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Baya Gamani of Singu

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Baya Gamani
ဘယဂါမဏိ
Governor of Singu
In office
c. December 1427–c. 1450?
Monarchs
Preceded byVacant
Succeeded byMin Phyu of Sagaing
as governor of Sagaing and ten northern towns
Co-Chief Minister of Ava
In office
November 1425 – May 1426
MonarchMin Nyo(1425–1426)
Succeeded byYazathingyan
Governor of Singu
In office
c. 1401– May 1426
Monarchs
Preceded byMin Letwe?[note 1]
Succeeded byVacant
Personal details
Bornc. 1380s
Ava Kingdom
Spouse
Unnamed
​
(divorced)​
Military service
AllegianceAva Kingdom
Branch/serviceRoyal Ava Army
Years of service1401–1440s
RankCommander
Battles/wars

Baya Gamani of Singu(Burmese:စဉ့်ကူး ဘယဂါမဏိ,pronounced[sɪ̰ɰ̃ɡúbəja̯gàmənḭ];also spelledBhayakamani[1]) was a 15th-century court minister androyal army commanderin the service of seven kings ofAvafromMinkhaung ItoNarapati I.He also served two terms as governor ofSingu(c. 1401–1426), and (1427–c. 1450s). He is best remembered inBurmese historyfor his steadfast support of KingKale Kye-Taung Nyoduring the king's embattled 7-month reign (1425–1426). Though subsequently imprisoned by the next kingMohnyin Thado,Gamani was restored to his prior post at Singu in 1427 after his successful defense of theAva(Inwa) capital region. The elder brother of Chief MinisterYazathingyan,Baya Gamani served as a senior minister and commander alongside his more famous brother at least until 1443.

Career[edit]

Loyal vassal of Ava (1401–1425)[edit]

Ruins of Ava (Inwa) today

The first mention of him in theroyal chroniclesisc. early 1401[note 2]when KingMinkhaung IofAvaappointed one Baya Gamani governor ofSingu,a small outpost 100 km north of the capitalAva(Inwa) at the foot of theShan Hills.The king also appointed Gamani's younger middle brother governor ofSiboktarawith the title ofYazathingyan.[2][note 3]The brothers were part of the loyalists installed by the new king who was facing several internal and external challenges to his rule. Starting out as cavalry battalion commanders,[3]the duo quickly rose to become regimental commanders, and participated in several military campaigns, most notably in thedecades-long waragainst the southernHanthawaddy Kingdomuntil 1423.[4]

Ava succession crisis (1425–1426)[edit]

Remains of the outer walls of Ava today

In 1425, the brothers became ensnarled in the succession crisis at the palace. That year, QueenShin Bo-Meengineered the assassinations of kingsThihathu,andMin Hlawithin a three-month span, and placed her lover PrinceNyo of Kaleon the throne in November.[5]Many vassals viewed the couple's power grab as illegitimate, leading one major vassal ruler,SawbwaThadoofMohnyinto formally revolt in February 1426. Gamani, who had previously served under Nyo's command, was one of the few vassals that openly supported the prince. Yazathingyan and their youngest brother, Yan-Lo Kywe, an army commander, also sided with Nyo.[5]

However, Gamani was the only one to stay with Nyo to the end. Even as Thado's forces closed in on Ava in May 1426, and most of the vassals renounced their allegiance to Nyo,[6][7]Gamani and Yazathingyan continued to lead a severely depleted Ava court.[note 4]Gamani advised Nyo to leave Ava forArakan,and return with a larger force. Nyo accepted the recommendation but almost everyone else refused to come along. In the end,c. 15 May 1426,[note 5]under the cover of darkness, only Gamani and his small battalion escorted the usurping couple out of Ava. His two brothers stayed behind and surrendered.[8][9]

Gamani and the royal couple first ventured south by land along theIrrawaddybefore sailing down toSalin.From there, they trekked west. Just a few days later, as they prepared to cross theArakan Hillsat Pe-Lun-Taung, west of present-dayShwesettaw,Nyo suddenly fell ill and died.[7][8]After Nyo's death, Gamani, ignoring Bo-Me's fierce protests, stopped the journey, and waited to be arrested by the pursuing troops. While she became a queen of Thado, Gamani was put in prison.[10][11][12]

Brief imprisonment and return to royal service (1426–1427)[edit]

Baya Gamani stopped Minye Kyawhtin's advance at Tabetswe, located between Ava and Pinle.

Yazathingyan, who became the chief minister of the new king,[13]may have kept his older brother alive but could not keep him out of prison. For the next year and a half, Gamani was imprisoned iniron ankle shackles.His opportunity to escape came in late 1427 when an invasion force led by PrinceMinye Kyawhtin,a claimant to the Ava throne, rapidly advanced towards Ava. The invasion caught the Ava command completely off guard since they had considered their victory over Kyawhtin's rebel army atYenanthaa year earlier to be decisive.[14][15]More ominously, Thado did not have enough troops or experienced commanders to defend the capital region as he had just rushed down most of his forces to the south to meet theHanthawaddyforces that had occupied the southernmost districts ofProme(Pyay). Desperate, the king asked Gamani to take command of a 1000-man regiment to hold the outer perimeter. Gamani agreed, and proved his worth. His regiment defeated Kyawhtin's forces atTabetswe,25 km southeast of Ava, and pushed them back toPinle,about 70 km southeast of Ava.[16][17]

Although the victory was limited—Kyawhtin would hold on to Pinle until 1445[18]—Thado was grateful. The king not only restored Gamani to the governorship of Singu but also allowed him to collect as much gold from the royal gold vault in one scoop with his two hands each day for seven consecutive days.[16][17]With the gold, Gamani built a Buddhistpagodanamed A-Shay-Pyay Neibban in Tabetswe.[16][17]

Later years (1427–c. 1450s)[edit]

Baya Gamani became a loyal vassal of King Thado. Though his career was not as distinguished as his brother Yazathingyan who became chief minister under Thado and two successor kings, Gamani twice participated in unsuccessful expeditions to Pinle under the command of the crown princeMinye Kyawswa(1428–1429 and 1433–1434). When Minye Kyawswa became king, he and Yazathingyan co-led the campaign that recaptured the rebellious southeastern vassal states ofTaungdwinandToungoo(Taungoo) in 1441.[19][20]His last known military service came in 1443 when he was still a minister at the court.[21]As theChinese forces invaded,KingNarapatiappointed his eldest son and crown princeThihathura of Ava,and Baya Gamani as the commanders of the forces to guard the capital while he marched to meet the enemy.[22][23]

It was the last mention of Gamani in the chronicles. He is not mentioned when King Narapati appointed his son-in-lawMin Phyugovernor ofSagaingand the ten northern towns,[24][25]which likely included Singu, in 1450 (or 1460).[note 6]In contrast, chronicles do mention his brother who was also affected by the Min Phyu appointment: the king reappointed Yazathingyan, the previous governor of Sagaing, toAmyint.[24][25]

Personal life[edit]

Baya Gamani is also remembered for his magnanimous treatment of his unfaithful wife. According to the chroniclesYazawin ThitandHmannan Yazawin,one day Gamani got home from a military expedition earlier than originally planned, and caught his wife and her lover in the bedroom. Furious, he reached for his sword but ultimately decided not to do anything in the heat of the moment. He turned back, and went on to join another military mission. After the second mission, apparently with a cooler head, he not only gave his wife an amicable divorce but also married her with her lover, and gave the couple part of his estate. His self-restraint and magnanimity towards the couple became part of the lore, passed down by successive chroniclers.[26][27]

Military service[edit]

The following is a list of military campaigns in which his name is explicitly mentioned as a commander in the chronicles. Although he likely participated in the other campaigns against Hanthawaddy, and against the Chinese incursions, chronicles do not provide specific commander lists for those campaigns.

Campaign Duration Troops commanded Notes
Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1401–1403) 1401–02 300 cavalry Co-led (with his brother Yazathingyan) the Ava counterattack nearPagan(Bagan) with the cavalry in 1402.[3]Defended Hlaing, a small stockade near Prome[28]
Conquest of Arakan 1406 1 regiment Commanded a regiment under the command ofThadoand Crown PrinceMinye Kyawswa[29]
Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1408–1408) 1408 1 regiment Commanded one of the four regiments that guarded the capitalAvaduring Minkhaung's invasion of Hanthawaddy[30][31]
Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1408–1408)(Hsenwi campaign) 1412 1 regiment Commanded a regiment inMinye Kyawswa's 7000-strong army in the Hsenwi campaign[32]
Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1422–1423) 1422–23 1 regiment Commanded a regiment in the second invasion army led by PrinceNyo of Kale[4]
Ava civil wars
Mohnyin rebellion 		1425–26 1 battalion Led the battalion that escorted KingNyoand QueenShin Bo-Meout of Ava and on their way to Arakan[33]
Ava civil wars
Battle of Tabetswe 		1427–28 1 regiment Freed from prison, led the Ava force and drove backMinye Kyawhtin's Onbaung forces fromTabetswe[16][17]
Ava civil wars
Battle of Pinle 		1428–29 ? Continuation of the Onbaung war. Part of a small force (1500 troops, 300 cavalry, 20 elephants) that attackedPinle,Prince Minye Kyawhtin's stronghold. Fought against a rival commander atop respective war elephants; killed the enemy commander. But the force could not take the fortified town, and retreated after three months of siege.[34]
Ava civil wars
Battles of Pinle, Yamethin and Taungdwin 		1433–34 ? Part of a small army (5000 troops, 300 cavalry, 12 elephants) that attacked Taungdwin and Toungoo. Went to the front with his two younger brothers Yazathingyan and Yan-Lo Kywe[35]
Ava civil wars
Battles of Taungdwin and Toungoo 		1440–41 ? Co-commanded (along with Yazathingyan) units of the main army (7000 troops, 400 cavalry, 20 elephants) that took Taungdwin and Toungoo[19]
Chinese invasions 1443 1 regiment Guarded the capital along with Crown PrinceThihathurawhile KingNarapati I of Avawent to the Mandalay Hill fort with the main army.[22][23]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^All three main chronicles (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 334), (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 229) and (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 476) mistakenly report that Min Letwe was governor of Singu in 1408 even they have previously reported that Gamani became governor of Singu soon after Minkhaung's accession. In the subsequent pages, Gamani was still governor of Singu.
  2. ^TheMaha Yazawinchronicle (1724) (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 308) says King Minkhaung appointed Baya Gamani governor of Singu in 764 ME (30 March 1402–29 March 1403), a year after his accession. TheYazawin Thitchronicle (1798) (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 212) says Minkhaung made the appointment soon after his accession in 762 ME (29 March 1400–28 March 1401). TheHmannan Yazawinchronicle (1832) (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 443) follows theMaha Yazawin'snarrative. According to the inscriptional evidence, per (Than Tun 1959: 128), Minkhaung became king on 25 November 1400, which agrees with theYazawin Thit'saccession date of 762 ME (1400/01). This means the appointment probably took place in late 1400 or early 1401.
  3. ^(Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 276): They had a much younger brother, who later became a royal army commander with the nickname of "Yan-Lo Kywe" (ရန်လိုကျွဲ; lit. "Belligerent Buffalo" ) in the mid-1420s.
  4. ^All the main three chronicles—(Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 61) (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 272), and (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 60)—name Baya Gamani and Yazathingyan as the senior ministers of the court, with Gamani's name coming first. However, (Aung-Thwin 2017: 85) considers Yazathingyan to be more senior, "first in line was Yazathingyan, minister to the previous king", while calling Baya Gamani "one of the ministers".
  5. ^(Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 272): Thado entered the Ava palace on Thursday, the 10th wa xing of Nayon 788 ME (16 May 1426); this means Nyo and Bo-Me had left at least a day earlier.
  6. ^Various chronicles report different dates of the Min Phyu appointment; theHmannan Yazawinchronicle alone gives two dates, a decade a part, in two different sections. (Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 84) (1724) states that Narapati appointed Min Phyu as governor of Sagaing, and Yazathingyan as governor of Amyint in 822 ME (1460/61). (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 290) (1798) corrects the year to 812 ME (1450/51). (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 89) (1832) accepts 812 ME and adds that the appointment took place in or soon after Waso 812 ME (June/July 1450). However, a few pages later (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 95) retains theMaha Yazawinaccount that the appointment took place in 822 ME (1460/61).
    (Aung-Thwin 2017: 97) simply follows theMaha Yazawin'saccount, and does not mention later chronicles' accounts.

References[edit]

  1. ^Aung-Thwin 2017: 82, 85
  2. ^Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 443
  3. ^abHmannan Vol. 1 2003: 455–456
  4. ^abYazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 268
  5. ^abHmannan Vol. 2 2003: 58–59
  6. ^Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 271
  7. ^abHmannan Vol. 2 2003: 60
  8. ^abYazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 272
  9. ^Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 61
  10. ^Harvey 1925: 96
  11. ^Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 65–66
  12. ^Aung-Thwin 2017: 85
  13. ^Aung-Thwin 2017: 86
  14. ^Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2005: 274–275
  15. ^Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 64–65
  16. ^abcdYazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 275
  17. ^abcdHmannan Vol. 2 2003: 66
  18. ^Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 86–87
  19. ^abHmannan Vol. 2 2003: 79
  20. ^Aung-Thwin 2017: 89
  21. ^Aung-Thwin 2017: 94
  22. ^abYazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 286
  23. ^abHmannan Vol. 2 2003: 85
  24. ^abMaha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 84
  25. ^abYazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 290
  26. ^Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 276
  27. ^Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 66–67
  28. ^Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 219
  29. ^Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 224
  30. ^Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 229
  31. ^Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 477
  32. ^Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 8–9
  33. ^Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 271–272
  34. ^Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 67
  35. ^Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 69–70

Bibliography[edit]

  • Aung-Thwin, Michael A.(2017).Myanmar in the Fifteenth Century.Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press.ISBN978-0-8248-6783-6.
  • 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.
  • Maha Sithu(2012) [1798]. Kyaw Win; Thein Hlaing (eds.).Yazawin Thit(in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (2nd ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
  • Royal Historical Commission of Burma(2003) [1832].Hmannan Yazawin(in Burmese). Vol. 1–3. Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.
  • Than Tun(December 1959). "History of Burma: A.D. 1300–1400".Journal of Burma Research Society.XLII(II).
Baya Gamani of Singu
Born:c.1380sDied:?
Political offices
Preceded by
vacant
 Governor of Singu
c. December 1427–c. 1450 		Succeeded byas Lord of Sagaing and Ten Northern Towns
Preceded by
Min Letwe?
 Governor of Singu
c. 1401– May 1426 		Succeeded by
vacant
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