Saw Mon Hla
Encyclopedia
Saw Mon Hla was chief queen of King Anawrahta
of Pagan. She known in Burmese history for her beauty and her eventual exile instigated by other rival queens. Her story is still part of popular Burmese theater, and she is portrayed as a sad romantic figure.
The queen was daughter of the saopha
(chief) of Maw Shan State
, located between Pagan and Nanzhao Kingdom (present day Yunnan
). The native stories of Hsipaw
(Thibaw) and Hsenwi (Theinni) claim Saw Mon Hla as their princess.
Circa 1059, Anawrahta led an expedition to Nanzhao. After his return from Nanzhao expedition, the king was presented with Saw Mon Hla by the chief of Maw Shan State presented his daughter. At Pagan, Saw Mon Hla quickly became the king's favorite queen. According to the Burmese chronicles, the beautiful young queen was driven out by her rival queens who were jealous of her status as Anawrahta's favorite. Her rivals accused her as a witch.
On her return to her homeland, the queen donated the Shwesayan Pagoda (located in the present day Patheingyi
, Mandalay
). A remorseful Anawrahta is said to have donated the surrounding land to the pagoda towards the end of his reign.
Anawrahta
Anawrahta Minsaw was the founder of the Pagan Empire. Considered the father of the Burmese nation, Anawrahta turned a small principality in the dry zone of Upper Burma into the first Burmese Empire that formed the basis of modern-day Burma...
of Pagan. She known in Burmese history for her beauty and her eventual exile instigated by other rival queens. Her story is still part of popular Burmese theater, and she is portrayed as a sad romantic figure.
The queen was daughter of the saopha
Saopha
Saopha, Chaofa, or Sawbwa was a royal title used by the rulers of the Shan States of Myanmar . The word means "king" in the Shan and Tai languages...
(chief) of Maw Shan State
Shan States
The Shan States were the princely states that ruled large areas of today's Burma , Yunnan Province in China, Laos and Thailand from the late 13th century until mid-20th century...
, located between Pagan and Nanzhao Kingdom (present day Yunnan
Yunnan
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...
). The native stories of Hsipaw
Hsipaw
Hsipaw , is a town in Shan State, Myanmar on the riverbank of Myitnge River. It is 200 km northeast of Mandalay.-Shan Saopha:Hsipaw is perhaps one of the most well known and powerful saopha states of Shan State...
(Thibaw) and Hsenwi (Theinni) claim Saw Mon Hla as their princess.
Circa 1059, Anawrahta led an expedition to Nanzhao. After his return from Nanzhao expedition, the king was presented with Saw Mon Hla by the chief of Maw Shan State presented his daughter. At Pagan, Saw Mon Hla quickly became the king's favorite queen. According to the Burmese chronicles, the beautiful young queen was driven out by her rival queens who were jealous of her status as Anawrahta's favorite. Her rivals accused her as a witch.
On her return to her homeland, the queen donated the Shwesayan Pagoda (located in the present day Patheingyi
Patheingyi Township
Patheingyi Township is located in the eastern part of Mandalay, Myanmar. The township is bounded by Aungmyethazan township and Chanayethazan township in the west. Incorporated into the Mandalay city's limits, Patheingyi represents the eastward march of Mandalay's urban sprawl...
, Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
). A remorseful Anawrahta is said to have donated the surrounding land to the pagoda towards the end of his reign.