Thihathu of Ava

Thihathu of Ava
သီဟသူ (အင်းဝ)
Thihathu of Ava ; သီဟသူ (အင်းဝ)
	Thihathu depicted as the Aung Pinle Hsinbyushin nat (spirit)
King of Ava
Reign	c. February 1422 – August 1426
Predecessor	Minkhaung I
Successor	Minhlange
Consort	Min Hla Htut (divorced) ; Shin Bo-Me ; Shin Sawbu ; Saw Minhla
Issue	Minye Aung Naing (son) ; Princess of Pyagaung ; Minhlange (son) ; Saw Pye Chantha (daughter) ; Thiri Zeya Thura of Taungdwin (son) ; Shwe Pyi Shin Me (daughter)
House	Pinya
Father	Minkhaung I
Mother	Shin Mi-Nauk
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

Template:Burmese characters

Thihathu of Ava (Burmese: သီဟသူ (အင်းဝ), pronounced [θìha̯θù]; c. 1395 – August 1426) was the fifth king of Ava who reigned from 1422 to 1426. It was during his reign that the Forty Years' War (1385–1424) between Ava and Hanthawaddy Pegu kingdoms came to a formal close. Unlike his late elder brother Minyekyawswa, he did not consider Pegu his enemy, and followed a policy of conciliation and friendship toward Pegu. In 1423, he actually helped to broker a truce between two rival claimants to the Hanthawaddy throne. For his help in breaking up the fight, Thihathu was given the rival princes' sister Lady Shin Sawbu whom he made his queen.

Though he made peace with Hanthawaddy Pegu in the south, the Shans from various Shan States in the north continued to raid Avan territory. In 1426, Thihathu was killed in ambush by the Shan raiders of Thibaw. The ambush was arranged by his chief queen Shin Bo-Me who wanted to put her lover Kale Kyetaungnyo on the throne.

Early life

Thihathu was the second son of Minkhaung, the Prince of Pyinsi by his chief queen Shin Mi-Nauk, a daughter of the saopha (Chief) of the Shan state of Mohnyin. As Minkhaung himself was one-eighth Shan, Thihathu was slightly more Shan (9/16th to be exact) than Burman. During his youth, he grew up in Pyinsi, located about 30 miles south of Ava where his father was in charge. In 1401, he came to Ava when his father ascended the Ava throne. Thihathu was not like his fiery elder brother Minyekyawswa, who led a battalion at age 13 and an army by 16. In his 20s, Thihathu did join his brother's campaigns. In 1415, he led a naval contingent that accompanied Minyekyawswa's land forces that invaded the Irrawaddy delta.^[2] In 1417, Minyekyawswa, who was the heir-apparent of Ava, fell in battle. Thihathu, who governor of Prome, was made the next heir-apparent in 1419.^[3]

Reign

Thihathu ascended the Ava throne in circa February 1422 without incident. He raised his father's favorite queen Shin Bo-Me to be his chief queen. He was so fond of her that his first wife, Min Hla Htut, retired into religion.^[4] He also took his brother Minyekyawswa's wife Saw Minhla as queen. In 1423, following the death of King Razadarit of Hanthawaddy, he marched south to the Irrawaddy delta to break up a succession crisis between Prince Binnya Ran I who was rebelling against his elder brother King Binnya Dhammaraza. For his help in breaking up the fight, Thihathu came back with the two brothers' sister Lady Shin Sawbu and made her queen.^[5]

The king soon grew so fond her Shin Sawbu that his chief queen Shin Bo-Me became jealous. In 1426, she secretly called in the chief of Hsipaw (Thibaw) to attack Ava. In his march to meet the raiders, Thihathu was severely wounded in an ambush, and died soon after.^[6] The ambush was arranged by Shin Bo-Me who wanted to put her lover Kalekyetaungnyo on the throne.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Ava Kings". Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 2 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar. 1829. p. 58.
^ Jon Fernquest (Spring 2006). "Rajadhirat's Mask of Command: Military Leadership in Burma (c. 1348–1421)" (PDF). SBBR. 4 (1): 17.
^ Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 2 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar. 1829. p. 215.
^ GE Harvey (1925). "Shan Migration (Ava)". History of Burma (2000 ed.). Asian Educational Services. pp. 85–95. ISBN 8120613651, 9788120613652. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
^ ^a ^b Maung Htin Aung (1967). "Ava against Pegu; Shan against Mon". A History of Burma. New York and London: Cambridge University Press. p. 93.
^ Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. Phayre (1883). History of Burma (1967 ed.). London: Susil Gupta. pp. 81–82.

Regnal titles
Thihathu of Ava Ava Kingdom Born: c. 1395 Died: August 1426
Preceded by Minkhaung I	King of Ava February 1422 – August 1426	Succeeded by Minhlange
Royal titles
Preceded by Minyekyawswa	Heir to the Burmese Throne 1419 – 1422	Succeeded by Minhlange
Preceded by Minyekyawswa	Governor of Prome 1416 – 1419	Succeeded by Saw Shwe Khet

[Hmn2-1] "Ava Kings". Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 2 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar. 1829. p. 58.

[jf-17-2] Jon Fernquest (Spring 2006). "Rajadhirat's Mask of Command: Military Leadership in Burma (c. 1348–1421)" (PDF). SBBR. 4 (1): 17.

[Hmn2-215-3] Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 2 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar. 1829. p. 215.

[geh-4] GE Harvey (1925). "Shan Migration (Ava)". History of Burma (2000 ed.). Asian Educational Services. pp. 85–95. ISBN 8120613651, 9788120613652. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)

[hb-93-5] Maung Htin Aung (1967). "Ava against Pegu; Shan against Mon". A History of Burma. New York and London: Cambridge University Press. p. 93.

[app-6] Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. Phayre (1883). History of Burma (1967 ed.). London: Susil Gupta. pp. 81–82.

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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)