Daw of Hanthawaddy, who was executed on the orders of his father King Razadarit for suspicion of treason April 1390. The prince is said to have sworn an oath before taking the poison that if he were innocent, he was to be reborn in the dynasty of Ava kings, and be the scourge of Peguans. Chronicles continue that about three to four months after the prince's death, Mi-Nauk became known to be pregnant, and she longed for three types of delicacies from the south.(Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 202): The delicacies were: mangoes from Dala, water from Punsalaing (near Bilu Island where five rivers meet and considered sacred water), and the earth from Martaban (Mottama). Though Ava and Pegu were at war, Minkhaung asked Razadarit to deliver the food. In the superstitious world of Burmese politics, Razadarit believed that the unborn child must be Baw Law Kyan Daw himself taking flesh again according to his dying prayer. The Hanthawaddy king, on the advice of his superstitious court, sent the mangoes but substituted sacred water and earth with water and earth bewitched by yadaya rituals.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 428–429Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 202
Phyu had a younger sister Saw Pyei Chantha, and two younger brothers Thihathu and Min Nyo.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 441 The siblings grew up in Pyinzi, 60 km south of the capital Ava (Inwa), until 1400. On 25 November 1400, their father ascended the Ava throne,Than Tun 1959: 128 with the title of Minkhaung, and the family moved to Ava.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 440
Early Ava years (1400–1410)
Arakan (1406) Initially, Phyu was not yet the heir-apparent. Minkhaung's second-in-command in the early years (1400–1403) was his younger brother Theiddat, who was instrumental in Minkhaung getting and keeping the throne.(Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 438–439): It was Theiddat who had urged Minkhaung to fight for the throne, and ambushed Minkhaung's rival Gov. Maha Pyauk of Yamethin. (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 223): The brothers also had to fight off Razadarit's invasion in 1401–1403. But Phyu was to take on increasingly more important roles. The main chronicles say Phyu, styled as Minye Kyawswa, was given command of the Arakan campaign before he turned 12 ( late 1402 to early 1403). However, the Arakan invasion took place in November 1406;Standard chronicles (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 309) and (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 444) say that Minye Kyawswa was about to enter his 13th year (i.e. about to turn 12 but still 11 years old) when he was first given command of an army for the Arakan campaign. Per Rakhine Razawin Thit (RRT Vol. 2 1999: 9) says the Minye Kyawswa invaded Arakan in November 1406. if he did begin military service before turning 12 as the chronicles say, then it must have been towards the end of Razadarit's invasion—i.e. late 1402.Chronicles Maha Yazawin (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 311–326) and Hmannan Yazawin (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 446–466) say the invasion took place in 1404–06. But Yazawin Thit (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 223) cites a contemporary inscription saying Ava was already at war with Pegu in 1402. Furthermore per (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 220–221), truce negotiations began 5 January 1403 about ten days after Ava forces defeated Pegu forces near Prome on 26 December 1402 (Tuesday, 3rd waxing of Tabodwe 764 ME).
Though he may have also taken part in his father's 1404–1406 acquisition spree that pulled the nearer Shan states of Nyaungshwe, Bhamo, and Mohnyin into Ava's orbit, the prince's first confirmed campaign came in 1406. That year, Minkhaung asked his eldest son to lead the army to acquire Arakan, the kingdom on the western coast (present-day Rakhine State), separated by the Arakan Yoma range. In November 1406, the 15-year-old prince led the invasion force (10,000 men, 500 horses, 40 elephants) into Arakan, and advanced to the main fort guarding Launggyet. There, his senior staff advised him to retreat, citing the enemy's larger forces and their fortified positions. The prince insisted that his commanders come up with a plan of attack. The staff's plan to draw out the Arakanese forces and engage in the open field worked. On 27 November 1406, Minye Kyawswa on his war elephant, Ye Myat Swa, led the charge against the opposing forces. Though the Ava forces were outnumbered, they managed to kill the Arakanese general after which Arakanese defenses collapsed. On 29 November 1406,(RRT Vol. 2 1999: 9): Monday, 5th waning of Nadaw 768 ME = Monday, 29 November 1406. Ava forces took Launggyet, and Min Saw Mon fled to Bengal.RRT Vol. 2 1999: 9
Heir-apparent The victory marked the prince's coming of age. His father appointed Gov. Anawrahta of Kalay king of Arakan, and recalled Minye Kyawswa to Ava.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 445 At Ava, the king made his eldest son crown prince,Chronicles do not agree on when he became crown prince. Maha Yazawin says he was appointed crown prince in late 773 ME (early 1412). But Yazawin Thit corrects Maha Yazawin, saying the appointment came in 768 (1406/07); Hmannan Yazawin accepts Yazawin Thit's account. and married him to Saw Min Hla, a cousin of the groom.Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 21
Minkhaung's actions had consequences. In 1407, Minkhaung's brother Theiddat, unhappy with being passed over, defected to Pegu. Theiddat was welcomed by Razadarit, who had concluded that he could not get Ava to become too strong. In January 1408, Razadarit broke the truce, and ordered an invasion of Arakan; his forces took Launggyet in March 1408.(Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 228): Razadarit made the decision to invade Arakan in Tabodwe 967 ME (28 December 1407 to 25 January 1408) after a prayer service at the Mya Thi-Tin Pagoda. His forces took Launggyet in Late Tagu 967 ME (25 February 1408 to 24 March 1408). Razadarit had Anawrahta executed, and took Anawrahta's wife and Minye Kyawswa's sister, Saw Pyei Chantha, as his queen. Both Minkhaung and Minye Kyawswa were incensed. But Minkhaung's ill-conceived invasions of the south in 1408 and 1409–10 were soundly defeated by Razadarit. In 1408, Hanthawaddy forces captured Queen Mi-Nauk, and Razadarit raised her as his queen.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 484–485
After the two disastrous defeats, Minye Kyawswa asked for, and received the command of the army from a dejected Minkhaung.Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 27 Until this point, the crown prince had not been actively involved with the war.(Fernquest Autumn 2006: 52): According to the Hsenwi Yazawin, "King" Minye Kyawswa of Ava in league with King of Pagan attacked Hsenwi (Theinni) territory in 1409/10. According to the standard royal chronicles, Minye Kyawswa's first clash with Hsenwi came two years later in 1411. His responsibility had been to guard Ava while his father campaigned in the south.Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 2–3 He was now totally obsessed with taking on Razadarit, who had taken both his sister and mother.Harvey 1925: 94
Commander-in-chief
Between 1410 and 1415, Minye Kyawswa would bring war to all of Ava's enemies with increased vigor. He nearly succeeded in defeating Pegu, and Ava would not see a similar degree of military success again.
Irrawaddy delta (1410–1411) His first change as commander-in-chief was to alter Ava's usual battle plan. Instead of directly attacking the well-defended Pegu capital region, he would attack what he believed was the less defended Irrawaddy delta. In late 1410, the prince invaded the delta by river and land with an army (7000 men, 600 horses, and 40 elephants) and a navy that transported 7000 men. Combined Ava forces proceeded to attack the key delta cities of Myaungmya and Bassein (Pathein). But the cities were well fortified and prepared for long sieges, and he decided to retreat to Prome (Pyay).Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 237
Arakan (1411–1412) The prince was not prepared to go home empty handed. He regrouped and invaded Arakan in early 1411. He drove out Pegu-installed vassals. He appointed Letya as governor of Launggyet in North Arakan and Sokkate as governor of Sandoway (Thandwe) in South Arakan, and returned to Ava.Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 29Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 238
But the crown prince was back soon after. Right after the rainy season, two Hanthawaddy armies from the delta invaded Arakan.Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 30Razadarit Ayedawbon 2005: 274 The Ava garrison at Sandoway fell before Ava reinforcements (8000 troops, 300 horses, 30 elephants) led by Minye Kyawswa arrived. Ava forces laid siege to the city for the next three months. But they had to retreat in early 1412 when Minkhaung recalled the troops to defend against Hanthawaddy's ally Hsenwi (Theinni), which had opened a new front by invading Ava territory in the north.Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 7–8
After the Ava troops had left, Razadarit sent reinforcements to Sandoway. Reinforced Hanthawaddy troops then marched to Launggyet, and drove out the Ava garrison led by Letya and Sokkate. Arakan would remain a Hanthawaddy vassal at least until Razadarit's death.
Hsenwi (1412) Back at Ava, Minye Kyawswa took command of a new army (7000 troops, 300 horses, 20 elephants), and immediately marched to the front.Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 8 His mission was to defend the nearer Shan states which Ava had annexed early in Minkhaung's reign (1404–1406). The powerful Shan state of Hsenwi had been concerned about the annexations. Hsenwi had received its overlord Ming China's authorization to retaliate against Ava's annexation of Mohnyin.Fernquest Autumn 2006: 53–54 It likely shared a common cause with Hanthawaddy in preventing Ava from getting too strong as it became an ally with Pegu a year later.