Wareru
Encyclopedia
Wareru was the founder of the Ramanya Kingdom
located in today's Lower Burma
(Myanmar). The kingdom is more commonly known as Kingdom of Hanthawady Pegu (Bago), or simply Pegu although the kingdom's first capital was Martaban (Mottama). By using both diplomatic and military skills, the commoner of Shan and Mon
descent successfully carved out a kingdom for the Mon people in Lower Burma
following the collapse of the Pagan Empire in 1287. Wareru was nominally a vassal
of his father-in-law Rama Khamheng of Sukhothai
, and of the Mongols
, and successfully repulsed attacks by the Three Shan Brothers of Myinsaing
in 1287 and 1294.
Wareru was assassinated by his grandsons in January 1307, and succeeded by his brother Hkun Law
. The greatest achievements of his reign were the compilation of the Dhammathat, the earliest surviving law code of Burma, and the founding of the Mon kingdom that would prosper for another two and a half centuries.
to a Shan father and a Mon mother on 30 March 1252. His Mon name was Magadu, and Shan name was Wa Row (Wareru). (His Shan name is also recorded as Chao Fa Rua but it simply means Saopha
(Chief) Rua). He was the eldest child, and had at least two brothers and a sister. As a young man, Magadu became a merchant travelling between Martaban and Sukhothai
. In the 1270s, he entered the service in the elephant stables of King Rama Khamheng of Sukhothai, and rose to become the Captain of the Palace Guards. In 1280, he eloped with Me Nang Soy Da, one of Rama Khamheng's daughters, and fled Sukhothai with a few dozen followers.
to choose her bathing place in a river spot where Aleimma would see her. Aleimma asked to marry her. At the wedding ceremony, Wareru killed the governor, and became the lord of Martaban. The Pagan Empire, preoccupied with the Mongol invasions, was on its last legs and could not take any effective action.
In late 1287, the invading Mongols sacked Pagan
, and the central authority collapsed throughout the kingdom. Many governors, especially those in remote parts of the empire, who were already ruling like sovereign kings, openly revolted. Wareru was technically already in revolt since 1281 for having taken over Martaban by killing its Pagan appointed governor. Wareru made an alliance with Tarabya, the governor of Pegu (Bago), each marrying the other's daughter. Their southern forces together defeated the northern forces led by Yazathingyan
, who later became a co-founder of Myinsaing Kingdom
, and proceeded to conquer the whole of Lower Burma. Then the two rebel leaders themselves quarreled, and in a skirmish, Tarabya was captured and executed.
In preparation, he secured his kingdom's rear by sending a nominal tribute to his father-in-law Rama Khamheng, the king of Sukhothai. In 1294, he received from Sukhothai both royal recognition and the gift of a white elephant. Indeed, the news of submission provoked a response from the Three Shan Brothers of Myinsaing, who sent a force to take Martaban. With his base secure, Wareru successfully repulsed the invasion force, and was never again attacked for the remainder of his reign. Though nominally a vassal of Sukhothai, Wareru was also concerned about Sukhothai's designs on the Tenasserim coast. To strengthen his position, in 1298, he sought and obtained recognition from the Mongols
as a direct vassal of China, although Sukhothai was also a Mongol vassal.
In January 1307, Wareru was assassinated by his grandsons, children of Tarabya. The king was succeeded by his brother Hkun Law
.
Hanthawaddy Kingdom
The Hanthawaddy Kingdom was the dominant kingdom that ruled lower Burma from 1287 to 1539. The Mon-speaking kingdom was founded as Ramannadesa by King Wareru following the collapse of the Pagan Empire in 1287 as a nominal vassal state of Sukhothai Kingdom, and of the Mongol Yuan dynasty...
located in today's Lower Burma
Lower Burma
Lower Burma is a geographic region of Burma and includes the low-lying Irrawaddy delta , as well as coastal regions of the country ....
(Myanmar). The kingdom is more commonly known as Kingdom of Hanthawady Pegu (Bago), or simply Pegu although the kingdom's first capital was Martaban (Mottama). By using both diplomatic and military skills, the commoner of Shan and Mon
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
descent successfully carved out a kingdom for the Mon people in Lower Burma
Lower Burma
Lower Burma is a geographic region of Burma and includes the low-lying Irrawaddy delta , as well as coastal regions of the country ....
following the collapse of the Pagan Empire in 1287. Wareru was nominally a vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
of his father-in-law Rama Khamheng of Sukhothai
Sukhothai kingdom
The Sukhothai Kingdom ) was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. The Kingdom existed from 1238 till 1438...
, and of the Mongols
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 successfully repulsed attacks by the Three Shan Brothers of 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....
in 1287 and 1294.
Wareru was assassinated by his grandsons in January 1307, and succeeded by his brother Hkun Law
Hkun Law
Hkun Law was the second king of Hanthawaddy from 1307 to 1311. He ascended to the throne after his elder brother King Wareru was assassinated. Hkun Law was of Shan and Mon descent....
. The greatest achievements of his reign were the compilation of the Dhammathat, the earliest surviving law code of Burma, and the founding of the Mon kingdom that would prosper for another two and a half centuries.
Early life
Wareru was born near ThatonThaton
Thaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains. Thaton lies along the National Highway 8 and is also connected by the National Road 85.-Etymology:...
to a Shan father and a Mon mother on 30 March 1252. His Mon name was Magadu, and Shan name was Wa Row (Wareru). (His Shan name is also recorded as Chao Fa Rua but it simply means 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) Rua). He was the eldest child, and had at least two brothers and a sister. As a young man, Magadu became a merchant travelling between Martaban and Sukhothai
Sukhothai kingdom
The Sukhothai Kingdom ) was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. The Kingdom existed from 1238 till 1438...
. In the 1270s, he entered the service in the elephant stables of King Rama Khamheng of Sukhothai, and rose to become the Captain of the Palace Guards. In 1280, he eloped with Me Nang Soy Da, one of Rama Khamheng's daughters, and fled Sukhothai with a few dozen followers.
Rise to power (1281–1287)
Back at Martaban, Wareru schemed to take over the governorship there. According to the Burmese chronicles, Wareru supposedly had asked his beautiful sister Hnin U YaingHnin U Yaing
Hnin U Yaing was a princess of Hanthawaddy Kingdom who was the sister of two kings, Wareru and Hkun Law, and the mother of two kings Saw O and Saw Zein. She was also a paternal great-grandmother of Razadarit, considered the greatest Hanthawaddy king...
to choose her bathing place in a river spot where Aleimma would see her. Aleimma asked to marry her. At the wedding ceremony, Wareru killed the governor, and became the lord of Martaban. The Pagan Empire, preoccupied with the Mongol invasions, was on its last legs and could not take any effective action.
In late 1287, the invading Mongols sacked Pagan
Bagan
Bagan , formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana and also known as Tambadipa or Tassadessa , it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma...
, and the central authority collapsed throughout the kingdom. Many governors, especially those in remote parts of the empire, who were already ruling like sovereign kings, openly revolted. Wareru was technically already in revolt since 1281 for having taken over Martaban by killing its Pagan appointed governor. Wareru made an alliance with Tarabya, the governor of Pegu (Bago), each marrying the other's daughter. Their southern forces together defeated the northern forces led by Yazathingyan
Yazathingyan
Yazathingyan was a co-founder of Myinsaing Kingdom in today's central Burma . A former commander in Pagan Empire's military, Yazathingyan was the middle brother of the Three Shan Brothers that founded Myinsaing Kingdom, which filled the void in central Burma following the collapse of Pagan's...
, who later became a co-founder of Myinsaing Kingdom
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....
, and proceeded to conquer the whole of Lower Burma. Then the two rebel leaders themselves quarreled, and in a skirmish, Tarabya was captured and executed.
Reign (1287–1307)
Wareru, a half-Shan, tried to be a worthy successor of the Mon kings who ruled Lower Burma before it was absorbed by the Pagan Empire. He declared his kingdom as Ramanna (land of the Mons) with Martaban as its capital. Although he had just defeated the northern forces, and the Pagan Empire had ceased to exist, Wareru remained concerned about the invasions from the north for the rest of his reign.In preparation, he secured his kingdom's rear by sending a nominal tribute to his father-in-law Rama Khamheng, the king of Sukhothai. In 1294, he received from Sukhothai both royal recognition and the gift of a white elephant. Indeed, the news of submission provoked a response from the Three Shan Brothers of Myinsaing, who sent a force to take Martaban. With his base secure, Wareru successfully repulsed the invasion force, and was never again attacked for the remainder of his reign. Though nominally a vassal of Sukhothai, Wareru was also concerned about Sukhothai's designs on the Tenasserim coast. To strengthen his position, in 1298, he sought and obtained recognition from the Mongols
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...
as a direct vassal of China, although Sukhothai was also a Mongol vassal.
In January 1307, Wareru was assassinated by his grandsons, children of Tarabya. The king was succeeded by his brother Hkun Law
Hkun Law
Hkun Law was the second king of Hanthawaddy from 1307 to 1311. He ascended to the throne after his elder brother King Wareru was assassinated. Hkun Law was of Shan and Mon descent....
.