Smin Pun-Si (; , ; d. 1422) was a Hanthawaddy commander who fought in the first four conflicts of the Forty Years' War against the northern Kingdom of Ava. A career officer serving between 1390 and 1422, Pun-Si was executed by Prince Binnya Kyan at the onset of the Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1422–1423).
Biography The name Smin Pun-Si is a Mon language title, conferred upon several Hanthawaddy commanders and court officials. This article is about the Smin Pun-Si who served between 1390 and 1422.
Smin Pun-Si was a senior officer in the Hanthawaddy military throughout the decades-long wars against Ava. He served as a naval squadron commander during the Battle of Gu-Htut (1390–1391), and the Battle of Prome (1402). By 1408, he commanded an army regiment on the Sittaung front during the Ava invasion of Hanthawaddy.
His final campaign took place during the 1421–1422 succession crisis. Pun-Si supported King Binnya Dhammaraza, who had recently ascended the Hanthawaddy throne. In early 1422, he and Smin Maw-Khwin were ordered to capture Dala (modern Twante), the home base of the king's rival, Prince Binnya Kyan. They successfully occupied the fortified town while Kyan was on an expedition to Dagon, about 25 km east of Dala.Phayre 1967: 81 The commanders soon braced for Kyan's counterattack. The prince returned with two Ava regiments, and breached the town's walls despite a fierce defense. After the victory, Prince Kyan ordered the execution of both commanders for their spirited defense.
Military service The following table summarizes the military campaigns in which chronicles explicitly identify Pun-Si as a commander.
CampaignDurationTroops commandedNotes Battle of Gu-Htut 1390–1391 1 squadron Commanded one of four naval squadrons guarding Gu-HtutYazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 202–203Pan Hla 2005: 198Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 429–439 Battle of Prome 1402 1 squadron Commanded one of eight squadrons that blockaded Prome (Pyay).Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 218–219 Ava invasion of Hanthawaddy 1408 1 regiment Commanded one of nine regiments of the Royal Main Army of HanthawaddyMaha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 334–335Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 229Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 477 Battle of Dala 1422 1 regiment Captured Dala, and co-commanded the Dala garrison (along with Smin Maw-KhwinYazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 267Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 55
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