Laukpya
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Laukpya ( or , ) was the ruler of the Bassein province of the Martaban–Hanthawaddy Kingdom from 1364 to 1390. He came to power by helping his brother
Byattaba Byattaba (; ; also Byat-Hta-Ba) was the ruler of the Mon State, Martaban province of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Martaban–Hanthawaddy Kingdom from 1364 to 1388. He came to power by staging a coup against King Binnya U with the help of his brothers ...
stage a coup against King
Binnya U Binnya U (, , ; also known as Hsinbyushin; 1323–1384) was king of Martaban–Hanthawaddy from 1348 to 1384. His reign was marked by several internal rebellions and external conflicts. He survived the initial rebellions and an invasion by Lan ...
. He was also a key figure who started the
Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1385–1391) The Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1385–1391) () was a military conflict between Ava and Hanthawaddy Pegu, both kingdoms located in present-day Myanmar, that lasted from 1385 to 1391. It was the first of the four decades-long wars between the two ...
between the
Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...
-speaking Hanthawaddy Pegu and the Burmese-speaking Ava.


Brief

Laukpya was appointed governor of
Myaungmya Myaungmya ( ) is the principal town of Myaungmya Township, Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar. The town is home to the Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary, a Seventh-day Adventist seminary and Myaungmya Education College. As of 2014 the population was ...
, a key port in the
Irrawaddy delta The Irrawaddy Delta or Ayeyarwady Delta lies in the Irrawaddy Division, the lowest expanse of land in Myanmar (Burma) that fans out from the limit of tidal influence at Myan Aung to the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, to the south at the mout ...
by King
Binnya U Binnya U (, , ; also known as Hsinbyushin; 1323–1384) was king of Martaban–Hanthawaddy from 1348 to 1384. His reign was marked by several internal rebellions and external conflicts. He survived the initial rebellions and an invasion by Lan ...
. In 1364, Laukpya's eldest brother
Byattaba Byattaba (; ; also Byat-Hta-Ba) was the ruler of the Mon State, Martaban province of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Martaban–Hanthawaddy Kingdom from 1364 to 1388. He came to power by staging a coup against King Binnya U with the help of his brothers ...
, then a senior official, seized the Martaban province south of
Donwun Donwun (, ; also spelled Don Wun; also known as Wun), located 16km north of Thaton 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 Nation ...
while Laukpya seized the entire Bassein province. In 1371/72, the rebel brothers and the king signed a treaty that allowed the brothers to be his nominal
vassals A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerai ...
. In 1384, the brothers refused to extend the same recognition to Binnya U's son and successor
Razadarit Razadarit (, ; , or ; also spelled Yazadarit, "king of kings"; 1368–1421) was king of Kingdom of Hanthawaddy, Hanthawaddy Pegu from 1384 to 1421. He successfully unified his Mon language, Mon-speaking kingdom, and fended off major assaults ...
. In 1385, as Razadarit prepared to march to the delta, Laukpya sought assistance from King
Swa Saw Ke Mingyi Swa Saw Ke (, ; also spelled Minkyiswasawke or Swasawke; 1330–1400) was king of Ava from 1367 to 1400. He reestablished central authority in Upper Myanmar (Burma) for the first time since the fall of the Pagan Empire in the 1280s. He ...
of Ava with the promise of submission to Ava. Laukpya's wrote to Swa:Htin Aung 1967: 88 :''Glorious king, the ungrateful son, who was rebel when his father was alive, now has dared to ascend the great Binnya U's throne, assuming the title of "Razadarit". Before he can make his position secure, I beg my lord to attack Pegu both by land and by water. Your humble servant holds both Bassein and Myaungmya, and shall attack Pegu by water. When you have achieved your great triumph, take all the treasures for yourself; as to your humble servant, grant him only the annual revenue.'' Swa's acceptance of Laukpya's invitation resulted in the
Forty Years' War The Forty Years' War (; 1385 – 1423; also Ava–Pegu War or the Mon–Burmese War) was a military war fought between the Burmese-speaking Kingdom of Ava and the Mon-speaking Kingdom of Hanthawaddy. The war was fought during two separat ...
between Ava and Pegu. Swa's inaugural invasions of Hanthawaddy in 1385–86 and 1386–87 could not break Razadarit's defenses. In 1388/89, Razadarit attacked the delta. Razadarit's army could not take Myaungmya, which was heavily fortified, and was defeated at Bassein which was defended by Laukpya's two sons. Then his son Ma Pyit-Nwe, despite Laukpya's objections, ventured out to fight Razadarit's forces but was defeated by Razadarit's forces. Myaungmya surrendered in 1390. The entire delta followed.Phayare 1967: 70 Laukpya's son Bya Kun and son-in-law Bya Kyin both fled to Ava. Swa welcomed the princes, and made Bya Kun governor of Salin and Bya Kyin, governor of
Prome Pyay, and formerly anglicised as Prome, is the principal town of Pyay Township in the Bago Region in Myanmar. Pyay is located on the bank of the Irrawaddy River, north-west of Yangon. It is an important trade center for the Ayeyarwady Delta, Cent ...
(Pyay).Harvey 1925: 85 Laukpya had 16 wives and 70 children.Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 290 in editors' footnote


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* * * * * * {{s-end Hanthawaddy dynasty