Binnya Waru

Binnya Waru
ဗညားဗရူး
Binnya Waru ; ဗညားဗရူး
King of Hanthawaddy
Reign	1446–1451
Predecessor	Binnya Ran I
Successor	Binnya Kyan
Born	c. 1418; Pegu (Bago)
Died	30 May 1451 ; New moon (15th waning) of Nayon 813 ME; Pegu
Consort	Ye Mibaya
House	Wareru
Father	Binnya Bye
Mother	Shin Sawbu
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

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Binnya Waru (Burmese: ဗညားဗရူး, pronounced [bəɲá bəjú]; Mon: ဗညားဗရောဝ်; c. 1418–1451) was the 12th king of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom in Burma from 1446 to 1451. He was a nephew and adopted son of King Binnya Ran I after whom he succeeded to the Hanthawaddy throne. The king was known for his strict disciplinary rule. He reportedly liked to travel around the kingdom disguised as a commoner to observe the affairs firsthand, and meted out justice even to those who committed petty crimes. Binnya Waru was killed by his first cousin Binnya Kyan, son of King Binnya Dhammaraza, in 1451.^[1]

Brief

Binnya Waru was born to Shin Sawbu, a daughter of King Razadarit and Binnya Bye, Razadarit's nephew. He had two sisters Netaka Taw and Netaka Thin. His father died in 1419. In 1423, his mother Shin Sawbu was sent to Ava as a present to King Thihathu of Ava by his uncle Crown Prince Binnya Ran. A year later, after Binnya Ran became king after poisoning King Binnya Dhammaraza, another one of his uncles, Binnya Ran adopted the parent-less Waru as his own.^[2] In 1430, his mother Shin Sawbu fled Ava and returned to Pegu. But none of her children, Waru included, recognized her since she had been away for seven years.^[1]

He ascended the throne in 1446 after his uncle Binnya Ran I's death. He reigned for about five years.

Historiography

Various Burmese chronicles do not agree on the key dates of the king's life.

Chronicles	Birth–Death	Age	Reign	Length of reign	Reference
Maha Yazawin (1724)	1420/21–June 1450	29 or 30	1446–June 1450	4	^{[note 2]}
Slapat Rajawan (1766)	c. 1434 [sic]–1459/60	25	1456/57–1459/60	4 [sic]	^{[note 3]}
Mon Yazawin (Shwe Naw) (1785)		26		5	^[3]
Hmannan Yazawin (1832)	1418/19–June 1450	31 or 32	1446–June 1450	4	^[4]

Notes

^ Chronicles do not agree on his death year or the manner in which he died. According to Slapat Rajawan, he died in the year in which the court astrologers specifically had advised him not to declare the year as a great leap year (with both leap month and leap day) for he would surely die. The king, the chronicle continues, refused saying that he would not alter the schedule, and he died on the night of the leap day (New moon / 15th waning of Nayon). Main chronicles Maha Yazawin and Hmannan Yazawin say that he was assassinated in Waso 812 ME (10 June 1450 to 8 July 1450), having reigned for four years. But 812 ME was not a leap year, while 813 ME was a great leap year; the king likely died on New Moon of Nayon 813 ME (30 May 1451).
^ (Maha Vol. 2 2006: 82): He was assassinated in Waso 812 ME (10 June 1450 to 8 July 1450).
^ Slapat is inconsistent. (Schmidt 1906: 129) says the king died in 821 ME (1459/60) after having reigned 4 years in his 26th year (aged 25). But the chronicle (Schmidt 1906: 121) also says he came to power in 818 ME (1456/57), which means he could not have ruled for 4 years. Furthermore, he could not have born c. as the chronicle suggests since his father had been dead for at least 10 years in 1434.

References

^ ^a ^b Harvey 1925: 116
^ Phayre 1967: 81–84
^ Shwe Naw 1922: 50–55
^ Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 92

Bibliography

Athwa, Sayadaw (1766). "Slapat des Ragawan der Königsgeschichte". Die äthiopischen Handschriften der K.K. Hofbibliothek zu Wien (in German). 151. Translated by P.W. Schmidt (1906 ed.). Vienna: Alfred Hölder.
Harvey, G. E. (1925). History of Burma: From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd.
Kala, U (1724). Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (2006, 4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
Phayre, Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. (1883). History of Burma (1967 ed.). London: Susil Gupta.
Royal Historical Commission of Burma (1832). Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.
Shwe Naw, ed. (1785). Mon Yazawin (Shwe Naw) (in Burmese). Translated by Shwe Naw (1922 ed.). Yangon: Burma Publishing Workers Association Press.

Regnal titles
Binnya Waru Hanthawaddy Dynasty Born: c. 1418 Died: 30 May 1451
Preceded by Binnya Ran I	King of Hanthawaddy 1446–1451	Succeeded by Binnya Kyan
Royal titles
Preceded by Binnya Ran I	Heir to the Hanthawaddy Throne 14?? – 1446	Succeeded by Dhammazedi

[1] Chronicles do not agree on his death year or the manner in which he died. According to Slapat Rajawan, he died in the year in which the court astrologers specifically had advised him not to declare the year as a great leap year (with both leap month and leap day) for he would surely die. The king, the chronicle continues, refused saying that he would not alter the schedule, and he died on the night of the leap day (New moon / 15th waning of Nayon). Main chronicles Maha Yazawin and Hmannan Yazawin say that he was assassinated in Waso 812 ME (10 June 1450 to 8 July 1450), having reigned for four years. But 812 ME was not a leap year, while 813 ME was a great leap year; the king likely died on New Moon of Nayon 813 ME (30 May 1451).

[4] (Maha Vol. 2 2006: 82): He was assassinated in Waso 812 ME (10 June 1450 to 8 July 1450).

[5] Slapat is inconsistent. (Schmidt 1906: 129) says the king died in 821 ME (1459/60) after having reigned 4 years in his 26th year (aged 25). But the chronicle (Schmidt 1906: 121) also says he came to power in 818 ME (1456/57), which means he could not have ruled for 4 years. Furthermore, he could not have born c. as the chronicle suggests since his father had been dead for at least 10 years in 1434.

[geh-116-2] Harvey 1925: 116

[app-1967-3] Phayre 1967: 81–84

[sn-50-55-6] Shwe Naw 1922: 50–55

[hy-2-92-7] Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 92

[note 1]

[1]

[2]

[note 2]

[note 3]

[3]

[4]

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)