Tabinshwehti

Tabinshwehti
တပင်‌ရွှေထီး
King of Toungoo
Tabinshwehti Nat
King of Burma
Reign24 November 1530 – 30 April 1550
Coronation24 November 1530
PredecessorMingyi Nyo
SuccessorBayinnaung
Born16 April 1516
Wednesday, 1st waning of Kason 878 ME
Toungoo (Taungoo)
Died30 April 1550(1550-04-30) (aged 34)
Wednesday, 1st waning of Kason 912 ME
near Pantanaw
Burial
SpouseDhamma Dewi
Khin Myat
Khay Ma Naw
IssueMin Letya
Hanthawaddy Mibaya
HouseToungoo
FatherMingyi Nyo
MotherYaza Dewi
ReligionTheravada Buddhism

Tabinshwehti (Burmese: တပင်‌ရွှေထီး, [dəbɪ̀ɰ̃ ʃwè tʰí]; 16 April 1516 – 30 April 1550) was King of Burma from 1530 to 1550, and the founder of the First Toungoo Empire. His military campaigns (1534–1549) created the largest kingdom in Burma since the fall of the Pagan Empire in 1287. His administratively fragile kingdom proved to be the impetus for the eventual reunification of the entire country by his successor and brother-in-law Bayinnaung.

Based out of their small landlocked principality in the Sittaung valley, Tabinshwehti and his deputy Bayinnaung began their military campaigns in 1534 against the Hanthawaddy Kingdom, and had conquered the wealthier but disunited kingdom by 1541. He then leveraged the coastal kingdom's wealth, manpower and access to Portuguese mercenaries and firearms, and extended his rule to the ancient capital of Pagan (Bagan) in 1544. However, his attempts to build an East-West empire fell short in Arakan (1545–1547) and in Siam (1547–1549). He actively courted the support of ethnic Mons of Lower Burma, many of whom were appointed to the highest positions in his government and armed forces. His chief queen and chief primate were Mons. He moved the capital to Pegu (Bago). The king was assassinated on his 34th birthday on the orders of Smim Sawhtut, one of his close advisers. The kingdom he had built up fell apart right after his death, which Bayinnaung had to restore in the next two years.

His premature death has been called "one of the great turning points of mainland [Southeast Asia's] history".[1] He is one of the most celebrated kings in Burmese history. The Tabinshwehti nat is one of the 37 nats (spirits) worshiped in Myanmar.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference vbl-199 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

Developed by StudentB