Theiddat (, ; 1375/76–1408) was the

heir-presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir app ...

of Ava from 1400 to 1406 during the reign of King

Minkhaung I Minkhaung I of Ava ( ; also spelled Mingaung; 1373–1421) was king of Ava Kingdom, Ava from 1400 to 1421. He is best remembered in History of Myanmar, Burmese history for his epic struggles against King Razadarit of Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Hantha ...

of Ava. Theiddat was the key figure in securing his elder brother

's claim on the throne of Ava. In the early days of Minkhaung's reign, Theiddat personally led an army to put down a major rebellion. After Minkhaung named his eldest son Minye Kyawswa heir apparent in 1406, Theiddat felt betrayed, and fled south in 1407 and joined the service of King

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 ...

of Hanthawaddy Pegu, which was amidst fighting 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 ...

(1385–1424) with Ava. It turned out that Theiddat could not betray his brother. In 1408, Theiddat, who was with a special group of Hanthawaddy forces who were waiting to ambush Minkhaung, gave a warning to his brother at a critical moment, allowing him to escape. Theiddat was duly executed by Razadarit for his warning.

Early life

Minkhaung and Theiddat were sons of 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 ...

by Saw

Beza Theodore Beza (; or ''de Besze''; 24 June 1519 – 13 October 1605) was a French Calvinist Protestant theologian, Protestant reformer, reformer and scholar who played an important role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a disciple of John Ca ...

whom he had met during one of his military campaigns.Htin Aung 1967: 90–93 As their mother was a commoner, they were not in line for the throne. Swa had designated Prince Tarabya as crown prince.

Minkhaung's accession

In April 1400, their father died and Tarabya ascended the throne. In November 1400, Tarabya was assassinated by Nga Nauk Hsan, the governor of

Tagaung Tagaung is a town in Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region, Myanmar. It is situated on the east bank of the Ayeyarwady River, 127 miles north of Mandalay. Colloquially, Tagaung is thought to be the origin of the Burmese people, remembered by ...

who tried to seize the throne. The ministers put the usurper to death, and gave the throne to Minkhaung. His ascension was greeted by a major rebellion led by Gov. Maha Pyauk of Yamethin. Pyauk marched to Ava with a force of 10,000 men, 60 attack elephants and 800 horses.Fernquest 2006: 1–10 Theiddat led Ava's defenses, and defeated the stronger rebel force, killing Maha Pyauk.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 438–439 In gratitude, Minkhaung gave Theiddat

Sagaing Sagaing (, ) is a town in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar. It is located on the Irrawaddy River, to the south-west of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river. Sagaing, with its numerous Buddhist monasteries, is an important religious and ...

to rule but stopped short of declaring him heir-apparent. The younger brother was never satisfied with the reward he received for his help, and held a lingering resentment that would rear its ugly head later.

Single combat with Minkhaung

In 1406, Minkhaung named his eldest son Minye Kyawswa as heir apparent. His brother Theiddat, who had loyally supported Minkhaung in time of his need, felt betrayed, and challenged Minkhaung to an elephant-to-elephant single combat. Minkhaung defeated his younger brother but allowed him to leave. Theiddat took refuge in Razadarit's service. Razadarit welcomed Theiddat and gave him his sister in marriage.

Foiling of Minkhaung's assassination and death

In May 1408, Minkhaung invaded the south and reached the outskirts of Pegu. Razadarit tried to break the siege by sending special forces to assassinate Minkhaung. Minkhaung escaped death on the warning by his brother Theiddat who was with Pegu troops to ambush him. Theiddat was later executed by Razadarit for his warning.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 481–483

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