By Maung Tha (Archaeology)
In Myanmar history, three first queens namely Phwa Saw in Bagan era, Nan madaw Mei Nu in Konbaung and Suphaya Latt in Yadanabon era were the most famous among other very prominent first queens. Of them Nan madaw Mei Nu who was notorious in Myanmar history waskilled under the death sentence due to the penalty imposed by the monarch.
As Myanmar kings emphasized relations with foreigners from western countries in the mid-Konbaung era, Nanmadaw Mei Nu, the First Queen of King Sagaing, was well-known among westerners.
With regard to Nanmadaw Mei Nu, Abbot U Buddh andMei Nu brick monastery in Inwa were various significant. Thebuildings constructed by the First Queen can be seen till todayin Phalankhon Village, the native village of her parents. Now,Phalankhon Village has been renamed Phalangon Village.
Mei Nu in the history
According to usage of people in the Myanmar’s royalpalace, only the First Queen of the King can be called Queen Nanmadaw. Among four queens of Myanmar kings facilitated with royal buildings, the queen for the central royal building was higher than the queen of western royal building in rank. Likewise, the queen from southern royal building was higher than the queen of northern royal building in rank. Among four queens, the queen of southern royal building was the First Queen called Agga Mahesi Queen (or) Nanmadaw (Mother of Royal Palace).
Despite securing the post of Agga Mahesi Queen, Nanmadaw Mei Nu, the First Queen of King Sagaing, did not descend from the royal lineage.
Mei Nu, Nanmadaw-to-be, was born of Chief Jailor U Hlockand wife Daw Nge on 5th Waning of Waso in 1146 Myanmar Era(on 6 July 1784). She had only one elder brother named MaungOh. She was born in the inner royal site, west of Golden RoyalPalace in Inwa Nay Pyi Taw. Her parents lived in the northern part of Amarapura Royal Palace.
One day during the reign of King Badon who establishedAmarapura Royal Palace, a falcon took the sarong of Mei Nu who was taking a bath. The falcon dropped the sarong on the left wing of the southern royal building of the First Queen in the royal palace area. In consequences, sarong owner Mei Nu arrived in the presence of the king. At that time, she was more than 11 years old. After royal officials conducted investigations, she grasped a chance of serving as a lady-in-waiting at the southern royal building under the order of the king.
Father of Prince Sagaing who appointed Nanmadaw Mei Nu as the Chief Queen was Prince Thiri Maha Dhammabizaya Thihathu, born of the queen of northern royal building. Mother was Princess Thiri Maha Mingaladevi, wife of the crown prince who was born of the First Queen of King Badon. Prince Sagaing was born on Friday, 23 July 1784, and his childhood name was Maung Sein.
After the Crown Prince Maha Uparaza, son of King Badon, passed away on 29 May 1809, Prince Sagaing became the Crown Prince on 6 April 1809. Four years and six months later, Hsinbyushinmei, wife of the Crown Prince, gave birth to Prince Nyaungyan. Seven days later, she passed away. As Crown Prince Sagaing married with Mei Nu in 1813, Mei Nu became wife of the Crown Prince.
Mei Nu had got rights of enjoying four villages, 30 horses, 3,000 pei of land plot, five salt farm villages and taxes for four kinds of products as a royal regalia of the wife of the Crown Prince.
Crown Prince Sagaing became the seventh king in Konbaung era on 7 June 1819. Wife of Crown Prince Mei Nu became the First Queen of the southern royal building with the title of Thiripawara Maha Razein dayatana on 3 November 1819. King Sagaing conferred titles and royal regalia on his younger brothers Prince Thayawady and Prince Myinsaing as well as Thadoe Minhla Kyawhtin title on Prince Salin Maung Oh, elder brother of the First Queen. As King Sagaing was a soft liner with flippancy, First Queen Mei Nu, too prioritized by the King became powerful in the Royal Palace.
Last days of King Sagaing
As King Sagaing suffered from mental problems in 1831, administrative duties of the State was handed over to town gover nor of Salin U Oh, elder brother of First Queen Nanmadaw Mei Nu. Prince Thayawady monitored moves of town governor of Salin U Oh by gathering weapons and soldiers with readiness because the King had not appointed his son Prince Nyaungyan as the Crown Prince yet.
Under the order of U Oh, the residential house of Princess Bagan who was sister of Prince Thayawady, was raided on 21 February 1837 and weapons seized. As the raid continued at the residential house of Prince Thayawady, fire was exchanged between the troops of the prince’s house and those from the raided troop. On 24 February when Prince Thayawady together with 500 gunners left for Sagaing, U Oh set to fire the residential house of the prince. Since then, it was known that rebellion of Prince Thayawady started.
British diplomat Burney called on Counsellors of King Sagaing and gave advice to conduct negotiation between the royal brothers. However, Counsellors of King Sagaing did not accept the advice of Burney. As Prince Thayawady ordered his sons Minye Kyaw Htin and Minye Thiha Kyaw to march into Inwa, Prince U Oh sent a letter to Burney for carrying out negotiation. Burney went to Shwebo for calling on Prince Thayawady and negotiated marriage of the son of the Prince with the daughter of U Oh and appointment of Prince Sekka as Crown Prince but Prince Thayawady did not accept negotiation. However, as Prince Thayawady kept a promise that if his elder brother gave a concession, hewould not have to kill King Sagaing and all others, thenBurney returned to Inwa. Elder brother King Sagaing handed over the throne to Prince Thayawady on 30 April 1837. King Sagaing received a good care of his younger brother King Thayawady and passed away on 15 October 1846.
Veteran historian Sayagyi Dr Than Tun analyzed that despite having the great country as inheritance from grandfather King Badon, King Sagaing faced lesser strength of Myanmar for the first time in his reign.
King Sagaing and Nanmadaw Mei Nu gave births to three offspring. The eldest daughter passed away in her childhood and son the governor of Palaing Village passed away at six years old due to pox disease. Youngest daughter Mei The became the queen of the middle royal building of King Mindon. Later, she was renowned as Hsinbyumashin who gave birth to daughter Suphaya Latt.
End of Nanmadaw Mei Nu
Prince Thayawady took over the State from his brother king with overturning influence of First Queen Nanmadaw Mei Nu and her brother Governor of Salin Town U Oh in the reign of King Sagaing, and was temporarily on the throne in Kyaukmyaung and then moved to Amarapura on 12 December 1837. As a total of 1,500 members led by Prince Shwe Dah called Nga Win Nge staged uprisings in villages of Madaya on 27 March 1840, King Thayawady combatted them and arrested Prince Shwe Dah. In investigation, the arrestees confessed that the uprisings were jointly committed by Nanmadaw Mei Nu and her brother Maung Oh. That was why Nanmadaw Mei Nu was placed under investigation. She confessed that it was true.
King Thayawady tackled the case of the former First Queen under the rules on 12 May 1840. Moreover, sentences were handed down for the governor of Salin Town and his followers depending on their cases.
Heading towards Phalankhon
Phalankhon Village where the parents of Nanmadaw Mei Nu resided is four miles northwest of YeU in Shwebo District, Sagaing Region. A feeder canal of the dam is located near Phalankhon Village, close to YeU-Kanhtooma Road, and the village is some miles from Mu River.
Religious monuments including pagodas built by Nanmadaw Mei Nu and U Oh are located around Phalankhon Village and its environs. Pagodas are situated in wide precincts fencing with high walls. The Assessment on Nanmadaw Mei Nu stated that pagodas were seemed to be built at the same time, and that the pagoda of Nanmadaw Mei Nu was a main building constructed in 1822.
Title of the pagoda built by Nanmadaw Mei Nu is Thuwunnathima Aung Nann. It is 100 feet in height and 92 feet in basic circumference. Now, the pagoda can be seen with renovation and gilding on its upper part. Maha Muni Pagoda built by U Oh and the pagoda of Nanmadaw Mei Nu stand together but the pagoda of U Oh is slightly smaller than that of Nanmadaw Mei Nu. The structural designs are the same. The ladders from the stairways lead to the half of pagoda.
Everybody can see five small pagodas in same structural designs in a row behind Maha Muni Pagoda of U Oh. These small pagodas are located in same distance. That is why it can be reviewed that a single creator or a group might build these pagodas at the same time. An ancient pagoda decorated with Manusiha statues (mixed human with lion) is situated near these pagodas. Two more large pagodas were built, north of the two pagodas of Nanmadaw Mei Nu and her brother. Locals said that the larger ones were constructed by Ma Mei Yi, a relative of Nanmadaw Mei Nu.
It was assumed that large lion statues outside the precinct of two pagodas built by the Counsellor of Horses, the elder uncle of Nanmadaw Mei Nu, west of these pagodas, were constructed by U Taw and the large lion statues inside the precinct were built by U Oh. The large lion statues made of bricks and the banner post near the lion statues were much damaged. A square shaped lake can be seen on the opposite site of the large lion statues, and a road to the village crosses them.
Nanmadaw Mei Nu, and the couple of his brother U Oh fenced the lake with the double brick walls in 1185 Myanmar Era with four archways. Likewise, a mouth of white elephant statue was built as the entrance of water to the lake on its east side. A chamber for spirit Ma Than Yi is has been in the lake, so the lake is named Natthamee Lake, said a local.
As significant points of the lake, a saying which was talked among the people goes: “No Braminy duck drink as well as water was never muddy; and golden lotus never thrived, and the great lake had never have garbage.” The water in the lake has been ever clean without thriving lotus and water hyacinth plants. Birds do not drink water from the lake whereas banyan trees around the bunds of lake do not drop into the water.
Shinpin Phonepwint Pagoda built by Dabayin governor U Tun, the elder uncle of Nanmadaw Mei Nu, is located in north of entrance to Phalankhon Village. A two-storey monastery named Maha Withutayama built by U Oh is situated in Phalankhon Village, and damaged parts have been repaired. As such, locals said that the existing monastery was too smaller than the original one.
There was a bell donated by U Oh at the monastery also called the west monastery. Scripts were expressed on the bell, dedicating to attaining Nivanna. The weight of the bell was described as 4,704 viss which is equal to 7.56 tons. In fact, it is seemed that the unit of weight might be error. Whatever it may be, it is significant that the clapper of U Oh’s bell was made as a shape of snake.
As a two-storey monastery built by King Bagyidaw U Tay in Myinpauk Village, close to Phalankhon Village was damaged with cracks at the walls due to growing of trees and shrubs, the Department of Archaeology and National Museum carried out maintenance of the monastery. Five arches on each side on all two stairs at the brick monastery were made of concrete ornamental backdrops. These were great masterpieces. Although ancient pagodas were found in the plain in front of the brick monastery, well-wishers could not be unveiled.
During the glittering period of life, Nanmadaw Mei Nu and her brother U Oh built pagodas and monasteries in Phalankhon Village. These structures can be seen as the historical works in Konbaung era till today. However, the aforesaid structures have parts of damage due to weakness of maintenance.
Foreigners such as Judson of Christian missionary and British diplomats Burney and Crawford compiled the documents related to Nanmadaw Mei Nu, the First Queen of King Sagaing in his reign of Konbaung era in Myanmar History. However, they illustrated Nanmadaw Mei Nu on pessimistic view. So also, some Myanmar historians wrote the scripts on Nanmadaw Mei Nu in accusations of wrongdoings. As such, Nanmadaw Mei Nu became a notorious queen.
Whatever it may be, pagodas built by the First Queen who was renowned in the history of Konbaung era and her brother and Mei Nu brick monastery in Inwa remained as heritages of historical documents. As such, new generations need to continue maintenance for them to have sustainability.
Translated by Than Tun Aung
Reference: Assessment on Nanmadaw Mei Nu (Maung Than Swe, Dawei) Maha Yazawintawgyi of
Konbaung Dynasty, Second Volume,(U Maung Maung Tin)History of Myanmar’s Dates, Konbaung
Dynasty,(UTikkhadhammalankara, Dr.Than Tun) Searching Konbaung (Nyo Mya)
