Saw Binnya
| Saw Binnya စောဗညား |
|
|---|---|
| Viceroy of Martaban (Mottama) | |
| Reign | 1510s–1541 |
| Successor | Saw Lagun Ein |
| Died | May 1541 Martaban (Mottama) |
| Spouse | Tala Kamu of Pegu |
| House | Hanthawaddy |
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
Saw Binnya (Burmese: စောဗညား, Burmese pronunciation: [sɔ́ bəɲá]; died 1541) was viceroy of Martaban (Mottama) from c. 1510s to 1539, and the self-proclaimed king of the rump Hanthawaddy Kingdom from 1539 to 1541. First appointed viceroy of Martaban, one of the three provinces of the Mon-speaking kingdom, by King Binnya Ran II, Saw Binnya ruled the province like a sovereign during the reign of King Takayutpi, his brother-in-law. Under his leadership, the port of Martaban became an international entrepôt, and grew tremendously wealthy. He was able to build up a formidable military of his own, replete with Portuguese mercenaries and arms. But his refusal to contribute to Takayutpi's war effort against Toungoo Dynasty greatly facilitated Toungoo's conquest of Pegu in 1538–1539, and ultimately resulted in the downfall of his own fiefdom in 1541. He was subsequently executed.
Saw Binnya was appointed viceroy of the province of Martaban, one of the three provinces of Hanthawaddy, by King Binnya Ran II, c. 1510s. (He was already viceroy in 1519 when he signed a commercial treaty with the Portuguese, who spelled his name as "Chau Bainha". He was probably of high Hanthawaddy royalty, since only the most senior princes were appointed viceroy.) When Takayutpi became king in 1526, by the tradition of having blood ties with the sovereign, Saw Binnya took Takayutpi's eldest younger sister Princess Tala Kamu as his chief queen. Despite the initial gesture, he did not respect the 15-year-old king, who proved to be utterly disinterested in governing and spent his time in "frivolous amusements with bad companions".
In the following years, Saw Binnya scarcely acknowledged his overlord at Pegu, and ruled "the 32 districts of Martaban" (roughly, present-day Mon State and southern Kayin State) like a sovereign. His deputy Binnya U, governor of Moulmein (Mawlamyaing), was also married to a sister of Takayutpi but nonetheless was more loyal to him than the high king. Saw Binnya conducted his own trade and foreign relations. Under his leadership, Martaban became an entrepôt, and according to the accounts of Portuguese explorers, grew tremendously wealthy. Using the trade wealth, he was able to assemble a formidable military which by 1540 employed expensive Portuguese mercenaries, their firearms and warships.
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