Recounting Phra Narit's death has prompted in me a desire to further clarify some events in Myanmar history. This is because the last Myanmar king whom the Yodaya tried to attack was King Nyaungyan. Prince Nyaungyan's given name as a youth was Shin Thitsar and he was the elder son of King Bayintnaung and he happened to be in northern Myanmar because his fiefdom was Nyaungyan in the north. His duty was also to organize and unify the towns along the Shan State.
That was why he was in northern Myanmar. Yodaya historical accounts of Phra Narit usually include mention of how he succeeded in laying siege to the City of Hanthawaddy for three whole months. He besieging the city for a period of three months but there was no way he could penetrate the city, and when the Prince of Pyay and the Prince of Toungoo arrived with reinforcements, he as usual, had to retreat. As was usually the case, he would simply attack the remote border and predictably beat a retreat. This was why Phra Narit achieved nothing substantial. When Hanthawaddy collapsed in 1599 he again arrived in frantic haste. But because he made no headway at all he diverted his forces to attack Toungoo.
He drained the waters from the moat of the city into the Paunglaung River and with a huge force clambered over the city walls firing cannons and muskets, but he failed to seize the city. I would like to give you the precise details that were not included in my previous article. The opening from which the moat waters had been let out can be seen today and is still known as the Yodaya hole. So although Phra Narit exerted all force to attack and seize the city, he failed and was forced to retreat. We have been frank and forthright about the failure of Nanda Bayin's military endeavours. The Yodaya on their part however make a big production when all that could be said was that they had set foot on Myanmar territory. That is the difference between us. Yodaya history books also maintain that Phra Narit while chasing after Nanda Bayin reached Toungoo because the latter had taken refuge there.
The fact is that it was the King of Toungoo and the King of Rakhine who had launched an assault on Hanthawaddy. How could Nanda Bayin have sought refuge in Toungoo when he had been taken prisoner? Yodaya history goes on to state that Phra Narit sent a message to the King of Toungoo requesting him to hand over Nanda Bayin whom he wished to worship like a Deity. They are truly inveterate liars. The Toungoo King refused saying that Nanda Bayin was his elder brother whom he also worshipped as his Lord and could not therefore yield him. It was then that Phra Narit began his assault on Toungoo. Nanda Bayin died at the hands of assassins after Phra Narit had beaten a retreat on failure of his military mission. But Yodaya historians insisted on recording the assassination as a victory for them. Nanda Bayin's assassination had nothing to do with Phra Narit. Nat Shin Naung had been plotting the assassination for quite a while.
He had stayed his hand because he could not get his father's approval. It was only after Phra Narit's departure that Nat Shin Naung's followers killed Nanda Bayin late one night as he went across from his royal tent to that of his chief queen. The Yodaya assertion that Myanmar collapsed with the death of Nanda Bayin is another error. If, the country had really collapsed as they claimed, then why did Phra Narit make the arduous journey to enter the Shan State? The truth is that when Hanthawaddy collapsed as a kingdom in 1600 the Nyaungyan Prince was able to organize the people in northern Myanmar and set up his own kingdom. He rebuilt the old city of Inwa and ascended the throne. But King Nyaungyan passed away after a rule of 5 years. With the passing of King Nyaungyan his eldest son Thakin Latt succeeded to the throne under the title Maha Dhamma Raja.
Maha Dhama Raja fought and defeated the Portuguese Nga Zinga (De Brito) who had seized Thanlyin after the fall of Hanthawaddy. Henceforth the Portuguese lost their foothold in Myanmar. Maha Dhamma Raja then resettled the Portuguese captives in new towns and villages in Upper Myanmar. Maha Dhamma Raja in 1622 regained Dawei, which had fallen into Yodaya hands. But in 1628 he too fell victim of assassination by his son. These are then the events that occurred in Myanmar between 1600 and 1628. Now I would like to give an account of Yodaya palace intrigues that took place within the same period. Phra Narit was dark-skinned so he was referred to as the Black Prince. His brother by blood Ekathotsarot was however known as the White Prince. It was this White Prince who went to retrieve the body of his dead elder brother from the Shan State.
The White Prince was able to peacefully ascend the Yodaya throne because his brother Phra Narit had accorded him equivalent status from the very beginning as successor to the throne. The queen of the White Prince bore him two sons, Prince Suthat or Sutat and Prince Srisaowapak. He also had three other sons with a concubine, Prince Intaraja, Prince Srisin and Prince Tong. The White King designated his elder son Suthat his successor who was made the Crown Prince. But one of the royal courtiers brought charges against Suthat of plotting a rebellion with the huge force of Japanese soldiers of fortune and merchants in Yodaya, so he was thus eliminated. To relate faithfully what has been recorded in Yodaya history, the White King who was nearing death and suffering from dementia at the time gave the order to execute his son Suthat. The White King died soon after and his son Srisaowapak inherited the throne.
However, after a rule of one year and two months Prince Intaraja who had previously been a monk with the title Phra Phimontham, but who had just now left monkhood, assassinated Srisaowapak and seized the throne. This new king was known as Song Tham or Songtam meaning a "Just King". He was said to be a very fair and righteous king, who was literate and skilled in many arts. He had received his education at the monastery while in monks' robes. He was also known as a very devout person who adhered to the Ten Rules of Kingship in governing his kingdom. But it does make one wonder why he left the monkhood at all. Yodaya historians are excellent writers.
The Yodaya historical records go on to say that it was because this king was such a king and gentle person that the Yodaya lost Cambodia, which had been seized after fierce fighting during the time of Narai Soon. In like manner Dawei, which belonged to Myanmar and had been captured by the same Narai Soon was regained by the Myanmar in 1622. The "Just King" decided that Dawei was not worth fighting for and let the Myanmar keep their territory, according to these records. Yet, at one time they had praised Dawei highly as a town that was well located. But when King Anauk Hpet Lun recaptured Dawei they could do nothing but let it go. What I have just written is a comparative study of Myanmar and Yodaya historical events within the years 1600-1628. Phra Narit is not to be blamed for trying to gain independence for his country. But his own father in pledging allegiance to a Myanmar king became a traitor to his Yodaya king. So the father who could not keep faith with his own kith and kin was in no position therefore to give his son lessons in loyalty and good faith.
These are events that took place in feudal times and need no special comments. It is not wrong to try to gain independence for one's country. But Phra Narit's fault was in his many attempts to destroy Myanmar. I say this not because he did great damage to the country, nor did Min Kyee Swa die because he ran away and was pursued and killed by the Yodaya. He died in action. His death was that of a man of heroic courage. Phra Narit never did succeed in his attempts to devastate Myanmar. Of course, we had to do battle later to regain lost territories in Tanintharyi. But Phra Narit died before he could establish a strong Yodaya kingdom and his successors suffered the consequences. To understand this clearly however, it would require further clarification on how foreign military forces and foreigners gained opportunities to meddle in Yodaya internal affairs. Yodaya is a country that has never got along with its neighbours since long long ago. This is because she has the foolish habit of "spurning the mother to yearn for the aunt" as a Myanmar proverb goes. In other words when one is near there is not much yearning. But the yearning becomes stronger for those far away.