Nyaung-yan Min ( ; 8 November 1555 – ) was king of the Toungoo dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) from 1599 to 1605. He is also referred to as the founder of the restored Toungoo dynasty or Nyaungyan dynasty for starting the reunification process following the collapse of the First Toungoo Empire.
A son of King Bayinnaung by a minor queen, Nyaungyan gradually emerged as a power in Upper Burma in the mid-1590s. When major vassal rulers renounced their ties with King Nanda in 1597, he too broke away by seizing Ava (Inwa). But he stayed out of myriad wars in the low country. Instead, he methodically consolidated his base in the upcountry, and went on to acquire the surrounding cis-Salween Shan states until his death in 1605. He also rebuilt the economy of Upper Burma, and (re-)established several social, financial and military standards, many of which would be retained to the end of the Toungoo dynasty in 1752. His efforts paved the way for his eldest son and successor Anaukpetlun to restore major portions of the Toungoo Empire in the next two decades.
Early life He was born Shin Thissa (, ) to Lady Khin Pyezon and King Bayinnaung on 8 November 1555.The chronicle Zatadawbon Yazawin (Zata 1960: 47) says he was born on a Friday in the 9th month (Tazaungmon) of 917 ME, and that he died at age 49 (50th year). Maha Yazawin (Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 128) says that he died as he was turning 50. Since he died on 11th waning of Tazaungmon 967 ME, he was born on or after 11th waning of Tazaungmon 917 ME (8 November 1555). And because he was a Friday born, he was born on 11th waning of Tazaungmon 917 ME, the only Friday left in that month. He had an elder brother, Shin Ubote. He was one of the 91 children born to minor queens, who were ranked below the six children by the three senior queens.Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 73 Indeed, Thissa had to wait until he was 25 to get a governorship. On 8 February 1581,(Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 57): Friday, 7th waxing of Tabaung 942 ME = Wednesday, 8 February 1581 the king appointed Thissa to succeed Ubote, who died in January 1581,(Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 71): Tabodwe 942 ME = 4 January 1581 to 1 February 1581 as governor of Nyaungyan, a small town in present-day Meiktila District, south of Ava (Inwa).Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 57 The small town governor was married to his half sister Khin Hpone Myint, who like him was a child of a junior queen. (Khin Hpone Myint's name is sometimes reported as "Khin Hpone Myat".Both (Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 61) and (Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 42) say that he married Khin Hpone Myat on 9th waxing of Tabodwe 938 ME (25 February 1577). But the name Khin Hpone Myat is most probably a typographical error. Hmannan's detailed list of Bayinnaung's issue (Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 68) shows that her name was "Khin Hpone Myint", daughter of Shin Htwe Myat. The complete list (Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 68–73) does include two other daughters named Khin Hpone Myat; the first Khin Hpone Myat, daughter of Khin Gyi Sit, was married to Sithu, Gov. of Mawlamyaing, and the second Khin Hpone Myat, daughter of Khin Htwe Phyu, to Ottamarit, Gov. of Sagaing.)The couple had been married since 25 February 1577,(Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 61): Sunday, 9th waxing of Tabaung 938 ME = Monday, 25 February 1577 and had a 3-year-old child, one Thakin Lat.Thakin Lat was born on 21 January 1578 (Tuesday, 14th waxing of Tabodwe 939 ME) per (Zata 1960: 79)
Governor of Nyaungyan (1581–97) It was at Nyaungyan that Thissa slowly made his name, and came to be known as Nyaungyan Min (Lord of Nyaungyan). He indirectly benefited from Pegu's troubles in the next decade and a half that saw Pegu's power gradually retrench from its vassal states.
Early years For his first dozen years at Nyaungyan, Thissa was a loyal, if unremarkable, governor. He quietly ruled a small region which fell within the jurisdiction of his half-uncle Thado Minsaw, Viceroy of Ava (Upper Burma). One key decision he made came in 1584 when he sided with King Nanda after Thado Minsaw revolted.Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 80–82 He remained a loyal vassal during the Siamese rebellion (1584–93) although it is unclear how much he, a second-tier governor, could have contributed to the war effort.Nyaungyan did not appear in any of the commander lists of the Toungoo campaigns until 1596. See (Maha Yazawin Vols 2 and 3 2006). It was only in 1594 after Nanda decided to withdraw central administration from Upper Burma and the Shan states that Nyaungyan emerged as a power in Upper Burma. In December 1593, Nanda recalled Viceroy of Ava Minye Kyawswa II to Pegu to take over as Crown Prince, and more importantly, the king decided not to appoint a replacement viceroy or governor of Upper Burma.Maha Yazawin Vol. 3: 95 Given that Pegu possessed no institutional capacity to directly administer the upcountry, Nanda had essentially chosen to devolve power to myriad minor vassals rather than appoint an effective viceroy or governor who could turn against him. Nanda's paranoia had a basis. His own son Thado Dhamma Yaza III, Viceroy of Prome (Pyay), revolted in April 1595.Maha Yazawin Vol. 3: 96
Break from Pegu Nanda's policy of devolution created a power vacuum in the upcountry which ambitious governors like Nyaungyan now maneuvered to fill. The opportunity for Nyaungyan to come to the forefront came in 1596 when Thado Dhamma Yaza III, the self-proclaimed king of Prome, invaded central Burma. Nanda ordered Nyaungyan to organize a defense. Nyaungyan agreed to follow the order as he could not let anyone else take over central Burma. His forces successfully stopped the Prome advance at Pakhan, a key town on the Irrawaddy about 120 km south of Ava, but could not retake more southerly towns.Maha Yazawin Vol. 3: 97 After the fighting was done, Prome forces had occupied central Burma up to Salin, about 240 km south of Ava. Prome planned to resume the war in the following dry season of 1597–98.
Nyaungyan, whose army essentially controlled the region around Ava, quietly decided to consolidate power for himself. At Pegu, Nanda was desperate to retain Nyaungyan's loyalty. The king awarded Nyaungyan the title of Minye Nandameit (မင်းရဲနန္ဒမိတ်) along with lavish gifts. At the same time, he was suspicious of his stronger vassals' intentions. The king asked Nyaungyan, Minye Thihathu II of Toungoo and Nawrahta Minsaw of Lan Na to send their eldest sons to Pegu, essentially to hold them as hostages. It was a major miscalculation on Nanda's part for he had no real power to enforce his order. Indeed, he could do nothing when the viceroys of Toungoo and Lan Na formally declared independence.
The chronicles say only that Nyaungyan ignored the king's order but do not mention his formal declaration of independence during Nanda's reign.Chronicles themselves do not agree about the degree of his insurrection. Maha Yazawin (Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 128) says he became king of Ava in 1597. But Hmannan Yazawin (Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 142) recognizes him as king only after Nanda's fall in 1599. But surviving royal orders from Nyaungyan's court show that he essentially did in 1597. First, he declared without the king's permission on that he would take over Ava, and that he would officially move into the new palace there on .(Than Tun Vol. 2 1985: 11 and 116): 5th waxing of Kason 959 ME = 19 April 1597. (Than Tun Vol. 2 1985: 11 and 115): Wednesday, 2nd waning of Tawthalin 959 ME = 27 August 1597. According to Than Tun, Nyaungyan "virtually declared" himself King of Ava on in the order announcing the appointment of Maha Okka Dhamma and Maha Okka Thena as chief ministers of his court.(Than Tun Vol. 2 1985: 11, 119): Friday, 10th waning of Kason 959 ME = 9 May 1597
Ruler of Ava
Consolidation of Upper Burma Despite his de facto, if not de jure, independence, Nyaungyan was more concerned about Prome than Pegu. He rushed to consolidate his base before the next dry season. He and his army marched to towns around the Ava region, receiving the allegiance of local governors. Rival governors at Yamethin and Pagan (Bagan) initially resisted but eventually submitted to the rising power on and on , respectively.(Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 110–111): Saturday, 15th waning of Waso 959 ME = 12 July 1597; Friday, 5th waning of Wagaung 959 ME = 1 August 1597.
His consolidation drive was watched with alarm not only by Prome but also by Toungoo. The two powers of central Burma decided not to wait until the dry season. In September 1597, Minye Thihathu II of Toungoo sent in a small army to contest Nyaungyan's acquisitions of Yamethin, the traditional border between Toungoo and Ava.Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 112 At Prome, Thado Dhamma Yaza III was about to start the campaign to Ava when he was assassinated on by Yan Naing.(Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 112): Monday, 6th waxing of Thadingyut 959 ME = 15 September 1597
The assassination was a fortuitous event for Nyaungyan. Upon hearing the news, Minye Thihahtu II opportunistically redirected the Toungoo army to invade Prome instead. Yan Naing repulsed the Toungoo attack. After the dust settled, Toungoo decided to focus its energies on capturing Pegu; Yan Naing ruled a smaller region as the lord of Salin switched sides to Nyaungyan; and Nyaungyan was spared from further attacks by more established powers.Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 113 (Nyaungyan was forever grateful to Yan Naing for breaking up what would be a two-pronged attack by Prome and Toungoo. In 1605, as he lay dying, he asked his eldest son and heir-apparent Anaukpetlun to spare the life of Yan Naing when Prome was captured. When asked why, the king replied that if Yan Naing had not broken up Prome's invasion, his then small army would likely have been defeated in a two-front war.Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 126)
Nyaungyan spent the next year further consolidating northern regions of Upper Burma. By November 1598, he felt strong enough to declare his ambitions. On , as Toungoo and its ally Mrauk-U (Arakan) invaded Lower Burma, he proclaimed himself king, not just of Ava but also of all of the lands that once belonged to his father Bayinnaung.(Than Tun Vol. 1 1983: 18–19, 181–182): The royal order dated 14 November 1598 (1st waning of Tazaungmon 960 ME) says that the extent of Nyaungyan's domain included the Iron Bridge in the east, Siam in the south, the sea coast in the west, and Manipur and northern Shan states (Kachin State) in the north. Toungoo and Mrauk-U forces went on to capture Pegu in December 1599, and divide up the city's enormous riches as the capital of the Toungoo Empire for the last 60 years.Htin Aung 1967: 133–134 But from a strategic standpoint, it was Nyaungyan whose control of Upper Burma, "the 'heartland' where most of the food of the country was produced and its population lived",Aung-Thwin and Aung-Thwin 2012: 133 would ultimately come out ahead. He quietly planned extending his rule to the Shan states surrounding Upper Burma.
Coronation On ,(Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 122): Friday, 12th waxing of Tabuang 961 ME = 25 February 1600. Nyaungyan crowned himself as king with the reign name of Thiha Thura Maha Dhamma Yaza (သီဟသူရ မဟာဓမ္မရာဇာ).Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 114 His chief queen's title was Thiri Maha Dhamma Yaza Dipadi Dewi. He appointed his three sons by the chief queen appanages: The eldest son Thakin Lat (later known as King Anaukpetlun) was given Dabayin in fief with the title Thado Minkhaung Kyaw; his middle son Thakin Gyi (later, King Thalun) was given Talote in fief with the title of Minye Theinkhathu; the youngest son Thakin Phyu was granted Sagu with the title of Minye Uzana.Both Maha Yazawin (Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 114) and Hmannan Yazawin (Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 122) chronicles say that Nyaungyan appointed his eldest son crown prince on that day. But a surviving royal order (Than Tun Vol. 1 1983: 12, 174–175) says that his eldest son was appointed crown prince only on 11 August 1603 (5th waxing of Wagaung 965 ME).
Brief war with Toungoo