Takayutpi
| Takayutpi တကာရွတ်ပိ | |
|---|---|
| King of Hanthawaddy | |
| Reign | 1526 – c. January 1539 (12+ years) |
| Predecessor | Binnya Ran II |
| Successor | Smim Sawhtut |
| House | Wareru |
| Father | Binnya Ran II |
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
Thushin Takayutpi (သုရှင်တကာရွတ်ပိ, pronounced [θṵʃɪ̀ɴ dəɡàjʊʔpḭ], or Takayutpi တကာရွတ်ပိ; 1511–1539) was the last sovereign king of Hanthawaddy Pegu who reigned from 1526 to 1539.[1] At his ascension, the 15-year-old king inherited the most prosperous and powerful kingdom of all post-Pagan kingdoms. Thirteen years later, due to the young king's inexperience and mismanagement, the Mon-speaking kingdom founded in 1287 was conquered by a far smaller Kingdom of Toungoo, which became independent from Ava only in 1510.
The young king never took an interest in running the kingdom. He "never looked at a book; he gave himself up for sport in the woods with elephants and horses; he searched for shellfish and crabs; he was like one witless".[1] He was not respected by his own governors. His brother-in-law Saw Binnya ruled Martaban (Mottama) like a sovereign king.
His weak leadership gave an opening to Toungoo's ambitious king Tabinshwehti and his deputy Gen. Bayinnaung. Beginning in 1535, Toungoo began annual dry-season raids into Hanthawaddy territory. Still, Toungoo could not make headway against Pegu's fortified defenses led by two experienced ministers and aided by foreign mercenaries with guns. By 1537, Peguan defenses had successfully repulsed Toungoo's three consecutive annual invasions. Unable to break Peguan defenses, Toungoo finally used a stratagem to create a split in the Hanthawaddy camp. Takayutpi foolishly believed Toungoo's misinformation about the loyalty of the two ministers, who had been his tutors since childhood and were absolutely devoted to him, and executed them.[2]
When Toungoo again invaded in late 1538, Takayutpi, now without his best generals, lost heart and fled Pegu for Prome Kingdom (Pyay) where another brother-in-law of his, Narapati of Prome, was king. (He did not retreat to Martaban, which was nominally still part of Hanthawaddy because he did not trust its governor Saw Binnya.) Toungoo took the capital city of Pegu without firing a shot in early 1539. On their flight to Prome, his demoralized forces, though far superior in numbers, were defeated by Bayinnaung's smaller but better disciplined forces at the Battle of Naungyo.[2][3]
Having reached Prome with a decimated force, Takayutpi urged his allies– the king of Prome and the Confederation of Shan States– to restore him to his throne but they refused. Within the year, the king entered the Irrawaddy delta with a small armed band to collect war elephants. At Ingabin near Maubin he suddenly fell ill and died.[1] He was the last of the dynasty established by Wareru in 1287.[4] (After the death of Tabinshwehti in 1550, Smim Sawhtut and Smim Htaw proclaimed themselves as king of Hanthawaddy. They never controlled any territory of significance, and were driven out within a year.)
References
- ^ a b c GE Harvey (1925). "Shan Migration (Pegu)". History of Burma. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd. p. 120.
- ^ a b Maung Htin Aung (1967). A History of Burma. New York and London: Cambridge University Press. pp. 106–109.
- ^ GE Harvey (1925). "Shan Migration (Pegu)". History of Burma. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd. pp. 154–155.
- ^ Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. Phayre (1883). History of Burma (1967 ed.). London: Susil Gupta. pp. 94–95.
| Pagan dynasty 849–1297 | |
|---|---|
| Myinsaing and Pinya Kingdoms 1297–1364 | |
| Sagaing Kingdom 1315–1364 | |
| Kingdom of Ava 1364–1555 | |
| Hanthawaddy Kingdom 1287–1539, 1550–1552 | |
| Mrauk U Kingdom 1429–1785 |
|
| Prome Kingdom 1482–1542 | |
| Toungoo dynasty 1510–1752 | |
| Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom 1740–1757 | |
| Konbaung dynasty 1752–1885 | |
| |
