Myinsaing Kingdom: Map & History
The Myinsaing Kingdom also known as Myainsaing Regency was the regency that ruled central Burma (Myanmar) from 1297 to 1313.
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The Myinsaing Kingdom also known as Myainsaing Regency was the regency that ruled central Burma (Myanmar) from 1297 to 1313. It was founded by three brothers—Athinkhaya, Yazathingyan and Thihathu from Myinsaing— and was one of many small kingdoms that emerged following the collapse of the Pagan Empire in 1287. Myinsaing successfully fended off the second Mongol invasion in 1300–1301, and went on to unify central Burma from Tagaung in the north to Prome (Pyay) in the south. The brothers' co-rule ended between 1310 and 1313, with the death of the two elder brothers Athinkhaya and Yazathingyan. In 1315, the central Burmese state split into two rival states of Pinya and Sagaing. Central Burma would not be reunified until the rise of Ava five decades later.
Modern Countries Once Part of Myinsaing Kingdom
At its mapped extent, Myinsaing Kingdom covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Myinsaing Kingdom's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Myinsaing Kingdom in Depth
History
The origins of the Myinsaing period can be traced back to the late Pagan period. By the 1270s, the Pagan Dynasty, which had ruled the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery for over two centuries, was on its last legs. Between one and two-thirds of Upper Burma's cultivatable land had been donated to religion, and the crown had lost resources needed to retain the loyalty of courtiers and military servicemen. The beginning of the end of Pagan came in 1277 when the Mongol Empire first invaded northernmost Pagan territories (present-day Dehong and Baoshan prefectures, Yunnan). The Mongols proceeded to invade northern Burma in 1283–85, occupying down to Tagaung. King Narathihapate fled to Lower Burma.
Government
The political unity the brothers achieved in central Burma was fragile and did not last long in any case. The kingdom split into two in 1315. Central Burma would not be reunited until five decades later (1364–67).
Economy
Myinsaing was primarily an agrarian economy. Unlike Pagan, it possessed no coastal ports, and could not conduct any maritime trade. The brothers tried to rebuild the dry zone's agrarian base. First, after the evacuation of Mongols in 1303, the brothers were able to bring all three main granaries of the country, Kyuakse, Minbu and Mu, under their rule. Secondly, they attempted to tackle the problem they inherited from Pagan kings: too much valuable land was donated to religion, and the crown could not collect revenue. They followed the tactic first used by King Kyaswa (r. 1235–51), which checked the accuracy of the donation records of the lands. To be sure, they could not solve the problem overnight.
Legacy
Myinsaing was the first central Burmese polity that arose out of the ashes of the fallen Pagan Empire. Its main legacies were keeping middle Burma independent, and preserving Pagan's cultural traditions. Unlike elsewhere in mainland Southeast Asia, the Tai-Shan peoples and languages did not come to dominate central Burma. Athinkhaya, Yazathingyan and Thihathu, who might have been half-Shan, nonetheless saw themselves as the heirs of Pagan kings, propagated Pagan's cultural traditions, and rebuilt a state, albeit a fragile one, stretching from Tagaung in the north to Prome to the south. The fragile state would break up soon after but the Ava Kingdom, which would reunify the middle country in the 1360s, had its origins in Myinsaing.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Myinsaing Kingdom (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Myinsaing Kingdom: Key Facts
| Founded | 1297 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1313 |
Facts from Wikidata Q3446205 (CC0).
Myinsaing Kingdom Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Myinsaing Kingdom appears, with the other states of the time.
Myinsaing Kingdom Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 193,597 km² in 1309 CE.
Myinsaing Kingdom: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Myinsaing Kingdom exist?
The Myinsaing Kingdom is dated to 1294 CE – 1313 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Myinsaing Kingdom?
The capital of the Myinsaing Kingdom was Myinsaing, Mekkhaya, Pinle.
How large was the Myinsaing Kingdom at its peak?
At its peak in 1309 AD the Myinsaing Kingdom covered about 193,597 km².
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