Narathihapate
Encyclopedia
Narathihapate was the last king of Pagan dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) 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 Tayokpyay Min, or the King who Ran Away from the Chinese. The king was poisoned soon after in Prome by his second son Thihathu
, Governor of Prome. Nearly 250 years of Pagan's rule over the Irrawaddy basin and its periphery came to an end. The country broke apart into multiple kingdoms, an interregnum
that would last for another 250 years until the emergence of Toungoo dynasty
reunited the country in the mid-16th century.
and Queen Asaw. After Uzana's death from a hunting accident in 1254, Narathihapate was placed on the Pagan throne over more experienced elder princes by the chief court minister Yazathingyan who believed could control the young prince. The young king turned out be quick-tempered, arrogant, and ruthless. He quickly sent Yazathingyan into exile. But he soon had to recall Yazathingyan to quell the rebellions in Arakan
and in Tenasserim. Yazathingyan put down the rebellions but died in the return journey. With the old minister's death removed the only person that could have controlled the ruthless, inexperienced king.
Narathihapate was incompetent in both domestic and foreign affairs. Like his father and grandfather before him, he too failed to fix the depleted royal treasury, which had been deteriorating for years because the continued growth of tax-free religious landholdings. But unlike his grandfather Kyaswa
, who would rather build a small temple than to resort to forced labor, Narathihapate built a lavish temple, the Mingalazedi Pagoda
with forced labor. The people, sinking under his rule, whispered: "When the pagoda is finished, the king shall die".
But the real threat to Narathihapate and the Burmese kingdom came from the north. The Mongols had conquered Yunnan
in 1253, and in 1271 under instructions from Kublai Khan
, the new military governors of Yunnan sent envoys to Pagan demanding tribute. The Burmese king refused. The Mongols again sent another mission in 1273. This time the king ordered the envoys executed. In 1277, the Mongols sent in the first invasion. The Burmese were defeated in the Battle of Ngasaunggyan
. Fighting went on and off in the following years, punctuated by attempts at negotiation including a mission in 1284 by the minister Dithapamoukka to the court of Kublai Khan. In 1287, the Mongols, led by a grandson of the emperor, moved in the heartland of the kingdom. The king fled Pagan in panic to Lower Burma. In Prome, his second son Thihathu, governor of Prome, arrested the king and forced the king to take poison
. To refuse would have meant death by the sword, and with a prayer on his lips that in all his future existences "may no male-child be ever born to him again", the king swallowed the poison and died.
of the Mons
emerged. In the west, Arakan
was now de jure independent. In the north, the Shans who came down with the Mongols came to dominate Kachin hills and Shan hills, and went on dominate much of western and central mainland Southeast Asia. Central Burma briefly became a Mongol vassal under a puppet king Kyawswa
, the youngest son of Narathihapate between 1287 and 1298. The core of the former empire would remain fragmented between petty kingdoms until 1364.
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...
invasions. He is forever remembered as Tayokpyay Min, or the King who Ran Away from the Chinese. The king was poisoned soon after in Prome by his second son Thihathu
Thihathu of Prome
Thihathu of Prome was a Pagan prince who killed his father Narathihapate, the last sovereign king of the Pagan Empire.In 1287, Narathihapate fled Pagan to Lower Burma in panic just before Mongols sacked the capital. Thihathu, who was governor of Prome , arrested his father and forced the king to...
, Governor of Prome. Nearly 250 years of Pagan's rule over the Irrawaddy basin and its periphery came to an end. The country broke apart into multiple kingdoms, an interregnum
Interregnum
An interregnum is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order...
that would last for another 250 years until the emergence of Toungoo dynasty
Toungoo Dynasty
The Toungoo Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Burma from the mid-16th century to 1752. Its early kings Tabinshwehti and Bayinnaung succeeded in reunifying the Pagan Empire for the first time since 1287, and in incorporating the Shan States for the first time...
reunited the country in the mid-16th century.
Reign
Narathihapate was a son of King UzanaUzana of Pagan
Uzana was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1250 to 1254. Although his actual reign lasted only four years, Uzana was essentially the power behind the throne during his father Kyaswa's reign, 1234–1250. His father, a devout Buddhist and scholar, had given Uzana full royal authority to govern...
and Queen Asaw. After Uzana's death from a hunting accident in 1254, Narathihapate was placed on the Pagan throne over more experienced elder princes by the chief court minister Yazathingyan who believed could control the young prince. The young king turned out be quick-tempered, arrogant, and ruthless. He quickly sent Yazathingyan into exile. But he soon had to recall Yazathingyan to quell the rebellions in Arakan
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
and in Tenasserim. Yazathingyan put down the rebellions but died in the return journey. With the old minister's death removed the only person that could have controlled the ruthless, inexperienced king.
Narathihapate was incompetent in both domestic and foreign affairs. Like his father and grandfather before him, he too failed to fix the depleted royal treasury, which had been deteriorating for years because the continued growth of tax-free religious landholdings. But unlike his grandfather Kyaswa
Kyaswa
Kyaswa was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1234 to 1250. Kyaswa succeeded his father Htilominlo and was even more devout. Kyaswa's reign like his father's was largely peaceful but the depletion of the royal treasury due to large tax-free religious landholdings became more pronounced...
, who would rather build a small temple than to resort to forced labor, Narathihapate built a lavish temple, the Mingalazedi Pagoda
Mingalazedi Pagoda
Mingalazedi Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa located in Bagan, Burma. It was built in 1284 during the reign of King Narathihapate. The pagoda is one of few temples in Bagan with a full set of glazed terra cotta tiles depicting the Jataka. The pagoda was built in brick and contains several terraces...
with forced labor. The people, sinking under his rule, whispered: "When the pagoda is finished, the king shall die".
But the real threat to Narathihapate and the Burmese kingdom came from the north. The Mongols had conquered 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...
in 1253, and in 1271 under instructions from 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 new military governors of Yunnan sent envoys to Pagan demanding tribute. The Burmese king refused. The Mongols again sent another mission in 1273. This time the king ordered the envoys executed. In 1277, the Mongols sent in the first invasion. The Burmese were defeated in the Battle of Ngasaunggyan
Battle of Ngasaunggyan
The Battle of Ngasaunggyan was fought in 1277 between Kublai Khan's Yuan Dynasty of Mongol Empire, and their neighbors to the south, the Pagan Empire led by Narathihapate. The battle was initiated by Narathihapate, who invaded the Yunnan, a province of Yuan Dynasty of Mongol Empire...
. Fighting went on and off in the following years, punctuated by attempts at negotiation including a mission in 1284 by the minister Dithapamoukka to the court of Kublai Khan. In 1287, the Mongols, led by a grandson of the emperor, moved in the heartland of the kingdom. The king fled Pagan in panic to Lower Burma. In Prome, his second son Thihathu, governor of Prome, arrested the king and forced the king to take poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
. To refuse would have meant death by the sword, and with a prayer on his lips that in all his future existences "may no male-child be ever born to him again", the king swallowed the poison and died.
Aftermath
Narathihapate's death was promptly followed by the breakup of the kingdom. Nearly 250 years of Pagan's rule over the Irrawaddy basin and its periphery was over. In Lower Burma, the Hanthawaddy KingdomHanthawaddy 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...
of the Mons
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...
emerged. In the west, Arakan
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
was now de jure independent. In the north, the Shans who came down with the Mongols came to dominate Kachin hills and Shan hills, and went on dominate much of western and central mainland Southeast Asia. Central Burma briefly became a Mongol vassal under a puppet king Kyawswa
Kyawswa of Pagan
Kyawswa was a king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1287 to 1298. Son of the last sovereign king of Pagan Narathihapate, Kyawswa was one of many "kings" that proliferated after the collapse of the Pagan Empire. Though still styled as King of Pagan, Kyawswa's effective rule amounted to just the area...
, the youngest son of Narathihapate between 1287 and 1298. The core of the former empire would remain fragmented between petty kingdoms until 1364.