Orders of battle for the Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1412–1414)

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Ava forces fought Hanthawaddy and its northern allies Hsenwi, Maw and Ming China between 1412 and 1414.

This is a list of orders of battle for the 1412–1414 campaigns of the Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1408–1418). The list includes Ava's campaigns against Hanthawaddy's northern allies, Hsenwi (Theinni) and Maw (Mong Mao) as well as their overlord, Ming China.[note 1]

Background[edit]

Sources[edit]

The orders of battles for Ava in this article are sourced from the main royal chronicles—the Maha Yazawin, the Yazawin Thit and the Hmannan Yazawin, which primarily narrate the war from the Ava side.[note 1] The orders of battle for Hanthawaddy Pegu are mainly sourced from Nai Pan Hla's version of the Razadarit Ayedawbon, which has incorporated narratives of the Pak Lat Chronicles.[note 2]

Adjustment of strength figures[edit]

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]

Ava–Hsenwi and Ming China (1412)[edit]

Battle of Wetwin (c. April 1412)[edit]

Hsenwi[edit]

Hsenwi Order of Battle, c. April 1412
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Hsenwi Army Sawbwa of Hsenwi  ? [note 5]
Including...
son of the sawbwa
son-in-law of the sawbwa

Ava[edit]

Ava Order of Battle, c. April 1412
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Royal Ava Armed Forces Crown Prince Minye Kyawswa 7 regiments (7000 troops, 400 cavalry, 20 elephants) [note 6]
Pakhan Regiment Tarabya I of Pakhan
Amyint Regiment Yazathingyan of Amyint
Yamethin Regiment Sithu of Yamethin
Kale Regiment Min Nyo of Kale
Mohnyin Regiment Thado of Mohnyin
Singu Regiment Baya Gamani of Singu
Ava Regiment Minye Kyawswa

Siege of Hsenwi (c. May–November 1412)[edit]

The siege lasted six months.[9] Ming Chinese forces tried to lift the siege in the fifth month.[1][2][3]

Ava[edit]

Ava Order of Battle, 1412
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Ava Expeditionary Force Crown Prince Minye Kyawswa 7 regiments, approximately (7000 troops, 400 cavalry, 20 elephants) [note 6]
Pakhan Regiment Tarabya I of Pakhan
Amyint Regiment Yazathingyan of Amyint
Yamethin Regiment Sithu of Yamethin
Kale Regiment Min Nyo of Kale
Mohnyin Regiment Thado of Mohnyin
Singu Regiment Baya Gamani of Singu
Ava Regiment Minye Kyawswa

Hsenwi[edit]

Hsenwi Order of Battle, 1412
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Hsenwi Army son of the deceased sawbwa ? [1][2][3]

Battle of Singandaw (c. October 1412)[edit]

The Chinese attempt to lift the siege came about five months into the siege. After the Chinese forces were driven back, the siege continued until Hanthawaddy forces attacked Prome.[1][2][3]

Ming Chinese[edit]

Ming Order of Battle, c. October 1412
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Yunnan Expeditionary Force ? 20,000 troops, 2000 cavalry [note 7]

Ava[edit]

Ava Order of Battle, c. October 1412
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
1st Division Minye Kyawswa 3 regiments (4000 troops, 300 cavalry, 20 elephants) [note 8]
Left Regiment
Right Regiment
Central Regiment

Hanthawaddy invasion of Ava (1412–1413)[edit]

Razadarit launched the invasion c. 8 November 1412.[note 9]

Siege of Prome (November 1412)[edit]

Hanthawaddy Pegu[edit]

Pegu Order of Battle, November 1412
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Royal Hanthawaddy Armed Forces King Razadarit 8 regiments (12,000 troops, 800 cavalry, 30 elephants), 12 flotillas [note 10]
Army Binnya Bassein 8 regiments
Navy 12 flotillas

Ava[edit]

Ava Order of Battle, November 1412
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Prome Regiment Letya Pyanchi of Prome [1][2][3]

Siege of Prome (December 1412)[edit]

About one month into the siege, Razadarit took the majority of the invasion force and went to Ye in the southern Martaban province where Siamese forces reportedly had attacked. He left an over 4000-strong army to maintain the siege. Meanwhile, Ava forces led by Minkhaung came down to lift the siege.[1][3][11]

Hanthawaddy Pegu[edit]

Pegu Order of Battle, December 1412
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Siege Army
4,000+ troops, 400 cavalry, 10 elephants [note 11]
1st Regiment Smin Than-Kye
2nd Regiment Smin Upakaung
3rd Regiment Smin Sam Lek
4th Regiment Smin Lauk Na-Re
5th Regiment Smin Lauk Shein
6th Regiment Smin Lauk Pin
7th Regiment Smin Saw Kan-Khet
8th Regiment Smin Udein

Ava[edit]

Ava Order of Battle, December 1412
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Royal Main Army King Minkhaung I 7 regiments (7000+ troops, 400+ cavalry, 40 elephants) [note 12]
? Regiment Min Maha
Myedu Regiment Lord of Myedu
Salin Regiment Nawrahta of Salin
Talok Regiment Yazathu of Talok
Nyaungyan Regiment Baya Kyawthu of Nyaungyan
Taungdwin Regiment Thihapate III of Taungdwin
Royal Regiment Minkhaung I

Siege of Talezi (December 1412–March 1413)[edit]

The siege of the Hanthawaddy fort at Talezi (opposite the river from Prome) lasted "about four months",[13][14] into March 1413.[note 13]

Ava[edit]

This was the expeditionary force that returned from Hsenwi. Only Tarabya's name is specifically mentioned in the battle.[15][16]

Ava Order of Battle, December 1413
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Ava Expeditionary Force Crown Prince Minye Kyawswa 6000 troops, 40 war boats, 800 transport boats [9]
Including...
Tarabya I of Pakhan

Hanthawaddy Pegu[edit]

Pegu Order of Battle, December 1413
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Siege Army
4,000+ troops, 400 cavalry, 10 elephants [note 11]
1st Regiment Smin Than-Kye
2nd Regiment Smin Upakaung
3rd Regiment Smin Sam Lek
4th Regiment Smin Lauk Na-Re
5th Regiment Smin Lauk Shein
6th Regiment Smin Lauk Pin
7th Regiment Smin Saw Kan-Khet
8th Regiment Smin Udein

Battle of Talezi (March 1413)[edit]

Razadarit sent in a reconstituted land-naval force to retake Talezi in March 1413.[14] A naval battle took place in the Irrawaddy, south of Talezi.[17]

Hanthawaddy[edit]

Pegu Order of Battle, March 1413
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Navy Lagun Ein 
Smin Awa Naing (Deputy)
170 war boats, 80 transport boats [note 14]
1st Squadron Lagun Ein  300 troops
2nd Squadron Smin Awa Naing
3rd Squadron Smin Than-Byat
Army Smin Bayan Upakaung 10,000 troops, 2000 cavalry, 100 elephants [note 15]
Including...
Binnya Bo
Smin Bya Paik (Bya-Hta-Baik)
Smin Sam Lek
Smin E-Ba-Ye 
Nyi-Kaung-Thein 

Ava[edit]

Ava Order of Battle, March 1413
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Ava Expeditionary Force Minye Kyawswa [23][20]
Navy
1st Squadron Sokkate
2nd Squadron Thray Sithu of Myinsaing
3rd Squadron Uzana
4th Squadron Sittuyingathu

Ava invasion of Hanthawaddy (1413)[edit]

Ava forces invaded Hanthawaddy in April–May 1413.[note 16]

Ava[edit]

Ava Order of Battle, April–May 1413
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Vanguard Army Minye Kyawswa [note 17]
Including...
Prome Regiment Letya Pyanchi of Prome 
Pakhan Regiment Tarabya I of Pakhan
Myedu Regiment Lord of Myedu
Royal Main Army Minkhaung I

Hanthawaddy Pegu[edit]

Pegu Order of Battle, April–May 1413
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Western Command Dein Mani-Yut [note 18]
Bassein Regiment
Myaungmya Regiment ?
Khebaung Regiment
Southern Central Command Smin Awa Naing
Dala Regiment
Dagon Regiment
Syriam Regiment
Capital Region Command Razadarit [note 19]
Including...
Hmawbi Regiment
Hpaunglin Regiment Smin Bayan Upakaung
Za-ywe-ohn Regiment Smin Paik-Nye 400+ troops, 1 elephant
1st Pegu Regiment Binnya Kyan 500 troops, 10 elephants
2nd Pegu Regiment Binnya Dhammaraza 300 troops, 10 elephants
3rd Pegu Regiment Binnya Bassein 300 troops, 10 elephants

Ava–Maw (1413–1414)[edit]

Chronicles have just one major battle, at Myedu. The battle probably took place in late 1413 (or early 1414).[note 20]

Battle of Myedu[edit]

Ava[edit]

Ava Order of Battle, c. November 1413
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Ava Army Minye Kyawswa 11 regiments (8000 troops, 400 cavalry, 30 elephants) [note 21]

Maw[edit]

Maw Order of Battle, c. November 1413
Unit Commander Strength[note 4] Reference(s)
Maw Army [note 22]
Mawdon Regiment
Mawke Regiment

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b See (Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 31–34), (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 239–247), and (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 8–21).
  2. ^ See (Pan Hla 2005: 276–286).
  3. ^ 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."
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Unless 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).
  5. ^ Chronicles do not provide Hsenwi's overall strength; they only report that Ava forces captured 800 troops, 200 horses and 6 elephants, and over 3000 Hsenwi troops were killed.[1][2][3]
  6. ^ a b Chronicles report as follows:
    • Maha Yazawin and Hmannan: 7 regiments (70,000 troops, 4000 cavalry, 200 elephants)[4][5]
    • Yazawin Thit does not provide a specific list except that Thado and Nyo were commanders in the force.[2]
    • Maha Yazawin and Hmannan both say that Tarabya of Pagan was a commander.[4][5] This is a typographical error. First, Hmannan calls him the "Lord of Pakhan" at the battle of Talezi, in early 1413.[6] Second, by their own account, both chronicles say Tarabya became governor of Pagan only after the campaign in 1413.[7][8]
  7. ^ The main Burmese chronicles report the Chinese army's strength as 200,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalry.[1][2][3]
  8. ^ The main Burmese chronicles report that Minye Kyawswa took 40,000 troops, 3000 cavalry and 200 elephants to face the Chinese while the rest remained in charge of the siege.[1][2][3]
  9. ^ The Razadarit Ayedawbon gives the 5th waxing of Nadaw 770 ME [sic] as the start of the Prome campaign.[10] However, the 770 ME is a typographical error since the main chronicles say the campaign took place in 774 ME. This means the invasion date was probably the 5th waxing of Nadaw 774 ME (8 November 1412).
  10. ^
    • The main chronicles report the Hanthawaddy strength as: 8 regiments (120,000 troops, 8000 cavalry, 300 elephants) for the army, and 12 naval flotillas for the navy.[1][2][3]
    • The Razadarit does not provide any overall strength figures for the army or the navy. It does say that a portion of the invasion forces (40,000 troops, 400 cavalry, 50 elephants) was left behind to continue the siege.[11]
  11. ^ a b Chronicles report the strength of the remaining siege army as follows:
    • Maha Yazawin: 50,000 troops, 400 cavalry, 200 elephants[1]
    • Yazawin Thit: 5,000 (not 50,000) troops, 4000 cavalry, 100 elephants[2]
    • Hmannan': 50,000 troops, 4000 cavalry, 100 elephants[6]
    • Razadarit: 40,000 troops, 400 cavalry, 50 elephants[11]
  12. ^ Chronicles report different figures for the strength of the Ava relief force:
    • Maha Yazawin: 7 regiments (20,000 troops, 6000 cavalry, 400 elephants)[12]
    • Yazawin Thit: 120,000 troops, 4000 cavalry, 400 elephants[2]
    • Hmannan: 7 regiments (120,000 troops, 4000 cavalry, 100 elephants)[6]
    • Razadarit: 7 regiments (70,000 troops, 6000 cavalry, 400 elephants). The Razadarit also provides a list of commanders of the relief force.[9]
  13. ^ Per the Razadarit Ayedawbon, four months into the siege, right before the new year [before 30 March 1413].[14]
  14. ^
    • Razadarit: 2500 boats (1700 war boats, 800 transport boats) for the navy; three squadrons commanded by Lagun Ein, Awa Naing and Than-Byat.[18]
    • Yazawin Thit and Hmannan: 300 troops in Lagun Ein's squadron.[19][20] Awa Naing became the overall commander after Lagun Ein's death.[21][22]
  15. ^
    • Razadarit: 100,000 troops, 20,000 cavalry, 10,000 elephants. Smin Upakaung had become Smin Bayan.[18]
    • Yazawin Thit: In all, over 3000 Hanthawaddy troops, including commanders Nyi-Kaung-Thein and E-Ba-Ye died.[21]
  16. ^ Last battles of the campaigns were fought in Nayon 775 ME (30 April 1413 to 28 May 1413).[24][25]
  17. ^ Chronicles say Minye Kyawswa's army followed the enemy while his father's army followed suit. They do not provide the strengths of the armies or specific commander lists.[26][27] Presumably, the same commanders with similar troop strengths as before.
  18. ^ Chronicles do not provide any specific commanders of the Hanthawaddy Western and Central Commands except to say that Bassein, Myaungmya, Khebaung, Dala, Dagon and Syriam all fell quickly. Only Hpaunglin and Hmawbi remained under Hanthawaddy control.[26][27]
  19. ^ Chronicles report as follows:
    • Binnya Kyan (5000 troops, 100 elephants); Binnya Dhammaraza (3000 troops, 100 elephants); Binnya Bassein (3000 troops, 100 elephants); Smin Paik-Nye of Za-ywe-ohn (400 to 500 troops, one elephant)[24][28]
    • Smin Upakaung was the commander of Hpaunglin.[25][24]
    • Razadarit's headquarters was the Kamabyin fort near Pegu.[25][24]
  20. ^ The battle of Myedu took place after the rainy season of 775 ME,[29][30] meaning sometime between November 1413 and March 1414.
  21. ^ Chronicles give: 11 regiments (80,000 troops, 4000 cavalry, 300 elephants)[7][29][30]
  22. ^ The sawbwas of Mawdon and Mawke were brothers.[7][29][30] The brothers were siblings of the Maw (Mong Mao) ruler Si Xing Fa. One of the brothers may have been Si Ren Fa who became the ruler of Maw after Si Xing Fa's death.[31]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 32
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 239
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 9
  4. ^ a b Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 31
  5. ^ a b Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 8
  6. ^ a b c Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 10
  7. ^ a b c Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 34
  8. ^ Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 20
  9. ^ a b c Pan Hla 2005: 278
  10. ^ Pan Hla 2005: 278, footnote 1
  11. ^ a b c Pan Hla 2005: 277
  12. ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 33
  13. ^ Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 241
  14. ^ a b c Pan Hla 2005: 281
  15. ^ Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 240
  16. ^ Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 11–12
  17. ^ Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 241–242
  18. ^ a b Pan Hla 2005: 284
  19. ^ Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 242
  20. ^ a b Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 13
  21. ^ a b Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 243
  22. ^ Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 14
  23. ^ Pan Hla 2005: 285
  24. ^ a b c d Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 245
  25. ^ a b c Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 16
  26. ^ a b Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 243–244
  27. ^ a b Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 15–16
  28. ^ Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 17
  29. ^ a b c Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 247
  30. ^ a b c Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 21
  31. ^ Fernquest 2006 autumn: 54

Bibliography[edit]

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