Kyawswa I of Pinya
Encyclopedia
Kyawswa I of Pinya or Ngarsishin Kyawswa was the third king of Pinya Kingdom
from 1343 to 1350. Kyawswa, who descended from both Pagan and Myinsaing
dynasties, ascended the throne of Pinya in 1343 after his half-brother Uzana I abdicated the throne. He unsuccessfully tried to reunite central Burma by making sporadic warfare against the rival Sagaing Kingdom
ruled by his first-cousin Kyaswa.
Kyawswa I died in 1350, and was succeeded by Kyawswa II
. The last three kings of Pinya kings were all his sons. The Pinya Kingdom collapsed in 1364, 14 years after his death.
, the last sovereign king of Pagan Empire from his mother's side, and his father was Thihathu, who represented the ascent of Shan power in Burma. While Kyawswa was three quarters Burman
and one quarter Shan, he was likely brought up as Shan in his days in a Pinya court dominated by Shan ministers and warriors.
Pinya Kingdom
The Pinya Kingdom was a kingdom that ruled part of central Burma from 1313 to 1364. It was the successor state to the Myinsaing Kingdom, one of many petty kingdoms that emerged after the fall of the Pagan Empire in 1287...
from 1343 to 1350. Kyawswa, who descended from both Pagan and Myinsaing
Myinsaing Kingdom
The Myinsaing Kingdom was a kingdom that ruled central Burma from 1298 to 1313. Founded by three brothers of Shan and Burman descent, it was one of many petty kingdoms that emerged following the collapse of Pagan Empire in 1287....
dynasties, ascended the throne of Pinya in 1343 after his half-brother Uzana I abdicated the throne. He unsuccessfully tried to reunite central Burma by making sporadic warfare against the rival Sagaing Kingdom
Sagaing Kingdom
The Sagaing Kingdom was a kingdom that ruled a part of central Burma from 1315 to 1364. The kingdom was the western half of the old Myinsaing Kingdom, which itself was one of many petty kingdoms that emerged after the fall of the Pagan Empire in 1287...
ruled by his first-cousin Kyaswa.
Kyawswa I died in 1350, and was succeeded by Kyawswa II
Kyawswa II of Pinya
Kyawswa II of Pinya or Kyawswange was the fourth king of Pinya Kingdom from 1350 to 1359. He died in 1359, right at the beginning of major fresh Shan raids into Upper Burma that would topple both Pinya Kingdom and Sagaing Kingdom by 1364....
. The last three kings of Pinya kings were all his sons. The Pinya Kingdom collapsed in 1364, 14 years after his death.
Background
Kyawswa seemingly had the perfect royal pedigree to rule. He was a grandson of King NarathihapateNarathihapate
Narathihapate was the last king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1254 to 1287. The king is unkindly remembered for two things: his gluttonous appetite which supposedly required all his dinners to have 300 varieties of dishes; and his panic flight from Mongol invasions. He is forever remembered as ...
, the last sovereign king of Pagan Empire from his mother's side, and his father was Thihathu, who represented the ascent of Shan power in Burma. While Kyawswa was three quarters Burman
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
and one quarter Shan, he was likely brought up as Shan in his days in a Pinya court dominated by Shan ministers and warriors.