Forty Years' War
Name of a military conflict fought
from 1385 to 1424 AD
between the Kingdom of
Ava, ruled by
King Minkhaung I,
and the Kingdom of
Hongsawadih
controlled by King Razadarit, though interrupted by a truce twice. Initially,
Ava invaded Hongsawadih multiple times but was defeated each time, after which a
truce was agreed in 1391. In 1401 a new battle was initiated by Hongsawadih,
when Hongsawadih King Razadarit invaded Upper Burma in full force with a
large flotilla, though when Ava's defenses held, another truce was agreed in
1403. However, when between 1404 and 1406 Ava went on an expansion spree,
absorbing the
Shan
states Kale and Mohnyin in the north, and
Arakan in the west, Hongsawadih could not allow Ava to get too strong and
renewed the war in 1408 AD, with the Shan state of Hsenwi as an ally. Thus being
forced to fight on on multiple fronts, Ava in 1414 successfully invaded
Hongsawadih in full force and conquered the
Irrawaddy River Delta in 1415
commanded by the Ava Crown Prince Minye Kyawswa. However, when the latter was
killed in battle in March 1415, the enthusiasm for war dissipated on both sides
and the subsequent campaigns were fought half-heartedly. After the deaths of
King Razadarit in 1421 and King Minkhaung I in 1422, Ava's new monarch, King
Thihathu and
Pegu's Crown Prince Binnya Ran I made peace in 1424, a peace sealed
by Crown Prince Binnya Ran I giving his elder sister Shin Sawbu to Thihathu and
followed by Ava withdrawing its forces. Also referred to as
Ava-Pegu
War and
Mon-Burmese
War.
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