Minbyauk Thihapate

Thihapate of Sagaing (Burmese: သီဟပတေ့, [θìha̰pətḛ]; also Minbyauk Thihapate, [mɪ́ɴbjaʊʔ θìha̰pətḛ]; 1305–1364) king of Sagaing from 1352 to 1364. He came to power by being married to the powerful Princess Soe Min Kodawgyi. He led Sagaing during the most tumultuous period of the kingdom (1356−64). Despite a brief period of alliance with Pinya (1357−59), Sagaing had to face near-annual raids by the northern Shan state of Mong Mao (Maw) on its own. He lost power in April 1364 when Maw Shan forces sacked Sagaing. He escaped capture but was soon put to death by his stepson Thado Minbya at Kya-Khat-Wa-Ya, south of Sagaing.

Early life

Little is known about his early life or ancestry except that he was a grandson of the elder sister of Queen Pwa Saw of Pagan.^[1] This means that he was a grandson of Queen Yadanabon and King Narathihapate of Pagan.^{[note 1]} Since his father was a minister at the Sagaing court,^{[note 2]} Thihapate likely entered the service of Sagaing monarchs. Then in late 1351/early 1352,^{[note 3]} he married a recently widowed Princess Soe Min, daughter of the founder of the kingdom Saw Yun.^[1] It is unclear if his marriage to Soe Min preceded the death of Soe Min's brother King Tarabya II, who died at age 25 in February 1352 and left no heirs apparent to take over the throne. With no heirs apparent ready to take over, the court elected Thihapate king (or regent).^{[note 4]} His marriage to Soe Min may have been part of the election process.

Reign

His early reign was relatively peaceful. He continued Tarabya II's policy of peace with the cross-river rival Pinya. However, it was the calm before the storm. By 1355, the northern Shan state of Mong Mao had essentially achieved independence from the Mongols, and begun to look southward for expansion.^[2] In the next dry season 1356−57, Shan troops raided northern Sagaing territory.^[3] While Sagaing defenses held this time, Thihapate and Soe Min appeared to have recognized the eminent danger posed by the determined foe. They sought a closer alliance with Pinya. In 1357/58, they sent Princess Shin Saw Gyi, Soe Min's eldest daughter and Thihapate's stepdaughter, to King Kyawswa II of Pinya in a marriage of state.^[4]

The alliance yielded no discernible benefit. Kyawswa II, who did not control much beyond the core Kyaukse capital region, simply did not have enough manpower to assist Sagaing and hold his southern vassals at the same time. When the next Shan raids came in 1358−59, Pinya's southern vassal Toungoo (Taungoo) promptly revolted, and raided Pinya from the south.^[4] This allowed the Shan forces to overrun Sagaing and Pinya territories from the north. Kyawswa II died during the raids in March 1359.^[5] So devastating were the raids that Pinya's new king Narathu withdrew from the alliance.^[1]

Sagaing now faced the Shan threat on its own. In 1360/61, Thihapate appointed his eldest stepchild Thado Minbya governor of Tagaung, the northernmost Sagaing territory. But the teenage prince could do little to stem the raids. The Shan raiders not only overran Tagaung but also penetrated as far south as Pinya in 1362–63.^[5] Subsequently, Pinya pursued an alliance with Mong Mao, and the two states agreed to a joint attack on Sagaing. In the following dry season, Shan forces again overran Tagaung, and Thado Minbya barely escaped. At Sagaing, Thihapate was furious at Thado Minbya for the latter's failure to defend Tagaung. He did not accept Thado Minbya warning that the season's raid was far larger, and sent his stepson to prison at Kya-Khat-Wa-Ya, south of Sagaing.^[1]

Thihapate had expected another round of raids through the countryside but not a siege to the capital itself. He was surprised when the Shan forces laid siege to Sagaing on three sides. Pinya blockaded the port although the blockade was porous. In April 1364, Shan forces broke through, and entered the city. While panicked people of Sagaing crossed the Irrawaddy toward Pinya, Thihapate and the royal family slipped away by boat to Kya-Khat-Wa-Ya. But at Kya-Khat-Wa-Ya, Thado Minbya was waiting for him. The prince, who had been freed from prison by court officials allied with him, ordered the execution of his stepfather, and seized the throne.^[4]

Chronicle reporting differences

The royal chronicles do not agree on his birth and death dates.

Notes

References

Bibliography

• Ba Shin, Bo-Hmu (1966). "The Pwa Saws of Bagan" (PDF). Burma Historical Research Department Silver Jubilee publication (in Burmese) (1982 ed.). Yangon: Historical Research Department. 
• Royal Historians of Burma (c. 1680). U Hla Tin (Hla Thamein), ed. Zatadawbon Yazawin (1960 ed.). Historical Research Directorate of the Union of Burma. 
• Kala, U (1724). Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). 1–3 (2006, 4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing. 
• Maha Sithu (1798). Myint Swe (1st ed.); Kyaw Win, Ph.D. and Thein Hlaing (2nd ed.), eds. Yazawin Thit (in Burmese). 1–3 (2012, 2nd printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.  CS1 maint: Uses editors parameter (link)
• Royal Historical Commission of Burma (1832). Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). 1–3 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar. 
• Than Tun (December 1959). "History of Burma: A.D. 1300–1400". Journal of Burma Research Society. XLII (II). 
• Than Tun (1964). Studies in Burmese History (in Burmese). 1. Yangon: Maha Dagon. 

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)