Naungdawgyi facts for kids

Naungdawgyi (Burmese: နောင်တော်ကြီး; born 10 August 1734 – died 28 November 1763) was the second king of the Konbaung Dynasty in Burma (now Myanmar). He ruled for a short time, from 1760 to 1763. Before becoming king, he was a skilled military leader. He helped his father, Alaungpaya, unite the country during the Konbaung-Hanthawaddy War. As king, Naungdawgyi spent most of his reign putting down many rebellions. These uprisings happened across his new kingdom, from cities like Ava and Toungoo to places like Martaban and Chiang Mai. He died suddenly, less than a year after he had successfully stopped these revolts. His younger brother, Hsinbyushin, became the next king.

Early Life and Growing Up

Naungdawgyi was born Maung Lauk (မောင်လောက်) on 10 August 1734. His parents were Yun San and Aung Zeya, who later became King Alaungpaya. He was born in a small village called Moksobo, which was about 60 miles northwest of Ava. He was the oldest of his parents' nine children. In 1736, his father became the leader of Moksobo.

As Lauk grew up, the king's power in Ava was becoming very weak. He saw the Meiteis attack his home region year after year. He wondered why the king could not stop these raids. Things got even worse in 1740. The Mon in southern Burma broke away and started their own kingdom. This new kingdom, called the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom, was based in Pegu (now Bago). During his teenage years, Lauk and other people from Upper Burma watched as Pegu seemed to be winning the war against Ava.

Becoming a Prince and Military Leader

By March 1752, the armies from Pegu had captured Ava. At this time, Lauk's father had convinced the people of the Mu valley to join him in fighting back. His father declared himself king, taking the name Alaungpaya, and started the Konbaung Dynasty. As the oldest son, Naungdawgyi was named the heir to the throne. Even though their "kingdom" was only 46 villages in the Mu valley, he was next in line to be king.

Naungdawgyi was only 17 when he started fighting alongside his father's best commanders. They fought against the invading forces from Pegu. While his younger brother Hsinbyushin was perhaps more naturally gifted, Naungdawgyi proved to be a very good military leader himself. He led armies in the Konbaung campaigns that defeated the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom in 1757.

He stayed behind to manage the kingdom for his father during later military trips. These included campaigns to Manipur in 1758 and Siam (1759–1760). His father died suddenly from an illness during the Siamese campaign in May 1760.

Challenges to the Throne

As the heir, Naungdawgyi was supposed to become king after Alaungpaya. His father had even said that all six of his sons from his first wife would become king, one after another, based on their age. However, becoming king was not easy. In Burmese history, new kings often faced rebellions from local rulers, attempts to take over the government, or harsh actions against rivals. Naungdawgyi's time on the throne was no different.

The first challenge came from his younger brother, Hsinbyushin. Hsinbyushin tried to get the army's support to become king instead. But he did not get the support he needed. Naungdawgyi forgave his brother because their mother asked him to. Naungdawgyi was crowned king on 26 July 1760, in Sagaing. He then officially took the Peacock throne in Shwebo on 9 February 1761. His royal name was Thiri Pawara Maha Dhammayaza. Following his father's wishes, Hsinbyushin was then made the heir to the throne.

Putting Down Rebellions

Naungdawgyi faced many rebellions during his short time as king. These included a revolt by General Minkhaung Nawrahta in 1761. There were also two separate uprisings in the vassal states of Toungoo (1761–1762) and Lan Na (1761–1763). Another vassal state, Manipur, was also attacked by rebels in 1763.

Rebellion in Ava

Naungdawgyi forgave Hsinbyushin partly because he was more worried about a possible uprising from the army. He had made some generals distrust him because he had executed two generals he did not like soon after becoming king. One of his father's most trusted generals, Minkhaung Nawrahta, rebelled when he was called to see the new king. Naungdawgyi and Minkhaung Nawrahta had never gotten along. The general was highly respected by the soldiers. He and his 12,000 followers took control of Ava on 25 June 1760. It took Naungdawgyi over five months to get the city back in early December. The general was killed by a musket shot as he tried to escape. Naungdawgyi was very upset by this event and felt deep regret over the death of one of his father's close companions.

Rebellion in Toungoo

Even worse events followed. The next year, two vassal states, Toungoo and Lan Na, revolted. Manipur, another vassal state, was also attacked by rebels. The leader of the Toungoo rebellion was Naungdawgyi's own uncle, Thado Theinkhathu. He, along with some senior army commanders, decided to challenge his nephew. The Toungoo rebellion was mainly a protest against how General Minkhaung Nawrahta had been treated. Naungdawgyi marched his army to Toungoo and surrounded the city. (His brother Hsinbyushin did not help him.) The city finally surrendered in January 1762. Naungdawgyi, tired of the constant fighting, pardoned his uncle and the commanders. Among those pardoned was Balamindin, who would later become a key army leader in future wars.

Revolts in Lan Na and Martaban

While Naungdawgyi was fighting in Toungoo, the loyal king of Lan Na in Chiang Mai was overthrown. (Southern Lan Na had only rejoined the kingdom in 1757, after being in revolt since 1725.) The new rebel leader, Chao Khihut, immediately started preparing defenses. He also allowed Talaban, a top general from the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom who had been hiding, to use Chiang Mai as a base. Talaban gathered an army and attacked Martaban (Mottama) in late 1761. For a while, it seemed to distract Naungdawgyi's army in Toungoo. However, Talaban's army could not get much support from the Mon people in Lower Burma. They were eventually pushed back into the jungle between the Salween and Moei rivers. Talaban was then forced to fight using guerrilla warfare tactics.

After Toungoo was captured, Naungdawgyi sent an army of 8,000 soldiers to Chiang Mai. The Burmese army captured Chiang Mai in early 1763. They marched all the way to the Chinese border, showing that Burma now controlled the entire region.

By this time, Talaban had also been captured. The army actually caught Talaban's family first. Talaban came out of hiding and offered his life in exchange for his family's freedom. Naungdawgyi was impressed by this act of bravery. He released Talaban's family and even took Talaban into his service.

Trouble in Manipur

By early 1763, Naungdawgyi had put down all the major rebellions. But he did not know that Manipur would be the next problem. In April 1763, the Manipuri king who had been driven out by Alaungpaya in 1758 tried to invade his old kingdom. His army included a small group of soldiers from the English East India Company. He had received the Company's help in September 1762. However, the invading army never reached Manipur. They got stuck in difficult terrain in Cachar. The English soldiers were not ready to march through such terrible land.

Relations with the English

After a past incident at Negrais, the relationship between Burma and the English remained very cold. While Naungdawgyi was fighting the rebellion in Ava, he met with Captain Walter Alves in September 1760. Alves was an envoy from the English East India Company. His job was to demand payment for the Burmese attack on the English settlement at Negrais in October 1759. The king refused to consider the demand for payment. However, he did agree to release English prisoners. He also asked to restart trade because he urgently needed weapons. The English, who were busy with the Seven Years' War, did not think trade with Burma was profitable enough to restart it.

Instead, the English made a deal with the Manipuri king who had been forced to flee. They agreed to provide military help in exchange for land and trade benefits. On 4 September 1762, the Company signed an agreement to send troops to drive the Burmese out of Manipur. In return, the Manipuri rebels promised to give the English land in Manipur for a factory and a fort, free of rent forever. They also promised to help promote trade with China. The Manipuris agreed to pay for the English troops and to make up for the losses the English suffered at Negrais.

Even though their first attempt to invade Manipur in 1763 failed, the Manipuri resistance continued with English help. They would temporarily drive out the Burmese vassal king in 1764 before Hsinbyushin pushed them back again.

Death and Who Came Next

Naungdawgyi died in November 1763. He was only 29 years old. Historians believe he died from scrofula, a disease that also affected his father and would later affect his brother Hsinbyushin. After finally being free of rebellions, the king had spent his last few months doing good deeds. He built two pagodas near the Mahananda Lake, close to Shwebo. His brother, Hsinbyushin, became the next king. Naungdawgyi had five sons and two daughters.