Pinya Kingdom

Pinya Kingdom ပင်းယပြည်
1313–1365
Pinya Kingdom c. 1350
Status	Kingdom
Capital	Pinya
Common languages	Burmese (official) Mon, Shan
Religion	Theravada Buddhism, Ari Buddhism, Animism
Government	Monarchy
• 1313–1325	Thihathu
• 1325–1340	Uzana I
• 1344–1350	Kyawswa I
• 1359–1364	Narathu
Regent
• 1340–1344	Sithu
Legislature	None (Rule by decree)
Historical era	Warring states
• Myinsaing Regency founded	17 December 1297
• Pinya Kingdom founded	7 February 1313
• Sagaing secession	1315–1317 (de facto) 1325 (de jure)
• Uzana I–Kyawswa I rivalry	1325–1344
• Toungoo secession	1358–1359
• Maw raids	1358–1364
• Ava Kingdom founded	26 February 1365
Preceded by Succeeded by Myinsaing Kingdom Sagaing Kingdom Ava Kingdom
Today part of	Myanmar

History of Myanmar
Prehistory of Myanmar 11,000–200 BCE Pyu city-states 200 BCE – 1050 CE (Sri Ksetra Kingdom, Tagaung Kingdom) Mon kingdoms 825?–1057? CE (Thaton Kingdom) Arakanese kingdoms 788?–1406
Pagan Kingdom 849–1297 Early Pagan Kingdom 849–1044 Warring states period Upper Myanmar 1297–1555 Myinsaing and Pinya Kingdoms 1297–1365 Sagaing Kingdom 1315–1365 Kingdom of Ava 1365–1555 Prome Kingdom 1482–1542 Hanthawaddy Kingdom 1287–1539, 1550–1552 Shan States 1215–1563 Kingdom of Mrauk U 1429–1785 Toungoo dynasty 1510–1752 First Toungoo Empire 1510–1599 Nyaungyan Restoration 1599–1752 Restored Hanthawaddy 1740–1757 Konbaung dynasty 1752–1885
British colonial period 1824–1948 Anglo-Burmese Wars 1824–1885 Resistance movement 1885–1895 Nationalist movement 1900–1948 Japanese occupation 1942–1945
Modern era 1948–present AFPFL government 1948–1962 Ne Win dictatorship 1962–1988 SLORC / SPDC junta 1988–2010 Political reforms 2011–2015 SAC junta 2021–present
Timeline List of capitals Leaders Royal chronicles Military history Military rule
Myanmar portal
v t e

The Pinya Kingdom (Burmese: ပင်းယခေတ်, pronounced [pɪ́ɰ̃ja̰ kʰɪʔ]), also known as the Vijaia State (၀ိဇယတိုင်း) and Kingdom of Pinya was the kingdom that ruled Central Myanmar (Burma) from 1313 to 1365. It was the successor state of Myinsaing, the polity that controlled much of Upper Burma between 1297 and 1313. Founded as the de jure successor state of the Pagan Empire by Thihathu, Pinya faced internal divisions from the start. The northern province of Sagaing led by Thihathu's eldest son Saw Yun successfully fought for autonomy in 1315−17, and formally seceded in 1325 after Thihathu's death.

The rump Pinya Kingdom was left embroiled in an intense rivalry between Thihathu's other sons Uzana I and Kyawswa I until 1344. Pinya had little control over its vassals; its southernmost vassals Toungoo (Taungoo) and Prome (Pyay) were practically independent. Central authority briefly returned during Kyawswa I's reign (1344−50) but broke down right after his death. In the 1350s, Kyawswa II repaired Pinya's long-strained relationship with Sagaing, in order to face off against the northern Shan state of Maw. Two Maw raids in 1358–59 and 1362–63 thoroughly devastated Pinya's countryside during which Toungoo successfully broke away. Narathu switched sides and aided the Maw attack on Sagaing in 1363–64. But after the Maw troops sacked both Sagaing and Pinya in succession in 1364, Thihathu's great grandson Thado Minbya of Sagaing seized both devastated capitals in 1364, and founded the Ava Kingdom in 1365.

Pinya was a microcosm of the small kingdoms period (1287–1555) of Burmese history. Weakened by internal divisions, Pinya despite controlling two of the three main granaries never reached its potential. Although its successor Ava would prove more successful in reassembling major parts of the erstwhile empire, it too would be hampered by fierce regional rivalries, and Myanmar would remain divided into the mid-16th century.