37 Facts About Nanda Bayin

Nanda Bayin presided over the collapse of the First Toungoo Empire, the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia.

Nanda Bayin never gained the full support of his father's chosen vassal rulers, who governed what used to be sovereign kingdoms just a few decades earlier.

In 1599, Nanda Bayin surrendered to the joint forces of Toungoo and Arakan, and was taken prisoner to Toungoo.

Nanda Bayin was an energetic king, who probably would have made an "above average" Burmese monarch.

Nanda Bayin nominally became the second in line to the Toungoo throne in 1542 when his father was made heir-apparent by Tabinshwehti.

Indeed, Nanda Bayin was only 13 when he, styled as Zeya Thiha, accompanied his father and his uncle in their campaign in Siam.

Nanda Bayin was an active member of the Pegu court dominated by ethnic Mon ministers.

Nanda Bayin's father listened to Nanda's input even if he did not always heed his son's suggestions.

Nanda Bayin took on an increasingly greater role in the last two years of his father's reign when the king's health deteriorated.

Nanda Bayin cremated his father's body in the Buddhist tradition of Cakkavatti in front of the Kanbawzathadi Palace.

Nanda Bayin appointed his eldest son Mingyi Swa his heir-apparent.

Nanda Bayin had inherited what was "probably the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia" and what the Portuguese regarded as "the most powerful monarchy in Asia except that of China".

Nanda Bayin spent the first months of his reign reaffirming the loyalty of the vassal rulers to him.

Between 1584 and 1593, Nanda Bayin manically launched five invasions of Siam, all of which failed.

Thado Minsaw was a half-uncle of Nanda Bayin, and was married to Nanda Bayin's only full sister.

Nanda Bayin's intention was not to seek Nanda's imperial throne but to rule Upper Burma independently.

At Pegu, Nanda Bayin was particularly concerned that Ava had the support of the Shan states.

Nanda Bayin's ministers warned that a failure to recapture Siam would trigger domino-like rebellions elsewhere in the empire.

Nanda Bayin tried to replace the vassals with his loyalists at every opportunity.

Nanda Bayin spent the next year and a half consolidating his rule over the remaining empire.

Nanda Bayin had raised the largest force yet, 30,000 men.

The remaining army arrived back in such disarray that Nanda Bayin verbally disparaged Mingyi Swa and executed some of the top generals.

Nanda Bayin belatedly tried to retrench from his ambitions but it was too late.

Nanda Bayin immediately set out to tighten his grip on Lower Burma, branding men to facilitate identification, executing deserters, and forcing monks into the army.

Nanda Bayin was forced to intervene, officially releasing the conscripted men and seized property.

Nanda Bayin responded to the revolt by sending an 8,000-strong army led by Minye Thihathu II and Thiri Dhammathawka.

Nanda Bayin was caught totally flatfooted; he had not expected an invasion by Siam.

Nanda Bayin had held onto Lan Xang thus far only because his vassals were themselves weak.

In 1591, Nanda Bayin placed a 20-year-old Nokeo Koumane, a son of King Setthathirath who grew up in Pegu, on the throne, hoping for a pliant ruler.

Nanda Bayin's anointed 12-year-old successor Vorawongsa, and his father Vorapita traveled to Pegu to gain permission to rule.

Nanda Bayin agreed to the request but asked Vorapita to be the regent.

Nanda Bayin kept the dowager queen with her attendants at the palace.

Nanda Bayin by all accounts was an energetic monarch, who from his youth upward, had served in the armed forces and still led them in person.

Nanda Bayin's mistake was to hold on to this empire without an administrative system, and without the support of the vassal rulers.

Nanda Bayin's failures showed several following generations of Burmese monarchs about the perils of over-extension, and the need to establish a more centralized administration in place of hereditary chieftainships.

Nanda Bayin had five principal queens, all of whom were his first cousins.

Nanda Bayin had seven children by the chief queen and one daughter by one principal queen.