Taungthaman Le-sar Maung Pe Nge
Taungthaman Le-sar Maung Pe Nge (Burmese: တောင်သမန်လယ်စား မောင်ဖေငယ်), was a royal artillery officer, noted poet, and a companion of King Thibaw. He was granted the appendages of Taungthaman and held the title of Taungthaman Le-sar (တောင်သမန်လယ်စား, the Lord of the Taungthaman).[1]
Taungthaman Le-sar Maung Pe Nge | |
---|---|
Lord of Taungthaman | |
Tenure | 1878 – 1882 |
King | Thibaw Min |
Born | Maung Pe Nge c. 1838 Mandalay |
Died | March 1882 Bhamo |
Spouse | Princess of Hingamaw |
House | Konbaung |
Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
Biography
According to the royal chronicle, Maung Pe Nge was the grandson of the Princess of Magyitone, who was the daughter of Ananda Thiri (a former royal concubine of King Bodawpaya), and Prince Min Ye Kyawswa of Shweku, the son of Bodawpaya by his consort, Madaya Myosa Mibaya. He serverd as an advisor and close confidante of Thibaw (then only a prince). When Thibaw ascended the throne, he was appointed as a cavalry officer together with the Prince of Yanaung Maung Maung Toke, who was the commander of the Tavoy Regiment. He composes a number of romantic poems for himself and also on behalf of some members of the royal family.
Maung Pe Nge was secretly in love with the beautiful lady named Daing Khin Khin, the daughter of the Duke of Kenni. However at the command of King Thibaw he helps to arrange an affaire de coeur between the King and Daing Khin Khin. When Supayalat found out that King Thibaw was in love with Daing Khin Khin, Maung Pe Nge, Maung Maung Toke, Daing Khin Khin and her family are all arrested by order of the Royal Court and charged with attempts to seize the throne. Then Maung Pe Nge is sent to Bhamo and executed in 1882. His story is still part of popular Burmese theater, and he is portrayed as a sad romantic figure.
In popular culture
- Maung Pe Nge is the subject of Seint's novel Daing Khin Khin, published in 1976.[2]
References
- Gyi, Maung Maung (1983). Burmese political values: the socio-political roots of authoritarianism. Praeger. ISBN 978-0-03-063338-6.
- Than Htut (2013). "Some Myanmar Historical Fiction and Their Historical Context". Manusya: Journal of Humanities. 6: 101–102.