Minkhaung II facts for kids

Minkhaung II (Burmese: ဒုတိယ မင်းခေါင်; born October 9, 1446 – died April 7, 1501) was a king who ruled the Ava Kingdom from 1480 to 1501. His time as king, which lasted 20 years, marked the start of Ava losing its strong control over Upper Burma. During his reign, many areas that were once part of Ava broke away and became independent.

For example, Yamethin, a region east of Ava, rebelled right when Minkhaung became king. It stayed independent throughout his rule. Southern regions like Prome and Tharrawaddy also rebelled in 1482 and became independent. By the mid-1490s, several Shan states also broke away. Minkhaung II often had to rely on Mingyi Nyo, the ruler of Toungoo, for military help. By the end of his reign, Toungoo was almost as powerful as Ava itself.

Minkhaung II made his oldest son, Thihathura II, a joint-king. They ruled together for 15 years. However, Thihathura II died just one month before his father. Minkhaung II passed away in April 1501. His younger son, Shwenankyawshin (also known as Narapati II), became the next king.

Early Life and Crown Prince Years

Minkhaung II was the oldest son of King Thihathura of Ava. His father made him the crown prince, meaning he was next in line to be king, during his own rule (1468–1480). As crown prince, Minkhaung II was given the Dabayin region to govern.

His younger brothers also ruled different regions within the kingdom. His uncles, Mingyi Swa and Thado Minsaw, governed the southern areas of Prome (Pyay) and Tharrawaddy.

Minkhaung II's Reign as King

King Thihathura died in 1480, and Minkhaung II became king. He took the royal name Thirithuddhamma Yaza. When a new king took the throne in Ava, it was customary for him to make sure all the regional rulers were loyal to him.

Minkhaung's uncles in Prome and Tharrawaddy barely recognized him as king. Closer to Ava, his younger brothers, who ruled Salin and Se in the west, and the ruler of Yamethin in the southeast, openly rebelled against him.

Challenges and Rebellions

The rebellion led by Minye Kyawswa of Yamethin was a big threat to Ava's power. Yamethin controlled five important farming areas in the Kyaukse region, which supplied a lot of food. Minkhaung ordered Sithu Kyawhtin, a general and ruler of Toungoo (Taungoo), to attack Yamethin from the south. Minkhaung himself marched from the north.

However, Yamethin had very strong defenses. Sithu Kyawhtin died in the battle. Minkhaung stopped the attack after a two-month siege. He then appointed Sithu Kyawhtin's son, Min Sithu, as the new governor of Toungoo. Ava tried to take control of Yamethin many times after this, but Yamethin remained independent for the rest of Minkhaung's reign.

Because Ava could not regain control of the Kyaukse farming region, the kingdom was never strong enough to control other areas. In 1482, Mingyi Swa of Prome died. His brother, Thado Minsaw of Tharrawaddy, took over Prome and declared himself independent. King Minkhaung sent an army to attack Prome, but the Ava army could not capture the city and had to retreat. Prome became an independent kingdom, controlling areas up to Tharrawaddy and Myede.

Also in 1482, the Shan states of Mohnyin and Momeik in the north rebelled. Minkhaung was still focused on Yamethin, so he could not do much about these other revolts. By the 1490s, other Shan states that were once loyal to Ava, like Kale and Mogaung, had also broken away. Only the Shan state of Hsipaw (Thibaw) remained a loyal friend to Ava. Mohnyin, in particular, started raiding towns in Upper Burma again, especially Myedu.

Alliance with Toungoo

In 1485, Mingyi Nyo killed his uncle, Min Sithu, whom Minkhaung had appointed as governor of Toungoo just five years earlier. However, Nyo quickly sent gifts and showed respect to Ava. Minkhaung was not in a strong position to punish Nyo, so he accepted Nyo's loyalty. He officially made Nyo the ruler of Toungoo.

Mingyi Nyo remained a loyal ally of Ava for the rest of Minkhaung's reign. In the 1490s, Toungoo fought against Yamethin and the Hanthawaddy Kingdom in the south. In 1492, after the death of King Dhammazedi of Hanthawaddy, Nyo sent a small raid into Hanthawaddy territory without Minkhaung's permission. The new Hanthawaddy king, Binnya Ran II, sent a counter-attack in 1495. By the end of Minkhaung's rule, Toungoo had become almost as powerful as Ava, its official overlord.

Ava and Yamethin continued to fight each other until the very end. Minye Kyawswa of Yamethin died in August or September 1500. King Minkhaung II died shortly after, on April 7, 1501.

Joint Rule with His Son

When Minkhaung II became king, he made his seven-year-old oldest son the heir-apparent, meaning the future king. In 1485, when the prince was 12 years old, Minkhaung II made him a joint-king with the title Maha Thihathura.

The co-ruler, Thihathura II of Ava, lived in the same palace as his father. He even had a white umbrella, which was a symbol of being a sovereign ruler. He ruled alongside his father for 15 years. However, he died in March 1501, just one month before his father passed away.