The military strength figures in this article have been reduced by an order of magnitude from those reported in the chronicles, following G.E. Harvey's and Victor Lieberman's analyses of Burmese chronicles' military strength figures in general.[note 3]
October–December 1414
Battle of Khebaung (October 1414)
For the Battle of Khebaung in October 1414 in the western theater, the Ava force was commanded by Crown Prince Minye Kyawswa, accompanied by Nawrahta of Salin, Thray Sithu of Myinsaing, Yazathingyan of Sagaing, and Min Nyo of Kale. His army of eight regiments (8000 troops, with 200 or 600 cavalry and 40 or 80 elephants,[note 4] was accompanied by a navy of six flotillas, consisting of a dozen or more warships, 500 war boats, more than 500 armored war boats, and 500 cargo boats, carrying around 13,000 troops in total.[note 5] The Pegu force was commanded by Smin Ye-Thin-Yan, who was killed in the battle.[1][2][3]
The name of the battle of Panko, which occurred in October or November, is mentioned only in the Razadarit and Yazawin Thit.[5][6] The Maha Yazawin only cursorily mentions that Smin Bayan was captured in battle but does not say in which battle.[1] The Hmannan describes the battle as part of Minye Kyawswa's southern drive but does not mention the name of the location.[7] The Ava army was commanded by Minye Kyawswa, and the navy by Nawrahta of Salin;[6][7] the Pegu navy was led by Smin Bayan, who surrendered, and its army by Prince Binnya Dhammaraza.[2][7][8]
Sieges of Bassein and Myaungmya (October/November–December 1414)
At the first battles of Bassein and Myaungmya (October/November 1414), the Ava army was again led by Minye Kyawswa;[1][11][12] the Pegu defences at Bassein and Myaungmya, which included their own naval flotillas, were led by Dein Mani-Yut and Smin Saw Htut respectively.[1][11][12]
The second battles began after Minye Kyawswa returned from Ava, which took 22 days in total.[note 8] The Ava forces, consisting of three regiments, were commanded by Nawrahta of Salin and Thiri Pyanchi;[11][13] the Pegu defence at Myaungmya retained Smin Saw Htut, but at Bassein Smin Maw-Khwin II was in charge.[note 9]
Prince Thihathu attempted to invade down the eastern side of the Irrawaddy and Hlaing rivers through Hsabaga,[6][7] which was the eastern border demarcation point per the 1403 Treaty of Prome.[15][16][17] At the Battle of Hsabaga (October 1414), Thihathu's army included troops from Hpaunghnin, Mindon (whose lord was killed), Nattaung (whose lord surrendered), and Ahlwe, in addition to his own Ava troops. The chronicles mention only the commanders but do not mention the strength of the second army.[6][7] The Pegu army and navy was led by Prince Binnya Bassein, aided by Upakaung Minhla Kyawkhaung and Lauk Na-Re.[6][7]
According to the main chronicles, the siege of Dala began after Minye Kyawswa returned from Ava, which took 22 days in total.[note 8] By then, Razadarit had already moved to Martaban (Mottama) since the first half of November from Pegu.[11] The siege of Dala lasted until 2 March 1415.[18] Minye Kyawswa's force included Nanda Thuriya of Sale (né Sittuyingathu) and Nanda Kyawthu of Kinda (né Letwe Nanda Yawda),[1][11][12] and was joined after December by Nawrahta of Salin.[11][13]
All the main chronicles as well as the Razadarit Ayedawbon chronicle say Minye Kyawswa laid siege to Dala, defended by Prince Binnya Dala. However, the Pak Lat chronicle says Minye Kyawswa laid siege to the capital Pegu, which was defended by Prince Binnya Kyan,[19] the title later worn by Binnya Dala, who was accompanied at the siege by Smin Awa Naing, Smin Sithu, Smin Sam Lek II, Smin Paik-Nye, and Maha Thamun,[1][11][12] in addition to regiments from Dagon and Syriam.[20]
At the Siege of Fort Sayat, which took place in the east between January and March 1415, the Ava forces of 1000 troops, 50 cavalry, and 5 elephants were led by Thihathu, Thado of Mohnyin, and Tuyin Kyaw.[32][18][33] The Pegu army, of around 500 troops, 30 cavalry, and 5 elephants, was led by Smin Byattaba.[note 25]
^See (Pan Hla 2005: 291–317) for this phase of the war. See (Pan Hla 2005: 310) for the order of battle for Dala.
^See (Harvey 1925: 333–335)'s "Numerical Note". (Lieberman 2014: 98) writing on the First Toungoo period concurs: "Military mobilizations were probably more of a boast than a realistic estimate. Modern industrial states have difficulty placing 10% of their people under arms."
Maha Yazawin: 6 flotillas (130,000 troops, 12 large war boats, 500 war boats, 800 ironclad war boats, 500 cargo boats)[1]
Yazawin Thit: 130,000 troops, 12 large war boats, 500 war boats, 500 ironclad war boats, 500 cargo boats[2]
Hmannan Yazawin: 130,000 troops, 18 large war boats, 500 war boats, 800 ironclad war boats, 500 cargo boats[3]
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstUnless otherwise stated, the military mobilization figures in this article are reduced by an order of magnitude from those reported in the royal chronicles, per G.E. Harvey's analysis in his History of Burma (1925) in the section Numerical Note (pp. 333–335).
^Bassein and Myaungmya defenses included their own naval flotillas.[1][11][12]
^ abMinye Kyawswa sailed up to Ava to present Smin Bayan and other key prisoners of war (11 days), spent 7 days at the capital, and returned to the south (4 nights, 5 days).[1][11][12]
^After Dein Mani-Yut was recalled to Pegu in November, his command at Bassein was taken over by a commander titled Smin Maw-Khwin.[11][13] This Smin Maw-Khwin apparently had succeeded the previous Smin Maw-Khwin who was captured near Toungoo in October.[1][6][14]
^After Dein Mani-Yut was recalled to Pegu in November, his command at Bassein was taken over by a commander titled Smin Maw-Khwin.[11][13] This Smin Maw-Khwin apparently had succeeded the previous Smin Maw-Khwin who was captured near Toungoo in October.[1][6][14]
^Chronicles mention only the commanders but do not mention the strength of the second army.[6][7]
Per the chronicles Maha Yazawin, Yazawin Thit, and Hmannan, the Hanthawaddy army fielded six regiments out of the seven regiments, with Binnya Dala's regiment posted outside Dala.[27][28][29]
The Razadarit Ayedawbon gives seven regiments led by Binnya Dhammaraza, Binnya Ran, Binnya Dala, Dein Mani-Yut, Maha Thamun, Smin Awa Naing and Razadarit.[30]
The Pak Lat gives six regiments led by Binnya Kyan, Binnya Ran, Dein Mani-Yut, Maha Thamun, Smin Awa Naing and Razadarit.[30]
Harvey, G. E. (1925). History of Burma: From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd.
Kala, U (2006) [1724]. Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
Lieberman, Victor B. (2014) [1984]. Burmese Administrative Cycles: Anarchy and Conquest, c. 1580–1760. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-05407-0.
