Narathu

Early life

Narathu was a middle son of King Sithu I and Queen Yadanabon. His mother was a daughter of Dhamma Kyin, a minister at King Kyansittha's court. The chronicles do not agree on the dates regarding his life and reign. The table below lists the dates given by the four main chronicles.

Narathu was a senior prince for much of his father's reign, whereas the king's eldest son Min Shin Saw was the heir apparent. However, Min Shin Saw had a major falling out with his father, and was sent to exile at Aung Pinle Lake (near present-day Mandalay). With Min Shin Saw in exile, Narathu now positioned himself to take over the throne. He impressed his father with his management of day-to-day affairs of the kingdom. He soon became the de facto heir apparent at the court.

Accession

In 1167, Alaungsithu fell violently ill, and Narathu ordered the king moved to the Shwegugyi Temple, which Sithu had built in 1131. According to the chronicles, when the king woke up and realized that he had been moved out of the palace, he was furious. Narathu came into the room, and put a blanket over his bedridden father's head.

He still needed to deal with Min Shin Saw, who had come down with an army to claim the throne. Narathu readily submitted, personally leading Min Shin Saw's coronation ceremony. After the ceremony, Min Shin Saw was poisoned while eating his first meal as king.

Reign

Narathu's conduct lowered the prestige of the empire, and he was deeply unpopular. Burdened by his guilt, he shut himself in his palace. To atone for the sins, he built the largest of all the Pagan temples, the Dhammayangyi.

It is said that Narathu did not use water after using the toilet, and that the Pateikkaya queen did not let him come near her as a result. Narathu became angry, and killed a queen of his with his bare hands in a fit of range. The queen was a daughter of the chief of Pateikkaya, a tributary kingdom in the west in Bengal (near present-day Chin State).

Death

Assassination by Pateikkaya

The chief of Pateikkaya, angered by Narathu's action, sent a group of eight assassins, disguised as Brahmin astrologers in 1171. The eight managed to gain an audience with the king while hiding their swords underneath their robes. They quickly slew the king. When the palace guards rushed in, they all committed suicide.

Assassination by Polonnaruwa

According to a theory proposed by Gordon Luce, Narathu may have been killed by the assassins from Kingdom of Polonnaruwa in 1165. His theory has been strongly refuted by Htin Aung as pure conjecture. Wilhelm Geiger also refuted this in his trustworthiness of Mahavamsa saying"It is hardly doubtful that the report in the Culavamsa of the Ramanna campaign is much exaggerated, as the Burmese chronicles have nothing to say about such a catastrophe having overtaken their country".

References

Bibliography

References

1. Coedès 1968: 167
2. Hall 1960: 22
3. Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 121, footnote 2
4. Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 304
5. Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 348
6. Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 303
7. Htin Aung 1967: 49
8. Htin Aung 1967: 50–51
9. (2005). "A Self-portrait of a Myanmar". Thwe Thwe Than Publishing House.
10. Than Tun 1964: 126–127
11. Htin Aung 1970: 36–39
12. GEIGER, WILH. ["The Trustworthiness of Mahavamsa"](https://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ENG/gei.htm#:~:text=All%20these%20facts%20are%20told, somtimes%20also%20exaggerations%20may%20occur). THE Indian Historical Quarterly.