Wareru, born as Magadu near Thaton to …

Years: 1287 - 1287

Wareru, born as Magadu near Thaton to a Shan father and a Mon mother, was the eldest child, and had at least two brothers and a sister.

As a young man, Magadu had become a merchant traveling between Martaban and Sukhothai.

In the 1270s, he had entered the service of Sukhothai King Ram Khamhaeng in the elephant stablesand had risen to become the Captain of the Palace Guards.

He had eloped in 1280 with the king's daughter Me Nang Soy Da and fled Sukhothai with a few dozen followers.

Back at Martaban, Wareru scheme to take over the governorship.

According to the Burmese chronicles, Wareru supposedly had asked his beautiful sister Hnin U Yaing to choose her bathing place in a river spot where Aleimma, the governor, would see her.

Aleimma asked to marry her.

At the wedding ceremony, Wareru killed the governor, and became the lord of Martaban.

The year of revolt was 1281 according to Mon records but 1286 according to Burmese records.

At any rate, the Pagan Empire, preoccupied with the Mongol invasions, was on its last legs and could not take any effective action.

After the invading Mongols sacked Pagan in 1287, central authority collapsed throughout the kingdom.

Many governors, especially those in remote parts of the empire, who are already ruling like sovereign kings, openly revolt.

Wareru, who has been technically already in revolt since 1281 (or 1286), makes an alliance with Tarabya, the governor of Pegu (Bago), each marrying the other's daughter.

Their southern forces together defeats the northern forces led by Yazathingyan, who will later become a cofounder of Myinsaing Kingdom, and proceed to conquer the whole of Lower Burma.

Then the two rebel leaders themselves quarrel, and in a skirmish, Tarabya is captured and executed.

[1] Wareru proclaims himself king of the Ramanya Kingdom, more commonly known as Kingdom of Hanthawady Pegu, on April 4, 1287 according to Mon records (or January 18 ,1288 per Burmese records).

The new kingdom is a nominal vassal state of Sukhothai, and of the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

Related Events

Filter results