Orders of battle for the Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1414–1415)



This is a list of orders of battle for the 1414–1415 campaigns of the Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1408–1418), a military war fought between the Burmese-speaking Kingdom of Ava and the Mon-speaking Kingdom of Hanthawaddy.

Background
The orders of battles 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. For this phase of the war, the Razadarit Ayedawbon and Pak Lat Chronicles, which narrate from the Hanthawaddy perspective, provide almost no details except for the battle of Dala in March 1415.

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.

Western theater
For the Battle of Khebaung in October 1414 in the western theater, the Ava force was commanded by Crown Prince Minye Kyawswa, accompanied by Nawrahta of Salin, Thray Sithu of Myinsaing, Yazathingyan of Sagaing, and Min Nyo of Kale. His army of eight regiments (8000 troops, with 200 or 600 cavalry and 40 or 80 elephants, was accompanied by a navy of six flotillas, consisting of a dozen or more warships, 500 war boats, more than 500 armoured war boats, and 500 cargo boats, carrying around 13,000 troops in total. The Pegu force was commanded by Smin Ye-Thin-Yan, who was killed in the battle.

The name of the battle of Panko, which occurred in October or November, is mentioned only in the Razadarit and Yazawin Thit. The Maha Yazawin only cursorily mentions that Smin Bayan was captured in battle but does not say in which battle. The Hmannan describes the battle as part of Minye Kyawswa's southern drive but does not mention the name of the location. The Ava army was commanded by Minye Kyawswa, and the navy by Nawrahta of Salin; the Pegu navy was led by Smin Bayan, who surrendered, and its army by Prince Binnya Dhammaraza.

At the first battles of Bassein and Myaungmya (October/November 1414), the Ava army was again led by Minye Kyawswa; the Pegu defences at Bassein and Myaungmya, which included their own naval flotillas, were led by Dein Mani-Yut and Smin Saw Htut respectively. The second battles began after Minye Kyawswa returned from Ava, which took 22 days in total. The Ava forces, consisting of three regiments, were commanded by Nawrahta of Salin and Thiri Pyanchi; the Pegu defence at Myaungmya retained Smin Saw Htut, but at Bassein Smin Maw-Khwin II was in charge.

Central and eastern theatres
Prince Thihathu attempted to invade down the eastern side of the Irrawaddy and Hlaing rivers through Hsabaga, which was the eastern border demarcation point per the 1403 Treaty of Prome. At the Battle of Hsabaga (October 1414), Thihathu's army included troops from Hpaunghnin, Mindon (whose lord was killed), Nattaung (whose lord surrendered), and Ahlwe, in addition to his own Ava troops. The chronicles mention only the commanders but do not mention the strength of the second army. The Pegu army and navy was led by Prince Binnya Bassein, aided by Upakaung Minhla Kyawkhaung and Lauk Na-Re.

The Pegu force invading towards Toungoo was led by Smin Maw-Khwin of Sayat, who surrendered, and Smin Saw Paik, who died in battle;  they faced Thinkhaya I of Toungoo.

December 1414–March 1415
According to the main chronicles, the siege of Dala began after Minye Kyawswa returned from Ava, which took 22 days in total. By then, Razadarit had already moved to Martaban (Mottama) since the first half of November from Pegu. The siege of Dala lasted until 2 March 1415. Minye Kyawswa's force included Nanda Thuriya of Sale (ne Sittuyinga-Thu) and Nanda Kyawthu of Kinda (ne Letwe Yawda),  and was joined after December by Nawrahta of Salin.

All the main chronicles as well as the Razadarit Ayedawbon chronicle say Minye Kyawswa laid siege to Dala, defended by Prince Binnya Dala. However, the Pak Lat chronicle says Minye Kyawswa laid siege to the capital Pegu, which was defended by Prince Binnya Kyan, the title later worn by Binnya Dala, who was accompanied at the siege by Smin Awa Naing, Smin Sithu, Smin Sam Lek II, Smin Paik-Nye, and Maha Thamun,  in addition to regiments from Dagon and Syriam.

Eastern theater (January–March 1415)
At the Siege of Fort Sayat, which took place in the east between January and March 1415), the Ava forces of 1000 troops, 50 cavalry, and 5 elephants were led by Thihathu, Thado of Mohnyin, and Tuyin Kyaw.  The Pegu army, of around 500 troops, 30 cavalry, and 5 elephants, was led by Smin Byattaba.

Late events
During Minkhaung's invasion of April and May, the royal Ava force was commanded by King Minkhaung I,  with a strike force of a navy and five regiments co-commanded by Nawrahta of Salin and Min Nyo of Kale. The Pegu force was led by King Razadarit,  accompanied by Smin Awa Naing, Smin Sam Lek II, Binnya Dala, and Binnya Set,