, image = , caption = , reign = 1174 – 1186 , coronation = , succession = Chief queen consort of Burma , predecessor = Min Aung Myat , successor = Taung Pyinthe II (Sithu II) , suc-type = Successor , reg-type = , regent = , reign1 = April – May 1174 , succession1 = Queen of the Western Palace , predecessor1 = ''vacant'' , successor1 = ''vacant'' , spouse =

Naratheinkha Naratheinkha (, ; 1141–1174) was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) from 1171 to 1174. He appointed his brother Narapati Sithu heir apparent and commander-in-chief. It was the first recorded instance in the history of the dynasty that ...

(1174)
Sithu II (1174–86) , issue = Zeya Thura , issue-link = , full name = , house =

Pagan Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

, father = , mother = , birth_date = 1150s , birth_place =

Myinsaing Myinsaing (, ; also transliterated as Myinzaing) is a historical site, located in Kyaukse Township, Mandalay Region, Myanmar. It was one of the three de facto capitals of Myanmar from 1297 to 1310 during the Myinsaing period. In the present day, ...

, Pagan Empire , death_date = 1186 , death_place =

(Bagan), Pagan Empire , date of burial = , place of burial = , religion =

Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...

, signature = Weluwaddy (, ; ; d. 1186) was a chief

queen consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...

of King Sithu II of the Pagan Dynasty of

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

. According to the royal chronicles, Sithu II overthrew his brother King

after his brother seized his wife Weluwaddy in 1174.

Early life

According to the chronicles, the future queen was born inside the stalk of a glowing

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

plant in the forest of

. She was found by a commoner family, and grew up to be a great beauty.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 312 When King

came to power in 1171, the chief of Myinsaing sent her as part of his tribute to the new king. At the palace in

(Bagan), the king was not impressed by the country girl before him. He is said to have particularly disliked her ears, deeming them too large. He passed, and gave her to his younger brother Crown Prince Narapati who made her a junior wife.

At Pagan

Chronicles say that the former country girl blossomed into a sophisticated beauty in the next few years. Her transformation was orchestrated by the dowager queen Myauk Pyinthe. The queen mother had the girl's ears surgically reduced, sent her to

finishing school A finishing school focuses on teaching young women social graces and upper-class cultural rites as a preparation for entry into society. The name reflects the fact that it follows ordinary school and is intended to complete a young woman's ...

, and personally taught her court etiquette. The junior princess is said to have emerged more beautiful and sophisticated than all other princesses at the palace.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 312–313 She was finally noticed by the king himself one day when she accompanied the queen mother to a party at the palace. There, the king was taken by her beauty, and now coveted his brother's wife.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 313 Naratheinkha's attempt to seize her in the next few months would alter the course of history. The king hastily came up with a scheme: He had a minister falsely report a rebellion in the extreme north of the kingdom at Ngasaunggyan (present-day Dehong, Yunnan), and ordered his brother, commander-in-chief of the royal army, to march there. As ordered, Narapati left with the army. When the army reached Thissein (modern

Shwebo District Shwebo District is a district in south-central Sagaing Region of Myanmar. Its administrative center is the city of Shwebo. Townships The district consists of the following townships: * Khin-U Township * Shwebo Township ** Kyaukmyaung Subtownshi ...

), about 210 km north of Pagan, Naratheinkha raised his sister-in-law to queen. But the news reached Thissein within a few days as a cavalry officer loyal to the crown prince came up to deliver the news. Narapati turned around, and sent an elite company of 80 troops led by Commander Aung Zwa with the order to assassinate the king.Harvey 1925: 53–54

Queen of Pagan

In 1174, Narapati became king as Sithu II. All three main chronicles say that she became the chief queen consort with the title of Weluwaddy (Pali: Veluvati).Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 211Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 133Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 315 However, a contemporary inscription from Sithu II's reign places her last in a list of six senior queens.Than Tun 1964: 129 The couple had a son, Zeya Thura. Both Weluwaddy and Zeya Thura were given the towns of Talok, Amyint and Aneint (modern

Myingyan Myingyan (, ) is a city and district in the Mandalay Division of central Myanmar, previously, it was a district in the Meiktila Division of Upper Burma. It is currently the capital of Myingyan Township and lies along the National Highway 2. ...

and

Monywa District Monywa District () (formerly Lower Chindwin District) is an administrative district in southern Sagaing Division, Burma, Burma (Myanmar).Maha Yazawin The ''Maha Yazawin'', fully the ''Maha Yazawindawgyi'' (, , Pali : Mahārājavaṃsa) and formerly romanized as the ,. is the first national chronicle of Burma/Myanmar. Completed in 1724 by U Kala, a historian at the Toungoo court, it was the ...

'' (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 214) says she died in early 538 ME (1176) but ''

Hmannan Yazawin ''Hmannan Maha Yazawindawgyi'' (, ; commonly, ''Hmannan Yazawin''; known in English as the ''Glass Palace Chronicle'') is the first Burmese chronicle, official chronicle of Konbaung Dynasty of Burma (Myanmar). It was compiled by the Royal Histori ...

'' (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 321) corrects it, saying she died in early 548 ME (1186). After her death, the king dedicated the Shwe Thabeik Pagoda in Talok (Myingyan District).

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{Queens consort of Pagan Chief queens consort of Pagan 1186 deaths 1150s births 12th-century Burmese women