Yamankan

Yamankan ရမန်ကန်း
Governor of Pegu
Reign	1077–1084
Born	c. 1039 Pagan?
Died	1084 Ywatha (near Myingyan)
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

Nga Yamankan (Burmese: ငရမန်ကန်း, pronounced: [ŋə jəmàɴɡáɴ]; c. 1039–1084) was governor of Pegu (Bago) from 1077 to 1084, who raised an unsuccessful rebellion against Sawlu of Pagan Dynasty. He nearly succeeded. He captured and killed Sawlu. But he was driven out of Upper Burma by Sawlu's brother, Kyansittha and was killed while in retreat.^[1]:155-156

Early life

Yamankan, an ethnic Mon, was raised in Pagan at the court of King Anawrahta. His mother, who was of noble birth, was Anawrahta's son Sawlu's wet nurse. He was blind in one eye. (The name Yamankan (literally, Blind Mon) was not his true name. It was an insulting name given by the Burmese chronicles for his rebellion. Yaman or Raman means Mon, and Kan means Blind. His true name is lost to history.)^[2]

He and Sawlu grew up together at the Pagan court, and became close friends. When Sawlu became in king in 1077, he appointed his childhood friend governor of Pegu. Sawlu proved an ineffective ruler, and over time, Yamankan became convinced that he could successfully break away. He wanted independence for his Mon homeland, which was conquered by Anawrahta only in 1057.

In 1084, Yamankan had a fallout with Sawlu, and raised a rebellion. He sailed up the Irrawaddy river with his army, and took a position on an island a few miles below Pagan. Sawlu recalled Kyansittha from exile, and gave him the command of Pagan army.^[2] They marched south and halted near Myingun (near Magwe). Yamankan's army was stationed at Thayet. Sawlu was impatient and against Kyansittha's warning, attacked. But Yamankan had expected such an attack and prepared his positions well. Sawlu's army was routed and the king was taken prisoner.^[3]

Yamankan executed Sawlu after Kyansittha tried to rescue Sawlu. (Ironically, the rescue attempt was foiled by Sawlu who alerted the guards that he was being rescued. The captive king trusted his childhood friend and captor Yamankan more than his brother Kyansittha.) Yamankan himself was ambushed by the sniper bow-shot of Nga Sin the hunter and died.^[3]

References

1. Coedès, George (1968). Walter F. Vella, ed. The Indianized States of Southeast Asia. trans.Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-0368-1.
2. Maung Htin Aung (1967). A History of Burma. New York and London: Cambridge University Press. pp. 38–39.
3. GE Harvey (1925). History of Burma. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd. pp. 34–36.