Rajadhirat

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Rajadhirat was a Mon king known for his military prowess.

Rajadhirat succeeded his father U Binnya as ruler of Pegu after a [succession] struggle in 1383. He unified Lower Burma during the 1380s. From 1385 to his death around 1421, Rajadhirat's kingdom of Pegu and the kingdom of Ava in Upper Burma were engaged in a continual state of warfare. The use of scorched earth tactics by both sides was a prominent feature of this warfare.

Rajadhirat's daughter became the Mon Queen Baña Thau [Burmese: Shin Saw Bu] several years later and reigned in relative peace starting a revival in Theravada Buddhism.

The story of Rajadhirat's reign is recorded in a classic epic that exists in both Mon language and Burmese language forms. During the reign of the Thai king [Buddha Yodfa Chulalok Rama I] (1782-1809), this epic was translated into the Thai language by court minister and author Phra Khlang and is well-known in Thailand even today.

External links

[Rajadhirat’s Mask of Command: Military Leadership in Burma (c. 1348-1421)], by Jon Fernquest.

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