Shin Sawbu

Shin Sawbu ရှင်စောပု
Ceremonial helmet worn by Shin Sawbu, now at the V&A Museum, London
Queen regnant of Hanthawaddy
Reign	1454–1471
Predecessor	Leik Munhtaw
Successor	Dhammazedi
Queen of the Central Palace of Ava
Reign	20 May 1426 – 1429
Predecessor	herself
Successor	Dhamma Dewi of Ava
Queen of the Central Palace of Ava
Reign	December 1423 – August 1425
Predecessor	Min Pyan of Ava
Successor	herself
Born	11 February 1394 Wednesday, 12th waxing of Tabaung 755 ME Pegu
Died	1471 (aged 77) Dagon
Burial	Sanchaung
Consort	Binnya Bwe Thihathu
Issue	Binnya Waru Mi Pakahtaw
House	Hanthawaddy
Father	Razadarit
Mother	Thuddhamaya
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

Shin Sawbu (Burmese: ရှင်စောပု, pronounced: [ʃɪ̀ɴ sɔ́ bṵ]; Mon: သေဝ်စါဝ်ပေါအ်; 1394–1471) was the 15th monarch of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom in Burma from 1454 to 1471. Queen Shin Sawbu was also known as Binnya Thau (ဗညားထောဝ်) or Old Queen in Mon. Queen Shin Sawbu and Queen Jamadevi of Haripunjaya are the two most famous among the small number of queens who ruled in mainland Southeast Asia.

Shin Sawbu was the only daughter of the Mon King Razadarit who had two sons as well. She was born on 11 February 1394 (Wednesday, 12th waxing of Tabaung of 755 ME) to the chief queen Thuddhamaya (သုဒ္ဓမာယာ). At birth she was given the name Viharadevi (from Sanskrit and Pali: vihara "monastery" + devi "goddess" or "queen" ), which likely means "queen of the monastery". At age 20 she was married to Binnya Bwe (Smin Chesao), Razadarit's nephew and had a son, Binnya Waru and two daughters, Netaka Taw and Netaka Thin. Her husband died when she was just 25.

In 1421, Sawbu's father King Razadarit died. The king's eldest son Binnya Dhammaraza ascended the throne but his younger brothers Binnya Ran and Binnya Kyan rebelled. By the invitation of Binnya Kyan, King Thihathu of Ava came down with an army in November 1423 (Natdaw 785 ME). Binnya Dhammaraza pacified his brothers by making Binnya Ran the crown prince as well as giving the governorship of the Irrawaddy delta, and Binnya Kyan the governorship of Martaban. Crown Prince Binnya Ran in a gesture of peace presented his sister Shin Sawbu to Thihathu, who in turn presented a princess of Ava to marry Binnya Ran. It was December 1423.