Thihathu

Thihathu
သီဟသူ
Thihathu ; သီဟသူ
Co-Regent of Myinsaing ; King of Pinya
Reign	1298–1310 (Co-Regent) ; 1310 – c. February 1324
Coronation	1309, 1312
Predecessor	None
Successor	Uzana I
Consort	Mi Saw U ; Yadanabon
Issue	Uzana I (adopted) ; Sawyun ; Kyawswa I of Pinya ; Nawrahta ; Saw Pale (daughter)
House	Myinsaing
Father	Theinkhabo
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

Template:Burmese characters

Thihathu (Burmese: သီဟသူ, pronounced [θìha̰θù]; 1265–1324) was a co-founder of Myinsaing Kingdom, and the founder of the Pinya Kingdom in today's central Burma (Myanmar). A former commander in Pagan Empire's military, Thihathu was the youngest and most ambitious of the Three Shan Brothers that founded Myinsaing Kingdom, which filled the void in central Burma following the collapse of Pagan's authority in 1287. In 1309, Thihathu, not satisfied with his co-regent status, declared himself king. In 1310, he took over as the sole king of central Burma by killing his eldest brother Athinhkaya. (His middle brother Yazathingyan had died of natural causes in 1305.) He moved the capital to Pinya two years later in 1312.

His decision to appoint Uzana I, son of the fallen king Kyawswa, as crown prince caused his eldest son, Sawyun to set up a rival kingdom at Sagaing in 1315. Although Sawyun nominally remained loyal to his father and ruled as viceroy of Sagaing, after Thihathu's death in 1324, the two houses of Myinsaing officially became rival kingdoms in central Burma.

Early life

Thihathu was a born to a Shan father and a Burman mother in 1265. He had two elder brothers Athinhkaya, Yazathingyan and a sister. Their father, Theinkhabo, was a younger brother of Shan saopha from the Shan Hills who had taken shelter in Kyaukse as a political refugee in 1260. Their mother was a daughter of a Burman banker from Myinsaing.^[3]

When the brothers became young men, they all entered King Narathihapate's service in the waning days of Pagan. After a few years, they received minor titles of nobility and were appointed joint commanders of the garrison at Myinsaing, their hometown. Their only sister was even married to a son of the king, Prince Thihathu, later governor of Prome (Pyay).^[4]

Myinsaing

After the Pagan Empire fell in 1287, the brothers gradually gained control of central Burma based out of their hometown of Myinsaing located in Kyaukse district. By February 1293 (Tabaung 654 ME), they were formally recognized by the king as lords of Kyaukse.^[5] In 1298, the brothers formalized their rule of central Burma by forcing the nominal king of Pagan Kyawswa, who had become a Mongol vassal, to abdicate the throne, and ruled as co-regents from their respective palaces in Myinsaing, Mekkara and Pinle. Thihathu married Kyawswa's half-sister and queen Mi Saw U, a daughter of Narathihapate.^[1]

In 1301, the brothers successfully fought off another (and last) invasion by the Mongols who sought to restore Kyawswa. After the Mongols also vacated their Upper Burma base of Tagaung in 1303, all of central Burma came under their rule.^[4] Nonetheless Myinsaing, along with Hathawadddy, Laungkyet and Toungoo (Taungoo) kingdoms and various minor Shan States, was still one of many petty kingdoms that sprouted across the former territories of Pagan Empire.

Pinya

Thihathu did not want to share power, even with his own brothers. Yazathingyan died of natural causes in 1305. In 1309, Thihathu blatantly crowned himself king. He poisoned the eldest brother Athinhkaya, and took over as the sole king of central Burma.^[6] Thihathu had previously planned to move his capital from Pinle to a more strategic location by the Irrawaddy, and close to the Kyaukse granary. (By then, Pagan which had about 50,000 inhabitants before the Mongol invasions was largely deserted.) Thihathu initially chose the location of what would later become Ava, by the Irrawaddy and Myitnge rivers and close to Kyaukse. But court astrologers advised against the location as bad omen. Thihathu instead chose Pinya (just north of today's Mandalay), also by the Irrawaddy.^[1]

He moved his capital to Pinya in 1312. The kingdom became known as the Pinya Kingdom. Thihathu now adopted the style and title of the ancient kings of Pagan. In his coronation ceremony, the dowager Queen Saw, wife of Narathihapate, presented Thihathu the golden belt and the golden tray which had been handed down in the royal family since the time of King Anawrahta (r. 1044–1077). Thihathu now officially considered himself the heir to Pagan kings.^[1] So much so that he appointed Uzana I, a son of the fallen king Kyawswa and Mi Saw U, as crown prince in 1315. (Mi Saw U was pregnant with Uzana in 1298 when Thihathu seized her, and gave birth to Uzana in 1299. Thihathu adopted Uzana as his own son.)^[1]^[4]

Splitting of kingdom

His eldest son Sawyun, by his first wife, was deeply unhappy that he would not be king. Sawyun and his followers left for Sagaing, a few miles south of Pinya on the other side of the Irrawaddy, and founded a rival kingdom, controlling the area between the Irrawaddy and the Chindwin up to the Manipuri border.^[6] Although Sawyun nominally remained loyal to his father and ruled as viceroy of Sagaing, after Thihathu's death in 1324, the two houses of Myinsaing officially became separate kingdoms, vying for supremacy in central Burma for the next 40 years.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e GE Harvey (1925). History of Burma (2000 ed.). Asian Educational Services. pp. 78–80. ISBN 8120613651, 9788120613652. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
^ ^a ^b "Ava Kings". Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar. 1829. pp. 369–377.
^ DGE Hall. Burma (2008 ed.). READ BOOKS. p. 28. ISBN 1443725412, 9781443725415. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Maung Htin Aung (1967). A History of Burma. New York and London: Cambridge University Press. pp. 71–79.
^ "Pagan Kings". Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar. 1829. pp. 361–362.
^ ^a ^b Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. Phayre (1883). History of Burma (1967 ed.). London: Susil Gupta. pp. 58–59.

Regnal titles
Thihathu Myinsaing Dynasty Born: 1265 Died: February 1324
Preceded by None	King of Pinya 1310–1324	Succeeded by Uzana I
Preceded by None	Co-Regent of Myinsaing 1298–1310	Succeeded by None
Royal titles
Preceded by	Viceroy of Pinle February 1293 – December 1298	Succeeded by

[geh-1] GE Harvey (1925). History of Burma (2000 ed.). Asian Educational Services. pp. 78–80. ISBN 8120613651, 9788120613652. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)

[Hmn1-2] "Ava Kings". Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar. 1829. pp. 369–377.

[dgeh-3] DGE Hall. Burma (2008 ed.). READ BOOKS. p. 28. ISBN 1443725412, 9781443725415. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)

[hb-4] Maung Htin Aung (1967). A History of Burma. New York and London: Cambridge University Press. pp. 71–79.

[Hmn1-361-5] "Pagan Kings". Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar. 1829. pp. 361–362.

[app-6] Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. Phayre (1883). History of Burma (1967 ed.). London: Susil Gupta. pp. 58–59.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e Burmese monarchs
Pagan dynasty 849–1297	Pyinbya Tannet Sale Theinhko Nyaung-u Sawrahan Kunhsaw Kyaunghpyu Kyiso Sokkate Anawrahta Saw Lu 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
Kingdom of Ava 1364–1555	Thado Minbya Swa Saw Ke Tarabya Minkhaung I Thihathu Min Hla Kale Kye-Taung Nyo 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 Maha Dewi¹ 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 Min Taninganway Min 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
¹ Regent or Co-Regent ² Mongol vassal (1297) ³ Confederation of Shan States (1527–55) ⁴ Brief revival (1550–52) ⁵ Vassal of the Confederation of Shan States (1532–42)