Min Pale of Paukmyaing

Min Pale (Burmese: မင်းပုလဲ, pronounced [mɪ́ɴ pəlɛ́]; c. 1330 – c. 1402) was governor of Paukmyaing in the Kingdom of Ava in the late 14th century. He was a grandson of King Uzana I of Pinya, and was one of the four top commanders of King Swa Saw Ke of Ava. He was the paternal grandfather of King Mohnyin Thado. All the kings of the Konbaung Dynasty claimed descent from him.

Min Pale of Paukmyaing ပေါက်မြိုင် မင်းပုလဲ
Governor of Paukmyaing
Reign	c. 1347 – c. 1402
Successor	Sithu
King	Kyawswa I of Pinya Kyawswa II of Pinya Narathu of Pinya Uzana II of Pinya Swa Saw Ke Tarabya Minkhaung I
Born	c. 1330
Died	c. 1402
Spouse	Shwe Einthe of Pinya
Issue	Saw Diga of Mye-Ne
House	Pinya
Father	Yandathu I of Lanbu
Mother	Mway Medaw of Lanbu
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

Brief

According to the 18th century Alaungpaya Ayedawbon chronicle, Min Pale's father Yandathu was descended from kings Naratheinkha and Sithu II of Pagan Dynasty while his mother Mway Medaw was a daughter of King Uzana I of Pinya.[1] The 19th century Hmannan Yazawin chronicle identifies his personal name as Nga Shwe.[2][3] He had at least one younger sister named Saw Khit Ke.[4] Pale was married to Shwe Einthe, daughter of King Kyawswa I of Pinya (r. 1344–50).[note 1] The couple had at least one son, Saw Diga.[1]

Kyawswa I appointed his son-in-law governor of Paukmyaing, a small town in modern Kyaukse Township.[5] He was reappointed at the position at the accession ceremony of King Swa Saw Ke.[6] Pale rose to become one of the four highest ranking generals[note 2] in the Royal Army although his ascent to the top echelon came late in his life. He was first mentioned as a commander only in 1390.[7]

Pale most probably had died by 1402 when King Minkhaung I appointed Sithu as the new governor of Paukmyaing.[8] He was the paternal grandfather of King Mohnyin Thado (r. 1426–39). King Alaungpaya, the founder of Konbaung Dynasty, claimed descent from him.[1]

Military service

The following is his military service as a commander.

Campaign	Duration	Troops commanded	Notes
Forty Years' War	1390–91	1 regiment	Commanded a regiment in the Second Army (12,000 men in 12 regiments)[7]
Mohnyin–Ava War	1392–93	1 regiment	Commander of armored infantry corps[9]

Ancestry

The governor was descended ultimately from the Pagan royalty.[1]

Ancestry of Governor-General Min Pale
8. Min Pe Gyi 4. Min Pe Nge of Myittha 9. Pwa Gyi of Pagan 2. Yandathu of Lanbu 10. Yanda Pyissi 5. Khin Hpone 11. (unnamed) 1. Pale 12. Kyawswa of Pagan 6. Uzana I of Pinya 13. Mi Saw U 3. Mway Medaw of Lanbu 14. Kyawswa of Pagan 7. Atula Maha Dhamma Dewi of Pinya 15. Saw Soe of Pagan

Notes

1. Hmannan (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 380) gratuitously states that Shwe Einthe married late because her face was full of scars from chickenpox, and that her parents were resigned her to be single until Min Pale came along.
2. (MSK Vol. 13 1973: 134–135) and (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 435): The other three top generals were Thilawa of Yamethin, Theinkhathu Saw Hnaung and Tuyin of Inyi.

References

1. AA 1961: 12
2. Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 380, 435
3. Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 205, in-line commentary by the editors, confirming that Nga Shwe was Min Pale.
4. Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 82
5. Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 382
6. Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 405
7. Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 430
8. Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 443
9. Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 432–433

Bibliography

• Letwe Nawrahta & Twinthin Taikwun (c. 1770). Hla Thamein (ed.). Alaungpaya Ayedawbon (in Burmese) (1961 ed.). Ministry of Culture, Union of Burma.
• Maha Sithu (1798). Myint Swe; Kyaw Win; Thein Hlaing (eds.). Yazawin Thit (in Burmese). 1–3 (2012, 2nd printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
• Royal Historical Commission of Burma (1832). Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). 1–3 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.