Yazathingyan

Yazathingyan (, ; also known as Nga Mauk, (ငမောက်; ); d. ) was a senior court minister under the first three kings of Ava, in what is now Myanmar, from to 1400. He also served as governor of Sagaing at least from 1383 to 1400.

He was the sixth and last husband of Queen Saw Omma, and thus a brother-in-law of King Swa Saw Ke of Ava (r. 1367–1400). He was given Queen Omma as a prize after he successfully put down the 1367 coup attempt by his brother, Commander Nga Nu, and the queen herself. Thirty three years later, it was Yazathingyan who attempted to seize the throne from King Tarabya (r. 1400). This attempt ended when he accidentally drowned en route to a confrontation with Tarabya.

Early life and career According to the royal chronicles, he was of commoner background and his personal name was Nga Mauk. He had at least one younger brother named Nga Nu. By 1367, both brothers were in the service of King Thado Minbya (r. 1364–1367). Mauk had risen to be a minister at the Ava court with the title of Yazathingyan while Nu had become the commander of the Inner Royal Household Guards. But the powerful court did not accept the usurping couple. When asked to choose between his brother and the court's nominee Swa Saw Ke, Yazathingyan sided with the court. He even agreed to lead an expedition to capture the couple, who had fled to Sagaing directly across the Irrawaddy River from Ava (Inwa). For his part, Swa had promised to grant the minister the districts of Taungbyon and Wayindok in fief, as well as give Queen Omma, who happened to be Swa's youngest sister, in marriage. Instead of storming the heavily fortified city, which used to be the capital of the Sagaing Kingdom, he asked Nu to meet him outside the city to accept his defection. When Nu came out to meet his older brother with a few guards, Yazathingyan and his men promptly arrested him. He is said to have admonished his brother, "You're not of royal line; neither are your parents." The Yazawin Thit simply says Yazathingyan allowed Nu to escape to the Shan states.

Later career Yazathingyan went to the front with his Sagaing Regiment in all three campaigns of the Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1385–1391).

Yazathingyan apparently regained the king's trust in later years. Sometime between 1380 and 1383, he was appointed governor of Sagaing by the king. As the lord of a major fief, he dutifully went to the front as the commander of the Sagaing Regiment throughout the Ava–Hanthawaddy War (1385–1391), twice under the command of Crown Prince Tarabya (1385–1386, While chronicles do not explain why Yazathingyan, a commoner, would have even tried, he nevertheless was the first one to attempt a coup. He and his forces crossed the river by military transport boats from Sagaing to Ava. But as his boat was about to dock at the Ava pier, a strong, sudden gust of wind pushed him and the chair he was sitting on into the river, and he subsequently died in the river.

First Ava invasion of Hanthawaddy 1385–1386 1 regiment (1000 troops) Served in the 1st Army commanded by Crown Prince Tarabya Second Ava invasion of Hanthawaddy 1386–1387 1 regiment Part of the naval flotilla under the overall command of King Swa that invaded via the Irrawaddy River Third Ava invasion of Hanthawaddy 1390–1391 1 regiment Served under the command of Crown Prince Tarabya