Saw Shwe Khet

Minye Kyawswa Saw Shwe Khet (Burmese: မင်းရဲကျော်စွာ စောရွှေခက်, pronounced [mɪ́ɴjɛ́ tɕɔ̀zwà sɔ́ ʃwè kʰɛʔ]) was governor of Prome (Pyay), a major vassal state of Ava, from 1417 to 1422, and from 1442 to 1446. He was the only governor or viceroy of Prome to serve more than one term. He also served as governor of districts of Prome: twice at Tharrawaddy (Thayawadi) (1422–1427) and (1446–1460) and at Paungde (1460–1470s).

Minye Kyawswa Saw Shwe Khet မင်းရဲကျော်စွာ စောရွှေခက်
Governor of Tharrawaddy
Reign	c. November 1446 – 1460
Predecessor	Anawrahta Saw (Pegu vassal)
Successor	Thado Minsaw
Monarch	Narapati I
Governor of Prome
Reign	25 April 1442 – after 2 January 1446
Predecessor	Thihathu III
Successor	Mingyi Swa
Monarch	Narapati I
Governor of Tharrawaddy
Reign	c. March 1422 – January 1427
Successor	Nawrahta (Pegu vassal)
Monarch	Thihathu (1422–25) Min Hla (1425) Min Nyo (1425–26) Thado (1426–27)
Governor of Prome
Reign	c. March 1417 – c. March 1422
Predecessor	Thihathu II
Successor	Min Maha
Monarch	Minkhaung I
Born	c. 1390s Pagan (Bagan)? Ava Kingdom
Died	in or after 1473 Paungde? Ava Kingdom
Spouse	Saw Myo Ke Min Hla Htut (1415–?) Saw Min Phyu
Issue among others...	Min Phyu of Sagaing Minye Kyawswa I of Kalay Saw Myat Lay Myat Hpone Pyo
House	Pagan
Father	Thinkhaya of Pagan
Mother	Saw Min Pu
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

Early life

Saw Shwe Khet was the eldest child of Saw Min Pu and Gov. Thinkhaya of Pagan.[1] He was descended from the Pagan royal line from both sides.[2] He had two younger sisters, Queen Soe Min Wimala Dewi of Hanthawaddy, Queen Atula Thiri Maha Yaza Dewi of Ava, and two younger brothers Cmdr. Uzana of Southern Cavalry and Gov. Thinkhaya of Sagu.[3]

Career

Burma c. 1450. Nearer Shan States were tributaries of Ava.

Prome (1417–1422)

The first mention of Shwe Khet in the royal chronicles was his appointment as governor of Prome (Pyay) by his half cousin King Minkhaung I.[4] The appointment, which came in March 1417 during the height of Forty Years' War against the Hanthawaddy Kingdom, was certainly an important one for Ava (Inwa) as Prome, along with Toungoo (Taungoo), was one of the two major states bordering Hanthawaddy. Shwe Khet, now styled as Minye Kyawswa, succeeded Thihathu, who was recalled to Ava (Inwa) to become the crown prince.[4]

Tharrawaddy (1422–1427)

Shwe Khet's rule at Prome lasted until Thihathu came to power in 1422.[note 1] Shwe Khet, who was married to Thihathu's ex-wife Princess Min Hla Htut of Ava,[5] tried to curry favor with his new overlord by sending a white elephant, a propitious symbol of Burmese sovereigns.[6] Thihathu accepted the gift but nonetheless demoted Shwe Khet to become a district-level governor at Tharrawaddy (Thayawadi), southernmost district of Prome.[6]

Shwe Khet accepted his new position. At Tharrawaddy, Shwe Khet made an alliance with the new governor of Prome, Min Maha by giving his daughter Shin Yun.[6][7] But his position at the frontier district became tenuous in 1425–26 when Ava went through a series of succession crises. Kings Thihathu and Min Hla were assassinated in August and November 1425, respectively.[8] Shwe Khet's brother-in-law Gov. Kye-Taung Nyo of Kale (Kalay) seized the Ava throne but lost it six months later when Gov. Thado of Mohnyin toppled Nyo's regime at Ava.[9] Thado himself faced a series of rebellions. Taking advantage of the situation, King Binnya Ran I of Hanthawaddy Pegu seized Tharrawaddy.[10]

Tharrawaddy would remain under Hanthawaddy control until 1446. Ava ceded the region in 1431 in a peace treaty that also sent Shwe Khet's sister Soe Min Wimala Dewi to wed Ran in a marriage of state.[11][12]

Prome (1442–1446)

The next mention of Shwe Khet in the chronicles came in 1442 when Viceroy Thihathu III of Prome became king of Ava as Narapati I.[13] The new king, whose chief consort Atula Thiri was Shwe Khet's younger sister, appointed Shwe Khet governor of Prome, and Shwe Khet's son Minye Kyawswa governor of Kalay.[14] Shwe Khet's term lasted until c. January 1446 when the king recalled Shwe Khet to Ava.[note 2] He was the only governor/ruler to serve more than once at Prome.[15][16][17]

Tharrawaddy (1446–1460)

Shwe Khet's stay at Ava was short. He was once again appointed governor of Tharrawaddy after Narapati regained the territory c. November 1446.[note 3] He ruled for about another 14 years. In 1460, the king reassigned him to Paungde, and appointed his fourth son Thado Minsaw to Tharrawaddy.[note 4] The king also married Thado Minsaw with Shwe Khet's daughter Myat Hpone Pyo.[18]

Paungde (1460–1470s)

For the next dozen years, Shwe Khet stayed at Paungde. In 1472, Gov. Mingyi Swa of Prome and Gov. Thado Minsaw of Tharrawaddy decided to revolt against their eldest brother King Thihathura of Ava. Shwe Khet, an old man by then, had no choice but to support to his sons-in-law. The rebellion was brief. Thihathura laid siege to Prome in the dry season of 1472–73, and the brothers and Shwe Khet all submitted to the king in February 1473. In exchange for their submission, they were allowed to keep their offices.[19] It was the last mention of Shwe Khet in the chronicles.

Family

Saw Shwe Khet had at least three wives, and three sons and three daughters.[note 5] His notable descendants include: grandson King Bayin Htwe of Prome (r. 1526–32); great grandsons King Narapati of Prome (r. 1532–39) and King Minkhaung of Prome (r. 1539–42); two times great grandson King Minye Thihathu II of Toungoo (r. 1597–1609); three times great grandson King Natshinnaung of Toungoo (r. 1609–10). King Leik Munhtaw of Hanthawaddy (r. 1453–54) was his nephew.[20]

Wife	Brief	Issue	Notes
Saw Myo Ke	First cousin of Shwe Khet Daughter of his paternal younger uncle Gov. Thinkhaya I of Toungoo	Min Phyu of Sagaing, Governor of Sagaing Unnamed son, Gov. of Talezi	[14][21]
Min Hla Htut	Half cousin twice removed Daughter of King Tarabya of Ava and ex-wife of then Prince Thihathu of Ava Married in 1415	Shin Yun, wife of Gov. Min Maha of Prome	[note 6]
Saw Min Phyu	Half cousin twice removed Younger daughter of Saw Min Hla and Crown Prince Minye Kyawswa Born in 1415; married a much older Shwe Khet after Saw Myo Ke's death.	Gov. Minye Kyawswa I of Kalay, Saw Myat Lay, wife of Mingyi Swa of Prome, and later Thado Minsaw of Prome Myat Hpone Pyo, wife of Thado Minsaw of Prome	[6][22]

Ancestry

The following is his ancestry as given in the Hmannan Yazawin chronicle, based on a contemporary inscription left by his sister Queen Atula Thiri of Ava.[2] He was a half cousin of King Minkhaung I of Ava.[note 7]

Ancestry of Gov. Saw Shwe Khet
8. Kyawswa of Pagan 4. Min Shin Saw of Thayet 9. Saw Soe of Pagan 2. Thinkhaya of Pagan 10. unnamed 5. unnamed 11. unnamed 1. Saw Shwe Khet 12. Min Letwe of Si-Gyay 6. Thinkhaya of Wadi 13. unnamed 3. Saw Min Pu 14. Yandathu II of Lanbu 7. Saw Pale of Wadi 15. Saw Chit-Ke

Notes

1. Chronicles are inconsistent with their own reporting. (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 54) says King Thihathu of Ava replaced Gov. Saw Shwe Khet with Min Maha in late 783 ME (c. March 1422). But later the Summary of the Rulers of Prome section (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 215) says Min Maha was appointed in 787 ME. It is another case of Burmese numerals ၃ (3) and ၇ (7) being mis-copied.
2. Chronicles (Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 78; Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 86) say that King Narapati made new appointments for Toungoo (Taungoo) and Prome (Pyay) following the death of Tarabya of Toungoo in 807 ME (30 March 1445 to 29 March 1446). According to the Toungoo Yazawin chronicle (Sein Lwin Lay 2006: 30–31), Tarabya died on 2 January 1446 (6th waxing of Tabodwe 807 ME). It means the appointments were made sometime between 2 January 1446 and 29 March 1446, and most probably in January 1446.
3. (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 88): On 5th waxing of Thadingyut 808 ME (25 September 1446), King Narapati made the decision to send an army and a navy to regain Tharrawaddy after Binnya Ran I had died. Ava forces invaded at the start of the dry season in November. Hanthawaddy vassal Gov. Anawrahta Saw of Tharrawaddy submitted without a fight but died shortly after the submission. Narapati then appointed Shwe Khet.
4. (Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 84) says Shwe Khet was reassigned to Paungde in 821 ME (1459/60) but later chronicles (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 293) and (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 95) say the reassignment took place in 822 ME (1460/61).
5. See (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003; 437), (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 83–84, 90) and (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 264).
6. Per (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 53), Shin Yun or Me Yun was born to Hla Htut and Shwe Khet, who were married in 1415.
7. Hmannan (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 82) says his father was the youngest paternal uncle of King Minkhaung I. But Thinkhaya could not have been a full paternal uncle since Minkhaung's father Swa Saw Ke did not have any full younger brothers. It means Thinkhaya was born to a junior wife of Min Shin Saw of Thayet.

References

1. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 73
2. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 82–83
3. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 74, 82–83
4. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 50
5. Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 437
6. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 54
7. Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 264
8. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 58
9. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 61
10. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 65
11. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 72–73
12. Harvey 1925: 98
13. Hmannan Vol. 2 3003: 82
14. Hmannan Vol. 2 3003: 84
15. Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 163–165
16. Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 326
17. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 214–216
18. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 95
19. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 101–102
20. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 74
21. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 90
22. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 83–84

Bibliography

• Harvey, G. E. (1925). History of Burma: From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd.
• Kala, U (1724). Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). 1–3 (2006, 4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
• Maha Sithu (1798). Myint Swe; Kyaw Win; Thein Hlaing (eds.). Yazawin Thit (in Burmese). 1–3 (2012, 2nd printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
• Royal Historical Commission of Burma (1832). Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). 1–3 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.
• Sein Lwin Lay, Kahtika U (1968). Min Taya Shwe Hti and Bayinnaung: Ketumadi Taungoo Yazawin (in Burmese) (2006, 2nd printing ed.). Yangon: Yan Aung Sarpay.