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Kyawswa of Pagan
King of Pagan (r. 1289 to 1297)
King of Pagan (r. 1289 to 1297)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| type | monarch |
| name | Kyawswa |
| ကျော်စွာ | |
| reign | 30 May 1289 – 17 December 1297 |
| succession | King of Pagan |
| predecessor | Narathihapate |
| successor | Saw Hnit |
| suc-type | Successor |
| spouse | Saw Thitmahti |
| Saw Soe | |
| Mi Saw U | |
| issue | Theingapati |
| Kumara Kassapa | |
| Saw Hnit | |
| Min Shin Saw | |
| Saw Min Ya | |
| Saw Hnaung | |
| Mway Medaw | |
| Uzana I of Pinya | |
| house | Pagan |
| father | Narathihapate |
| mother | Shin Hpa |
| birth_date | 2 August 1260 |
| Monday, 10th waning of Wagaung 622 ME | |
| birth_place | Pagan |
| death_date | |
| Sunday, 10th waxing of Nayon 661 ME | |
| death_place | Myinsaing |
| religion | Theravada Buddhism |
ကျော်စွာ | suc-type = Successor | reg-type = Saw Soe Mi Saw U Kumara Kassapa Saw Hnit Min Shin Saw Saw Min Ya Saw Hnaung Mway Medaw Uzana I of Pinya | issue-link = Monday, 10th waning of Wagaung 622 ME Sunday, 10th waxing of Nayon 661 ME
Kyawswa (, ; 2 August 1260 – 10 May 1299) was king of the Pagan dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) from 1289 to 1297. Son of the last sovereign king of Pagan Narathihapate, Kyawswa was one of many "kings" that emerged after the collapse of the Pagan Empire in 1287. Though still styled as King of Pagan, Kyawswa's effective rule amounted to just the area around Pagan city. Felt threatened by the three brothers of Myinsaing, who were nominally his viceroys, Kyawswa decided to become a vassal of the Yuan dynasty, and received such recognition from the Yuan in March 1297. He was ousted by the brothers in December 1297 and killed, along with his son, Theingapati, on 10 May 1299.
Early life
Kyawswa was a son of King Narathihapate and Queen Shin Hpa.
| Chronicles | Birth–Death | Age | Reign | Length of reign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Zatadawbon Yazawin* | 1261–1300 | 39 | 1287–1300 | 13 |
| *Maha Yazawin* | 1254–1301 | 47 | 1286–1300 | 14 |
| *Yazawin Thit* and *Hmannan Yazawin* | 1259–1298 | 39 | 1286–1298 | 12 |
Reign
Kyawswa was the governor of Dala (modern Twante) in 1285 when his father King Narathihapate fled to Lower Burma from an impending Mongol invasion. But in 1287, the king was assassinated by his second son Thihathu, Viceroy of Prome. Thihathu also killed his eldest brother before he himself was accidentally killed.
Ruler of Pagan (1289–1297)
After the death of Narathihapate, the Pagan Empire collapsed, and a period of interregnum ensued. Kyawswa, who hitherto had been governor of Dala, a key port now part of modern Yangon, won the approval of the powerful dowager queen Pwa Saw. He was anointed king on 30 May 1289. However, the new "king" had little power beyond a few miles outside Pagan. Indeed, the Pagan Empire had ceased to exist and every region of the former kingdom had its own king or pretenders. The Mongols could not hold the searing Irrawaddy valley but stayed up north in Tagaung. In central Burma, Pagan's natural power base, the real power rested with the three brothers who held the main granary of Kyaukse district from their fortified base of Myinsaing. Kyawswa had no choice but to recognize the brothers as lords of Kyaukse district. On 19 February 1293 (12th waxing of Tabaung 654 ME), the nominal king appointed the eldest brother Athinkhaya as viceroy of Myinsaing, the second brother Yazathingyan as viceroy of Mekkara, and the youngest brother Thihathu as viceroy of Pinle. Although the territories were very small, it was the title viceroy that attracted the brothers.
Mongol vassal (1297)
With the three brothers increasingly acting as sovereign kings, Kyawswa sent his son Theingapati to the Mongols in Tagaung and asked for recognition as their vassal king in January 1297. He received the official recognition and a Chinese title on 20 March 1297.
Aftermath
After deposing Kyawswa, the brothers went on to found the Kingdom of Myinsaing which covered central Burma along the upper Irrawaddy valley. Saw Hnit, a son of Kyawswa, was elected king by the dowager queen Pwa Saw but soon became a governor under the authority of Myinsaing. The Mongols discovered Kyawswa's dethronement only six months later in June/July 1298. The brothers executed Kyawswa on 10 May 1299.
Notes
References
References
- Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 234 (fn#3), 257 (fn#1)
- Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 360
- Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 257 (fn#1)
- Pe Maung Tin, Luce 1960: 179
- Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 358
- He was born on 2 August 1260.{{Citation needed. (August 2019 The table below lists the dates given by the four main chronicles.Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 349)
- Aung-Thwin 1985: 196
- Htin Aung 1967: 71
- Than Tun 1959: 119–120
- Coedès 1968: 210
- Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 361–362
- Htin Aung 1967: 73
- In December, the brothers invited the now puppet king to Myinsaing, their stronghold, to take part in the dedication ceremony of a monastery built by them. The king, with the backing of the Mongols, felt secure and went to Myinsaing. But as soon as the ceremony was over, he was arrested, dethroned, and forced to become a monk in the very monastery he had just dedicated.Htin Aung 1967: 74
- Than Tun 1959: 121–122
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