Indian Antiquary Vol 21

SR No.: 032513
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

Page 308

290
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1892.
in with the Court and general views at all, and, after a seven days' reign, he was put to death by the Court in favour of the rightfal heir, Bôdòp'aya, who, to settle himself on the throne, pat an end to Singúså.
Bodòp'ayâ, like his brother S'inbyûyin, was a powerful ruler, and acted precisely in the same manner. That is, he nominated his son Eóshómin (Yuvarâja), against the rights of his two surviving brothers, the Pakanji Minba, and the Myinzaing Minba. The former wisely acquiesced in the arrangement and died a peaceful death. But the latter rebelled and was killed,
Bodòp'ayâ reigned for a long while and his son died before him, and the succession went to his elder grandson, Bajidd, who, in course of time, was deposed by his brother Darkwadi (otherwise equally well-known as Kongbaong and Shwebo Min). Darawadi became insane and the country was governed by a regent, the Pagan Minbi, who was the king's rightful heir, being his eldest son by his chief wife. Two years later the regent became King Pagàn. After a while that strong and powerful prince, his brother Mindôn, deposed him, and proved to be the best ruler that Burma had had for many a decade. The acknowledged heir to Mindồn was his remaining brother, the Eöshemin, who was killed by his nephews, the Myingan and Myingôndaing Princes, in order to keep the succession to themselves, a very serious attempt being made on Mindon's life at the same time.
The succession to Mindôn consequently devolved upon one of his sons, as the Eishēmin's family was by rule and custom ousted from it. Another of the disturbing elements in the application of the rule of succession now became apparent. Who was to be considered Mindon's eldest son and rightfal heir ? He had a great number of wives and concubines, the wives were of superior and inferior rank, and be had sons of all ages likely to survive him. As a matter of fact every son looked upon himself as the possible heir, only the Myingun and Myingôndaing Princes being out of the way, as outlaws after the murder of their uncle and their attempt to seize their father's throne. Also, it being practically impossible to decide rival claims as to seniority, Mindôn settled on that prince as Enshêmin, who had done him the best service; viz., the Mekkayà Prince who had accompanied him on his expedition to dethrone Pagàn.
However, on Mindôn's death, Dibo, a junior and inferior son, was placed on the throne, owing to the intrigues of a princess, sap'ayalàt7 and her inother, the B'inbyumayin, one of
* This Enshemin was generally known to Europeans as the "War Prince"; and though the dignity of "Heir Apparent (= Enshemin)" was ostensibly conforred on him by his brother in recognition of his distinguished services in the rebellion which raised the latter to the throne, it is to be observed that in doing so Mindôn followed the rule of succession.
• This king's name is that known as Thibaw, Thebaw A l'heebew, corrupted to Theobald by the Britieh soldiers at the time of the annexation of Upper Burma in 1856-8. "Theobald and Sophia" were the King and Queen of Burma according to the British Soldier, (see next note). Thibaw, (bibų) is one of the principal Shân States tributary to the Burmese King, its ruler, the bibo Sùbwa, being quite as well known to the English in Burma as the king himself. It is curious to note that his predecessor, Mindôn, took his title from a valley in the bayetmyo District in British Territory. This was due to the fact that when Mindon was a prince, the country that afterwards became the British Province of Pegu and consists now of the Irrawaddy and Pegu Divisions of Lower Burma, was still under the role of the Burmese King.
7 Both Sup'ayAlåt (corrupted by the way into Sophia by the British soldier in Mandalay, like the Persian Sophy of the XVIIth and XVIIIth Centuries out of Safavi) and S'inbyAmayin are titles, 8'inbyumdyin, as already ex. plained, means the Lady of the White Elephant.' Sap'aya means a 'princess of the line': a woman whose father was a de fucto king and whose mother was herself a sup'ayd, i.e., not a woman whose descent was otherwise than directly royal on both sides. Lat means the middle of three.' So the title indicates that the bearer had an elder and a younger sister. She was in fact the daughter of Mindôn by a royal half-sister, and she married Dibu, he half-brother. Sup'ayflat ard her elder sister, Süp'ayaji, were insta Hed as co-queens on Dibd's coronation, but the younger sister was strong enough to oust the elder from her conjugal righto. Subsequently Súp'ayagale, the youngest sister, became junior queen to Sup'ayflat. It is a general belief among Europeans in Burnu that Dibo's mother was not royal' in any sense. This is a mistake. Her title was Laungahe Mibay A, and she was of high royal desount, though not a sp'aya, as above described. Her mother was daughter of the Enehemin of Boddp'ayl (see ante, p. 289) by the daughter of the then bibd Bòbw. Hence she was first cousin to her husband Minden. Hence also no doubt the choice of title for her son.