Mobye Narapati

Mobye Narapati
Narapati III of Ava
မိုးဗြဲ နရပတိ
Mobye Narapati ; Narapati III of Ava ; မိုးဗြဲ နရပတိ
King of Ava
Reign	c. September 1545 – c. October 1551
Predecessor	Hkonmaing
Successor	Narapati IV
Born	May 1516 ; Saturday, Nayon 878 ME
Died	?; Pegu (Bago)
Issue	Khin Aung Kham
House	Hsipaw
Father	Hkonmaing
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

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Mobye Narapati (Burmese: မိုးဗြဲ နရပတိ, pronounced [móbjɛ́ nəɹa̰pətḭ]; Narapati III of Ava) also Sao Hso Kaw Hpa of Mong Pai was the penultimate king of Ava who reigned from 1545 to 1551. The ethnically Shan king ruled as the disputed leader of the Confederation of Shan states that had ruled Ava since 1527. He ended the seven years' war with Toungoo as soon as he came to power. Throughout his six years of reign, he faced an active rebellion by Sithu Kyawhtin, who was supported by the Shan state of Mohnyin. He controlled only a rump state, east of the Irrawaddy and north of Pagan (Bagan). After he was finally driven out of Ava (Inwa) in October 1551, he fled south to Pegu (Bago) where he was given protection by King Bayinnaung of Toungoo Dynasty. He lived out his years at Pegu.

Early life

The future king was a son of Hkonmaing, who was saopha (chief) of the Shan state of Onbaung–Hsipaw (Thibaw) his personal name in Shan language is Hso Kaw Hpa of Mong Pai . His father later appointed him chief of Mobye (present day northern Kayah State), which was a vassal state of Onbaung–Hsipaw. He remained in Mobye even when his father was elected by the Ava court to become king of Ava in 1542.^[2] Three tumultuous years later, after his father's death c. September 1545, the 29-year-old chief of Mobye succeeded the Ava throne with the royal style of Narapati III.^[3]

Reign

Narapati III inherited not only an ongoing war with Toungoo but also an active Mohnyin-backed rebellion in Sagaing by Sithu Kyawhtin. The territory he inherited was already badly splintered. The Ava "Kingdom" had already lost all of Central Burma from Pagan (Bagan) southward since 1544, and further split into two halves: the Mohnyin-controlled west of the Irrawaddy (present-day Sagaing Region and southern Kachin State), and Hsipaw/Onbaung-controlled eastern half (approximately, northern Mandalay Region and western Shan State).

Unable to fight two wars, Narapati III sued for peace with Toungoo, agreeing to cede all of Central Burma. He was merely acknowledging the facts on the ground. His offer was accepted by King Tabinshwehti of Toungoo.^[3] He then tried to persuade Sithu Kyawhtin to come over to his side.^[3] But Sithu Kyawhtin was loyal to his overlord Sawlon II of Mohnyin, and both were not interested in a truce. They believed that the Ava throne rightfully belonged to Mohnyin since it was Sawlon I of Mohnyin who led the Confederation to conquer Ava in 1527. Furthermore, they found it jarring that Narapati III belonged to the House of Hsipaw which bitterly fought against Mohnyin in the 1520s. Failing at diplomacy, Narapati attacked Sagaing but could not take it.^[4]

An uneasy stalemate ensued in the next five years. Narapati was an average ruler but his cross river rival Sithu Kyawhtin proved to be an able ruler, who increasingly commanded more manpower. Indeed, by 1549, Sithu Kyawhtin had been acknowledged as an equal by Sawlon II, his former overlord.^[5] Narapati had no answers when Sithu Kyawhtin attacked Ava in September 1551. He resisted for about a month but fled south to Pegu where he was given protection by King Bayinnaung.^[6]

Aftermath

He lived out his life in Pegu. One of his daughters, Khin Aung Kham, was a minor queen of Bayinnaung.^[1] He was one of four former kings (along with Sithu Kyawhtin of Ava, Mekuti of Lan Na and Maha Chakkraphat of Siam) honored by Bayinnaung at the opening ceremony of the newly rebuilt Kanbawzathadi Palace on 16 March 1568.^[7]

Notes

^ According to (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 152), he was a Saturday born, and came to power at age 29 (30th year) and lost power at age 35 (36th year), meaning he was born in 1516. Note that the dates for Hkonmaing and Narapati III in Zatadawbon Yazawin (Zata 1960: 47) are flipped since the son fell from power at age 43, four years after his father had died at age 36! According to the corrected entry in Zata, he was born in the third month, Nayon. Nayon 878 ME translates to 2 May to 30 May 1516. Since he was born on a Saturday, his birth date was any one of: 3, 10, 17 or 24 May 1516.

References

^ ^a ^b Sein Lwin Lay 2006: 309–310
^ Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 146
^ ^a ^b ^c Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 149
^ Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 150
^ Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 151
^ Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 152
^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 298–299

Bibliography

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 Historians of Burma (c. 1680). U Hla Tin (Hla Thamein) (ed.). Zatadawbon Yazawin (1960 ed.). Historical Research Directorate of the Union of Burma.
Royal Historical Commission of Burma (1832). Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.
Sein Lwin Lay, Kahtika U (1968). Mintaya Shwe Hti and Bayinnaung: Ketumadi Taungoo Yazawin (in Burmese) (2006, 2nd printing ed.). Yangon: Yan Aung Sarpay.

Regnal titles
Mobye Narapati Ava Kingdom Born: May 1516 Died: ?
Preceded by Hkonmaing	King of Ava c. September 1545 – c. November 1551	Succeeded by Sithu Kyawhtin
Royal titles
Preceded by	Saopha of Mobye ? – c. September 1545	Succeeded by

[1] According to (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 152), he was a Saturday born, and came to power at age 29 (30th year) and lost power at age 35 (36th year), meaning he was born in 1516. Note that the dates for Hkonmaing and Narapati III in Zatadawbon Yazawin (Zata 1960: 47) are flipped since the son fell from power at age 43, four years after his father had died at age 36! According to the corrected entry in Zata, he was born in the third month, Nayon. Nayon 878 ME translates to 2 May to 30 May 1516. Since he was born on a Saturday, his birth date was any one of: 3, 10, 17 or 24 May 1516.

[sll-309-310-2] Sein Lwin Lay 2006: 309–310

[hy-2-146-3] Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 146

[hy-2-149-4] Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 149

[hy-2-150-5] Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 150

[hy-2-151-6] Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 151

[hy-2-152-7] Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 152

[my-2-298-299-8] Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 298–299

[note 1]

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

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)