Brief Takayutpi

takayutpi eldest son of king binnya ran ii of hanthawaddy. 15 when succeeded father. unlike father, considered 1 of ablest kings of coastal kingdom, young king never took interest in running kingdom. never looked @ book; gave himself sport in woods elephants , horses; searched shellfish , crabs; 1 witless . not respected vassals. brother-in-law saw binnya ruled province of martaban (mottama) sovereign.

takayutpi s weak leadership gave opening toungoo s ambitious king tabinshwehti , deputy gen. bayinnaung. beginning in 1534, toungoo began annual dry-season raids hanthawaddy territory. saw binnya did not send takayutpi. toungoo not make headway against pegu s fortified defenses led 2 experienced ministers (binnya law , binnya kyan) , aided foreign mercenaries guns. 1537, peguan defenses had repulsed toungoo s 3 consecutive annual invasions. unable break peguan defenses, toungoo used stratagem create split in hanthawaddy camp. takayutpi foolishly believed toungoo s misinformation loyalty of 2 ministers, had been tutors since childhood , absolutely devoted him, , executed them.

when toungoo again invaded in late 1538, takayutpi, without best generals, lost heart , fled pegu prome kingdom (pyay) brother-in-law of his, narapati of prome, king. (he did not retreat martaban, nominally still part of hanthawaddy because did not trust governor saw binnya.) toungoo took capital city of pegu without firing shot. on flight prome, demoralized forces, though far superior in numbers, defeated bayinnaung s smaller better disciplined forces @ battle of naungyo.

having reached prome decimated force, takayutpi urged allies– king of prome , confederation of shan states– restore him throne refused. within year, king entered irrawaddy delta small armed band collect war elephants. @ ingabin near maubin fell ill , died.