Between 1410 and 1415, Minye Kyawswa would bring war to all of Ava's enemies with increased vigor. He nearly succeeded in defeating Pegu, and Ava would not see a similar degree of military success again.
Irrawaddy delta (1410–1411) His first change as commander-in-chief was to alter Ava's usual battle plan. Instead of directly attacking the well-defended Pegu capital region, he would attack what he believed was the less defended
Irrawaddy delta. In late 1410, the prince invaded the delta by river and land with an army (7000 men, 600 horses, and 40 elephants) and a navy that transported 7000 men. Combined Ava forces proceeded to attack the key delta cities of
Myaungmya and
Bassein (Pathein). But the cities were well fortified and prepared for long sieges, and he decided to retreat to
Prome (Pyay).
Arakan (1411–1412) The prince was not prepared to go home empty handed. He regrouped and invaded Arakan in early 1411. He drove out Pegu-installed vassals. He appointed Letya as governor of Launggyet in North Arakan and
Sokkate as governor of
Sandoway (Thandwe) in South Arakan, and returned to Ava. But the crown prince was back soon after. Right after the rainy season, two Hanthawaddy armies from the delta invaded Arakan. The Ava garrison at Sandoway fell before Ava reinforcements (8000 troops, 300 horses, 30 elephants) led by Minye Kyawswa arrived. Ava forces laid siege to the city for the next three months. But they had to retreat in early 1412 when Minkhaung recalled the troops to defend against Hanthawaddy's ally Hsenwi (Theinni), which had opened a new front by invading Ava territory in the north. After the Ava troops had left, Razadarit sent reinforcements to Sandoway. Reinforced Hanthawaddy troops then marched to Launggyet, and drove out the Ava garrison led by Letya and Sokkate. His mission was to defend the nearer Shan states which Ava had annexed early in Minkhaung's reign (1404–1406). The powerful
Shan state of Hsenwi had been concerned about the annexations. Hsenwi had received its overlord
Ming China's authorization to retaliate against Ava's annexation of Mohnyin. It likely shared a common cause with Hanthawaddy in preventing Ava from getting too strong as it became an ally with Pegu a year later. The prince then chased the enemy all the way to Hsenwi, and laid siege to the city. The defenders held out for Chinese reinforcements from Yunnan to arrive. Five months into the siege, towards the end of the rainy season, a Chinese force of 20,000 men and 2000 cavalry approached. Minye Kyawswa moved four regiments (4000 men, 300 horses, 20 elephants) of the army near the Sinkhan forest outside the city. The Ava army then ambushed the larger Chinese army as they came out of the forest. The Chinese army was driven back. Five Chinese commanders, 2000 troops and 1000 horses were taken prisoner. The siege lasted one more month until November 1412 when Minkhaung called back Minye Kyawswa in order to face off Razadarit who had just reopened the southern front by attacking Prome.
Prome (1412–1413) Minye Kyawswa immediately sailed down from Ava to Prome with about 5000 to 6000 troops. His father had already left for Prome with an army consisted of seven regiments. When Minye Kyawswa arrived, the father and son tried to break the Hanthawaddy lines. They made no meaningful progress until after about four months when the Hanthawaddy command suddenly lost its two most senior generals. First, Gen.
Byat Za, Razadarit's second-in-command, died after a long illness. Soon after, Gen.
Lagun Ein was severely wounded in a naval battle, and was captured by the Ava navy. When the general soon died from wounds, Minye Kyawswa ordered the general's body sent on a raft down the Irrawaddy with full military honors. Shaken by the deaths, Razadarit hastily retreated with Hanthawaddy rearguard losing about 300 troops from Ava attacks.
Dagon and Dala (1413) Minye Kyawswa proposed an immediate invasion of the south. Governor-general
Letya Pyanchi of Prome supported the proposal. While Minkhaung was skeptical, he allowed his son to carry out the plan. In April 1413, Minye Kyawswa took eastern delta towns of
Dala–Twante and
Dagon. But the Ava advance was halted at the battle of
Hmawbi in which Gen. Pyanchi was mortally wounded. Minkhaung ordered a pause as it was just a month away from the rainy season and the army did not have enough strength. The crown prince ignored his father's order, and resumed the march to Pegu in May 1413. But the Hanthawaddy defenses were ready for him. Minye Kyawswa's army was driven back outside Dala by three Hanthawaddy regiments led by three sons of Razadarit. Another Ava army led by Minye Kyawswa's father-in-law,
Tarabya I of Pakhan, was also defeated at
Syriam (Thanlyin). Minye Kyawswa now decided to wait out the rainy season from Prome where he took over as the acting viceroy-general. Instead, the Hanthawaddy king sent emissaries to northern Shan states and Lan Na in search of alliances.
Myedu and Maw (1413–1414) Ava's northern front was never quiet after the siege of Hsenwi. According to the
Ming Shilu, the
Yongle Emperor ordered another attack on Ava. In 1413, while the main Ava armies were in the south, Chinese-backed Hsenwi forces raided Ava's northern territories, destroying "over 20 cities and stockades". The captured elephants, horses, and other goods were presented at the Chinese capital in September 1413.
Last invasion of Hanthawaddy (1414–1415) Battle plan Following the successful northern campaign, Minye Kyawswa advocated for a full-scale invasion of the south. However, Minkhaung remained cautious, given the unresolved situation in the north. The king allocated a sizable joint land and naval force for the southern campaign though it was less than Minye Kyawswa had sought. The general plan was to attack the western Irrawaddy delta (targeting Khebaung, Bassein, and Myaungmya), and then capture the southeastern delta ports of Dala and Dagon before advancing on Pegu. Minye Kyawswa served as overall commander-in-chief, leading the main army (8000 men, 200 horses and 80 elephants). His deputy
Nawrahta of Salin commanded the navy (13,000 men, 1800 ships of all sizes). Separately, a regiment led by
Thinkhaya I of Toungoo guarded the Sittaung front though this sector was not part of the planned invasion.
Irrawaddy delta Circa October 1414, Minye Kyawswa launched the invasion with a joint naval and land attack on Fort Khebaung (north of
Hinthada). But Hanthawaddy troops put up a remarkable defense, inflicting heavy casualties on the invaders. After the first two attempts failed, Minye Kyawswa ordered another attack, declaring that anyone who failed to charge would be executed. Then, he on his favorite war elephant, Nga Chit Khaing, along with his elite regiment of 800 men, led the charge. The fort subsequently fell. Ava forces went on to swarm the delta but they could not take Bassein or Myaungmya, the two main cities at the western edge of the delta. Soon they found themselves overstretched due to constant Hanthawaddy guerrilla attacks on Ava supply lines. Nonetheless, they managed to fight off a joint land-naval attack by Hanthawaddy forces from Pegu, and captured Gen.
Smin Bayan, a son-in-law of Razadarit, and 20 other senior commanders. The victory restored Ava's supply lines, and allowed the sieges of Bassein and Myaungmya to continue. The crown prince began preparing for the next phase of the operations—drive towards Pegu itself. But he needed to convince his father first. He made a 17-day return trip to Ava, bringing with him captured Hanthawaddy commanders, including Smin Bayan. At Ava, he discussed the war situation with his father. A week later, he sailed back down, arriving five days later at the outskirts of Dala. As he expected, Bassein surrendered soon after his return from Ava, and Myaungmya followed. Now, the entire delta was under Ava control. It was December 1414.
Pegu province Minye Kyawswa wrote to Minkhaung that Razadarit had not returned to Pegu, and that the time to attack was now. Minkhaung tried to dissuade his son that it might be a trap. The king ordered Viceroy Thihathu of Prome and Gov.
Thado of Mohnyin to launch an attack on Fort Sayat, via Toungoo from the north. Before the attack on Sayat could be carried out, Minye Kyawswa launched an attack on both Syriam (Thanlyin) and Dagon (Yangon). Meanwhile, Razadarit returned to Pegu in January/February 1415. The Chinese threat forced Minkhaung to cut down on the size of the army to Sayat, sending just 1000 troops. After Thihathu's enfeebled attack on Sayat, Razadarit turned his attention to the Dala–Syriam theater. On 22 February 1415, the Pegu command drew up a plan to fight Minye Kyawswa; eight days later, on 2 March 1415, Razadarit himself led the army to the front.
Battle of Dala '', 1946 printed edition. The Hanthawaddy command had planned to fight on the astrologically chosen date of Wednesday, 4th waxing of
Late Tagu 776 ME (Wednesday, 13 March 1415). That day, Hanthawaddy forces led by three sons of Razadarit—
Binnya Dhammaraza,
Binnya Ran I and
Binnya Kyan—approached modern Dala–
Twante. Minye Kyawswa pulled back from his siege of Syriam to meet the enemy forces. His brother Min Nyo was his deputy. Minye Kyawswa on the back of his favorite elephant Nga Chit Khaing led the charge. He broke through several enemy lines but was soon surrounded. His elephant, which had been severely wounded, flung him off. Though heavily wounded, the crown prince of Ava refused treatment, and died shortly after. He was 24. ==Aftermath==