Sawyun

Who was Sawyun?

Athinhkaya Sawyun was the founder of the Sagaing Kingdom located in today's Sagaing Region, Burma. The eldest son of King Thihathu of Pinya, Sawyun set up a rival kingdom to his father's in 1315 after Thihathu had appointed his adopted son Uzana I, son of the fallen king Kyawswa of Pagan as crown prince over his own sons. While Sawyun nominally remained loyal to his father, and continued to swear allegiance to his father, he was a de facto king of the area roughly corresponding to Sagaing Division. The old king Thihathu had to be satisfied with Sawyun's nominal submission but could not take any action.

Sawyun reigned for more than seven years, and died in 1327 at age 27, two years after his father's death. After their deaths, Sagaing and Pinya kingdoms were at loggerheads for the control of Upper Burma for the next 40 years. Sawyun had four children, a daughter followed by three sons. All of his sons became king of Sagaing. His only daughter was the mother of Thadominbya, the founder of the Kingdom of Ava.