Sawlon of Mohnyin ( ; 1486–1533), Tai name Hso Lung Hpa, was

saopha Saopha (), also spelled Sawbwa, was the title used by hereditary rulers of Shan states in Upper Myanmar. Chaopha and Chao Fa were similar titles used by the hereditary Tai rulers in mainland Southeast Asia and the Ahom kingdom in India. Nam ...

of the

Shan state Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...

Mohnyin Mohnyin (, ; ) is a town in Kachin State, Myanmar. It is the administrative center for both Mohnyin Township and Mohnyin District Mohnyin District () is a Districts of Burma, district of the Kachin State in northern Myanmar. The administrative c ...

in the early the 16th century. He is best remembered in

Burmese history The history of Myanmar ( ) covers the period from the time of first-known human settlements 13,000 years ago to the present day. The earliest inhabitants of recorded history were a Tibeto-Burman-speaking people who established the Pyu city-sta ...

as the conqueror of

Ava Kingdom The Ava Kingdom (, ; INN-wa pyi) also known as Inwa Kingdom or Kingdom of Ava was the dominant kingdom that ruled upper Burma (Myanmar) from 1365 to 1555. Founded in 1365, the kingdom was the successor state to the petty kingdoms of Myinsa ...

. Sawlon led a confederation of

Shan states The Shan States were a collection of minor Shan people, Shan kingdoms called ''mueang, möng'' whose rulers bore the title ''saopha'' (''sawbwa''). In British rule in Burma, British Burma, they were analogous to the princely states of Britis ...

, and raided Avan territory throughout the first quarter of the 16th century. (The earliest reported date in the Burmese chronicles of a raid led by Sawlon of Mohnyin came in 1502.Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 103 It is unclear if the Sawlon in 1502 was this Sawlon who would have been only 16 years old, then. The Sawlon in 1502 may have been Sawlon's father.) By the 1520s, his confederation included Shan states of

Kale Kale (), also called leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'') cultivars primarily grown for their Leaf vegetable, edible leaves; it has also been used as an ornamental plant. Its multiple different cultivars vary quite ...

(Kalay), Möng Mit,

Bhamo Bhamo ( ''ban: mau mrui.'', also spelt Banmaw), historically known as Manmaw (; ) or Hsinkai () is a city in Kachin State in northern Myanmar, south of the state capital, (Myitkyina). It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within of the border ...

as well as the Burman Kingdom of Prome (Pyay).Fernquest 2005: 348–349 The allies accelerated their concerted attacks on Ava from all directions, and sacked

Ava Ava or AVA may refer to: Places Asia and Oceania * Ava Kingdom, in upper Burma from 1364 to 1555 ** Inwa, formerly Ava, the capital of Ava Kingdom ** Earl of Ava, a British colonial earldom in Burma * Ava, Iran, Gilan Province, a village * Iva ...

in 1524. But King

Shwenankyawshin Shwenankyawshin Narapati (, , ; 28 July 1476 – 14 March 1527) was king of Ava from 1501 to 1527. His reign saw the disintegration of the Ava Kingdom. He spent much of his reign fighting back the attacks from the Confederation of Shan States. ...

of Ava and his ally

Hkonmaing I of Onbaung–Hsipaw Hkonmaing ( , Shan: ၶုၼ်မိူင်း; also Hkonmaing Gyi, Hkun Möng GyiAung Tun 2009: 104) or ''Hso Tamla'' was ''saopha'' of the Shan principality of Onbaung–Hsipaw in what is now Myanmar. He was the only main ally of King Na ...

continued their resistance. In 1527, his forces again laid siege to Ava where Shwenankyawshin fell in battle. Sawlon placed his son

Thohanbwa Thohanbwa (, ; Shan: သိူဝ်ႁၢၼ်ၾႃ့; 1505 – May 1542) was king of Ava from 1527 to 1542. The eldest son of Sawlon of Mohnyin was a commander who actively participated in Monhyin's numerous raids of Ava's territories in ...

on the Ava throne, ending Ava's 163-year reign of

Upper Burma Upper Myanmar ( or , also called Upper Burma) is one of two geographic regions in Myanmar, the other being Lower Myanmar. Located in the country's centre and north stretches, Upper Myanmar encompasses six inland states and regions, including ...

. Ava became just another Shan state, and many

Burmans The Bamar people (Burmese language, Burmese: ဗမာလူမျိုး, ''ba. ma lu myui:'' ) (formerly known as Burmese people or Burmans) are a Sino-Tibetan-speaking ethnic group native to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). With an esti ...

fled to

Toungoo Taungoo (, ''Tauñngu myoú''; ), also spelled Toungoo and formerly Toung-ngú, is a district-level city in the Bago Region of Myanmar, 220 km from Yangon, towards the north-eastern end of the division, with mountain ranges to the east an ...

. Sawlon made a fateful choice of not attacking the Toungoo Kingdom to the southeast of Ava. Instead, he chose to attack his erstwhile ally Prome for he was unsatisfied with the assistance he received from his ally, King

Thado Minsaw of Prome Thado Minsaw of Prome (, ; 1440s–1526) Tai name ''Hso Ming Hpa'' was the founder of Prome Kingdom, and reigned the minor kingdom from 1482 to 1527. In 1524, he entered into an alliance with the Confederation of Shan States, and participated ...

, in their war against Ava. In late 1532, Sawlon and Thohanbwa marched south and captured Prome. After the conquest of Prome, Sawlon was murdered by his own ministers on his way back home to Mohnyin.Harvey 1925: 104–107

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* * * * {{s-end Ava dynasty 1486 births 1533 deaths 16th-century Burmese monarchs