Battle of Ngasaunggyan

The Battle of Ngasaunggyan (Chinese: 牙嵩延之戰) was fought in 1277 between the Yuan dynasty of China and the Pagan Kingdom of Burma led by Narathihapate. The battle was initiated by Narathihapate, who invaded Yunnan, a province of the Yuan dynasty. Yuan defenders soundly defeated the Pagan forces.

Battle of Ngasaunggyan
Part of Mongol invasion of Burma
Date1277
Location
Yunnan
Result Yuan victory
Belligerents
Pagan Empire Yuan dynasty
Commanders and leaders
Narathihapate Khudu[1]
Strength
80,000 plus more than 120 war elephants[2] 6,000–12,000 cavalry
Casualties and losses
Heavy Unknown

Hostility between the two empires had already been established by that time: when Kublai Khan had sent emissaries to regional powers of eastern Asia to demand tribute, Narathihapate refused the khan's representatives the first time they visited (in 1271), and they were killed by bandits in 1273. When Kublai Khan did not immediately respond to this insult, Narathihapate gained confidence that Yuan forces would not fight him. He subsequently invaded the state of Kaungai, whose chief had recently pledged fealty to Kublai Khan. Local garrisons of Yuan troops were ordered to defend the area, and although outnumbered were able to soundly defeat the Pagan forces in battle and press into the Pagan territory of Bhamo. The presence of war elephants initially caused Yuan horses to shy in terror, but the Yuan general Khudu (Qutuq) ordered his men to shower the elephants with arrows. The wounded elephants stampeded and destroyed everything in their path. In the end, Yuan troops abandoned their offensive and returned to Yunnan with their wounded general Khudu.

The Battle of Ngassaunggyan was the first of three decisive battles between the two empires, the others being the Battle of Bhamo in 1283 and the Battle of Pagan in 1287. By the end of these battles, the Yuan dynasty had conquered the entire Pagan Kingdom and installed a puppet government.

In the end of 1277, Yunnan governor's son Naser ad-Din attacked Bhamo again and tried to establish a postal system. However, deadly heat forced him to leave Burma. He returned to Khanbaliq with 12 elephants and gave them to Kublai Khan in 1279.[2][3]

The battle was later reported back to Europe by Marco Polo, who described the battle vividly in his reports. His description was presumably pieced together by accounts he heard while visiting the court of Kublai Khan.

References
  1. d'Ohsson, Constantin Mouradgea (1940) [1834-35], Histoire des Mongols, depuis Tchinguiz-Khan jusqu'a Timour Bey, ou Tamerlan, Amsterdam: Les Freres Van Cleef
  2. Man, John (2012), Kublai Khan : from Xanadu to superpower, London: Transworld, ISBN 9781446486153
  3. "Монгол-Татарууд, Ази Европд: Ulan Bator, 1984". Archived from the original on 2014-03-20. Retrieved 2014-03-19.

Further reading
  • Hall, D.G.E. (1960). Burma. Hutchinson & Co.: London. Third edition.

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