Saw Lagun Ein

Saw Lagun Ein was viceroy of Martaban (Mottama) from 1541 to 1550. The ethnic Mon viceroy was a top military adviser to King Tabinshwehti and Gen. Bayinnaung of Toungoo Dynasty. He fought alongside them in all their military campaigns from 1540 to 1549. He led the 1547–1548 campaign that retook the Tavoy frontier in the war against Siam (1547–49). He was overthrown by Smim Htaw in the chaos that followed Tabinshwehti's assassination in 1550.

Background Saw Lagun Ein was of Hanthawaddy royalty, a grandson of King Dhammazedi (r. 1471–1492) as well as a first cousin and brother-in-law of King Takayutpi of Hanthawaddy (r. 1526–1539). His mother was a paternal aunt of Takayutpi and he was married to a younger sister of Takayutpi. He was one of the Hanthawaddy nobles that entered the service of Tabinshwehti after Takayutpi died in exile.

Viceroy and general In May 1541, he was appointed viceroy of the province of Martaban (approximately, present-day Mon State) by Tabinshwehti. In 1547–48, he successfully led Toungoo forces (4000 naval troops and 8000 land troops), and retook Ye and Tavoy (Dawei) from Siamese forces. He was under the command of Bayinnaung in the 1548–49 invasion of Siam.

After Tabinshwehti's death, the kingdom he had built up in the last 15 years promptly fell apart. Instead of submitting to his chosen successor Bayinnaung, each major governor declared himself independent. Smim Htaw, who had raised a rebellion in the delta since early 1550, took over the Martaban region. Though it is unclear as to what happened to Lagun Ein—Chronicles do not mention his name again—he was probably killed by Smim Htaw's men.