Smin Pun-Si
Smin Pun-Si | |
|---|---|
| Native name | သၟိင်ပန်စီ |
| Born | late 1360s? |
| Died | c. February 1422 Dala (Twante) |
| Allegiance | Royal Hanthawaddy Armed Forces (Navy and Army) |
| Service years | by 1390–1422 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Conflicts | |
Smin Pun-Si (Mon: သၟိင်ပန်စီ;[1] Burmese: သမိန်ပွန်စည်, Burmese pronunciation: [θəmèiɰ̃ pʊ́ɰ̃ zì]; d. 1422) was a Hanthawaddy commander who fought in the first four conflicts of the Forty Years' War against the northern Kingdom of Ava. A career officer serving between 1390 and 1422, Pun-Si was executed by Prince Binnya Kyan at the onset of the Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1422–1423).
Biography
The name Smin Pun-Si is a Mon language title, conferred upon several Hanthawaddy commanders and court officials.[note 1] This article is about the Smin Pun-Si who served between 1390 and 1422.[note 2]
Smin Pun-Si was a senior officer in the Hanthawaddy military throughout the decades-long wars against Ava. He served as a naval squadron commander during the Battle of Gu-Htut (1390–1391),[3][4] and the Battle of Prome (1402).[5] By 1408, he commanded an army regiment on the Sittaung front during the Ava invasion of Hanthawaddy.[6][7]
His final campaign took place during the 1421–1422 succession crisis. Pun-Si supported King Binnya Dhammaraza, who had recently ascended the Hanthawaddy throne. In early 1422, he and Smin Maw-Khwin were ordered to capture Dala (modern Twante), the home base of the king's rival, Prince Binnya Kyan. They successfully occupied the fortified town while Kyan was on an expedition to Dagon, about 25 km east of Dala.[8][9][10] The commanders soon braced for Kyan's counterattack. The prince returned with two Ava regiments, and breached the town's walls despite a fierce defense. After the victory, Prince Kyan ordered the execution of both commanders for their spirited defense.[8][9]
Military service
The following table summarizes the military campaigns in which chronicles explicitly identify Pun-Si as a commander.
| Campaign | Duration | Troops commanded[note 3] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Gu-Htut | 1390–1391 | 1 squadron | Commanded one of four naval squadrons guarding Gu-Htut[3][1][4] |
| Battle of Prome | 1402 | 1 squadron | Commanded one of eight squadrons that blockaded Prome (Pyay).[5] |
| Ava invasion of Hanthawaddy | 1408 | 1 regiment | Commanded one of nine regiments of the Royal Main Army of Hanthawaddy[11][6][7] |
| Battle of Dala | 1422 | 1 regiment | Captured Dala, and co-commanded the Dala garrison (along with Smin Maw-Khwin[8][9] |
Notes
- ^ The Burmese-language version of the Razadarit Ayedawbon chronicle identifies a prominent holder of the Smin Pun-Si title as the governor of Donwun, and a senior court minister during the reign of King Binnya U (r. 1348–1384). However, the Mon-language Pak Lat Chronicles record the governor's title as Smin Pun-So (Mon: သၟိင်ပန်စို, Burmese: သမိန်ပွန်စို).[2]
- ^ Since chronicles do not mention a successor to the title during this period, the chronicle records presumably refer to a single individual.
- ^ Chronicle reported troop levels reduced by an order of magnitude per (Harvey 1925: 333–336)
References
- ^ a b Pan Hla 2005: 198
- ^ Pan Hla 2005: 49, 383
- ^ a b Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 202–203
- ^ a b Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 429–439
- ^ a b Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 218–219
- ^ a b Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 229
- ^ a b Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 477
- ^ a b c Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 267
- ^ a b c Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 55
- ^ Phayre 1967: 81
- ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 334–335
Bibliography
- Kala, U (2006) [1724]. Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
- Maha Sithu (2012) [1798]. Myint Swe; Kyaw Win; Thein Hlaing (eds.). Yazawin Thit (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (2nd printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
- Pan Hla, Nai (2005) [1968]. Razadarit Ayedawbon (in Burmese) (8th printing ed.). Yangon: Armanthit Sarpay.
- Phayre, Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. (1967) [1883]. History of Burma. London: Susil Gupta.
- Royal Historical Commission of Burma (2003) [1832]. Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3. Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.