Mongol invasion of Burma
Encyclopedia
After the conquest of China
, Kublai Khan
, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty
and the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
, invaded the Pagan Kingdom
of Burma in 1277 and 1283. However, the Yuan
armies later again invaded Burma several times in order to assert supremacy over the territory.
in 1253, there was an open route to Indo-China. Kublai, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty
and the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
, dispatched Sayid Ajall as the administrator of Yunnan province in 1273. Then Kublai sent three envoys to demand Burma's submission.
According to Yuan dynasty accounts, Burma's king Narathihapate
received his envoys well at first. But Narathihapate executed Kublai's envoy when the Yuan envoys arrived the second time. The kingdom of Burma sent force into the Thai
state of Kaungai, the protecrate of Kublai, harassing the Gold-tooths.
In Yuan accounts, in 1277 the Burmese, with 80-200 war elephant
s, had advanced over the border along the high valleys in Baoshan
. 700 man Mongol garrison under Khudu was sent to blockade their way with Achang and Gold-tooth tribesmen (speak of 12,000 men). The Mongol horses refused to advance when they saw elephants. Khudu ordered his men to dismount, approach on foot and shower the elephants with arrows. Wounded by those arrows, the elephants plunged into wood, destroying everything in their path, including the Burmese infantry. The Burmese fled, though Khudu was wounded during the armed-clash with the Burmese at Nandian
. The Yuan troops returned to Yunnan, carrying their wounded commander.
An army of 3,840 Mongols, Yi, Mosuo under Sayid's son Nasir al-Din
invaded Burma in November, 1277 and he defeated another army of the Mien. Nasir counted households and set up postal stations in the area. But he withdrew because the Mongols avoided heat and malaria
.
, with the Miao
auxiliaries, advanced to induce the king to submit. The Mongols attacked Bhamo
and they quickly defeated the Burmese army in 1283. The king of Burma fled to the hills with his subjects. The king sent an envoy to Mongol, who requested to return after the crops have grown. Narathihapate lost his reputation among his subjects with all those defeats.
Narathihapate had been just assassinated by his son Thihathu when Kublai decided to send his troops again in late 1286. The prince Esen-temur led his 7,000 men down the Irrawaddy. When he reached Pagan, the king had already fled to the hills nearby. The Yuan troops stripped Pagan's monasteries of their gold and silver. Esen-temur divided Burma into the Yuan's political divisions and installed the puppet ruler of the Mongols. However, the Pagan Kingdom
fell into anarchy.
's governor for his actions. Asange sent his younger brother to the Yuan court to ask for pardon, and Temur agreed to stop the Burmese campaign.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
and the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
, invaded the Pagan Kingdom
Pagan Kingdom
The Pagan Kingdom or Pagan Dynasty was the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute the modern-day Burma...
of Burma in 1277 and 1283. However, the Yuan
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
armies later again invaded Burma several times in order to assert supremacy over the territory.
Initial conflicts of 1277
After the conquest of YunnanYunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
in 1253, there was an open route to Indo-China. Kublai, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
and the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
, dispatched Sayid Ajall as the administrator of Yunnan province in 1273. Then Kublai sent three envoys to demand Burma's submission.
According to Yuan dynasty accounts, Burma's king Narathihapate
Narathihapate
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 ...
received his envoys well at first. But Narathihapate executed Kublai's envoy when the Yuan envoys arrived the second time. The kingdom of Burma sent force into the Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
state of Kaungai, the protecrate of Kublai, harassing the Gold-tooths.
In Yuan accounts, in 1277 the Burmese, with 80-200 war elephant
War elephant
A war elephant was an elephant trained and guided by humans for combat. Their main use was to charge the enemy, trampling them and breaking their ranks. A division of war elephants is known as elephantry....
s, had advanced over the border along the high valleys in Baoshan
Baoshan
Baoshan is a prefecture-level city in western Yunnan province, China.-Administrative divisions:The city-prefecture of Baoshan has jurisdiction over five subdivisions - a district and four counties:-Geography:...
. 700 man Mongol garrison under Khudu was sent to blockade their way with Achang and Gold-tooth tribesmen (speak of 12,000 men). The Mongol horses refused to advance when they saw elephants. Khudu ordered his men to dismount, approach on foot and shower the elephants with arrows. Wounded by those arrows, the elephants plunged into wood, destroying everything in their path, including the Burmese infantry. The Burmese fled, though Khudu was wounded during the armed-clash with the Burmese at Nandian
Nandian
Nandian is a township-level division of Pingshan County, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China....
. The Yuan troops returned to Yunnan, carrying their wounded commander.
An army of 3,840 Mongols, Yi, Mosuo under Sayid's son Nasir al-Din
Nasir al-Din
Nasir al-Din, Nasir ad-Din or Nasiruddin may refer to:*Nasrudin or Nasreddin, legendary wise man in Islamic tradition*Abu Yusuf Bin Saamaan, also known as Nasiruddin , Sufi Saint*Nasir ad-Din Mahmud I of Great Seljuq Nasir al-Din, Nasir ad-Din or Nasiruddin may refer to:*Nasrudin or Nasreddin,...
invaded Burma in November, 1277 and he defeated another army of the Mien. Nasir counted households and set up postal stations in the area. But he withdrew because the Mongols avoided heat and malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
.
The Mongol invasion of Burma 1283
The Yuan force of 10,000 under the Mongol prince Sangudar from SichuanSichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, with the Miao
Miao people
The Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
auxiliaries, advanced to induce the king to submit. The Mongols attacked Bhamo
Bhamo
Bhamo is a city of Kachin State in northernmost part of Myanmar, located 186 km south from the capital city of Myitkyina. It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within 65 km of the border with Yunnan Province, China. The population consists of Chinese and Shan, with Kachin peoples in...
and they quickly defeated the Burmese army in 1283. The king of Burma fled to the hills with his subjects. The king sent an envoy to Mongol, who requested to return after the crops have grown. Narathihapate lost his reputation among his subjects with all those defeats.
Fall of Pagan 1287
Pagan Kingdom
The Pagan Kingdom or Pagan Dynasty was the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute the modern-day Burma...
fell into anarchy.
Aftermath
In 1297 Thihatu's brother Tribuhuvanaditya, the king of Pagan, submitted to the Yuan court. In response to this friendly action, Temur Khan (r.1294-1307), the successor of Kublai Khan, stopped his plan to attack Burma. In 1299 a Burmese official called Asange killed the king Tribuhuvanaditya as well as over a hundred messengers from the Yuan Dynasty by the order of the former king's younger brother Athinkiya. Thus, Temur Khan decided to send army to punish him. Nevertheless, the Yuan army from Yunnan Xing Zhongshusheng met significant resistance. Burmese nobles reasserted control over some territories in Burma with Mongols and drove out Shan-Thais. But at the another fortified, three-walled town of Myinsaing, Shan forces checked the Mongols, of whom about 500 were killed in battle in 1300. In the next year, Asange decided to bribe the Yuan generals, which was successful and the Yuan army retreated to China soon. Later, the Mongol commander was executed by YunnanYunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
's governor for his actions. Asange sent his younger brother to the Yuan court to ask for pardon, and Temur agreed to stop the Burmese campaign.