Bawlawkyantaw

Bawlawkyantaw ဘောလောကျန်းထော
Heir Presumptive of Hanthawaddy
Reign	1383 – 1390
Predecessor	Bawnganmon
Successor	Binnya Dhammaraza
Born	c. December 1383 Pegu (Bago), Hanthawaddy Kingdom
Died	c. April 1390 Pegu, Hanthawaddy Kingdom
Father	Razadarit
Mother	Talamidaw
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

Bawlawkyantaw (Burmese: ဘောလောကျန်းထော, [bɔ́lɔ́ tɕáɴtʰɔ́]; c. 1383 – 1390) was the eldest son and first child of King Razadarit of Hanthawaddy Pegu. The prince is best known for his famous oath before his execution on the orders of his father that he shall be reborn to fight against his father if he were innocent. The people of Hanthawaddy and the people of rival Kingdom of Ava widely believed that Prince Minye Kyawswa of Ava was the reincarnation of Bawlawkyantaw, fulfilling the prophecy of the oath.

Razadarit ordered the execution of his own son at a young age because he was afraid that the young prince would later raise a rebellion against him. Razadarit had driven the prince's mother Queen Talamidaw to commit suicide, and feared that the young prince would one day avenge for his mother's death. Razadarit, who was never his father's favorite, himself had raised a rebellion against his own father, King Binnya U when he was only 15. Razadarit was in Bassein (Pathein) when he ordered the execution of his son, who was in Pegu (Bago).^[1] It was c. April 1390.^{[note 1]} The king's executioners took Bawlawkyantaw to the Shwemawdaw Pagoda. The young prince was imprisoned for three days at the pagoda during which he was said to have reread the Abhidhamma (part of Buddhist scriptures).^[2]

According to Mon and Burmese chronicles, on the day of his execution, the young prince swore an oath that would enter into Burmese history:

I do not plot against my father. Neither is there any fault in me. My father and mother played together as children. When she grew to womanhood, he took her beauty and then cast her away. She was a king's daughter, but he drove her away like a slave and drove her to her evil death. If I am guilty of treason by thought, word or deed, may I suffer in the fires of the nether regions for a thousand cycle times. If I am innocent, may I be reborn in the dynasty of Ava kings, and may I become the scourge of Hanthawaddy Kingdom.^{[2][3][note 2]}

Razadarit was greatly disturbed when he heard of the terrible oath. In the superstitious world of Burmese politics, he was alarmed when the chief wife of Prince Minkhaung of Ava fetched to eat various foods from Lower Burma before she became pregnant. She gave birth to Minye Kyawswa a year after Bawlawkyantaw's death. Indeed, Minye Kyawswa would later grow up to be Razadarit's nemesis.^[2]

Notes

1. According to the main Burmese chronicles Maha Yazawin (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 299) and Hmannan Yazawin (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 427), the prince was executed in 751 ME (28 March 1389 to 28 March 1390). But Razadarit Ayedawbon (Pan Hla 2005: 195) and Yazawin Thit (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 429) give 752 ME (29 March 1390 to 28 March 1391). Since Minye Kyawswa was born in 752 ME, it means Bawlawkyantaw died in early 752 ME (c. April 1390).
2. Standard chronicles (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 299) and (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 427) say the prince wished to destroy the kingdom of Mons. Razadarit Ayedawbon (Pan Hla 2005: 195) says the prince swore to fight his father (not the kingdom of Mons).

References

1. Phayre 1873: 47–55
2. Harvey 1925: 111–116
3. Htin Aung 1967: 88–93

Bibliography

• Harvey, G. E. (1925). History of Burma: From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd.
• Htin Aung, Maung (1967). A History of Burma. New York and London: Cambridge University Press.
• Pan Hla, Nai (1968). Razadarit Ayedawbon (in Burmese) (8th printing, 2005 ed.). Yangon: Armanthit Sarpay.
• Phayre, Major Gen. Sir Arthur Purves (1873). "The History of Pegu". Journal of Asiatic Society of Bengal. Oxford University. 42: 47–55.
• Royal Historical Commission of Burma (1832). Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). 1–3 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.