The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c29.s3.20

v3.c29.s3.20

Laukpya, lord of Myaungmya, hated his nephew Razadarit, and when Razadarit succeeded to the throne of Pegū in 1385, Laukpya wrote to Minkyiswasawke offering to hold Pegū as a vassal if Minkyiswasawke would help him to oust Razadarit. This started a war between Upper and Lower Burma which lasted till 1422. The fighting was almost entirely in the Delta and probably the war was a war of migration, Shān saturation of Upper Burma being sufficiently complete for Āva to swarm down on Pegū. The Burmese advance base was Prome, and their usual line of advance was down the Hlaing river to Dāgon (Rangoon), sometimes with another string of levies going down the Sittang valley from Toungoo. With them marched contingents from allied states, Mohnyin, Kale, and Yawnghwe; indeed, the Talaing chronicles sometimes refer to the invaders as simply 'the Shāns.' Their total strength would usually be some 12,000 and the advance took place every year or so, both sides going home for the rains (June–November). The invaders would sit down in large stockades, and sally forth headhunting and slave raiding, sometimes besieging Hmawbi, Dalla, Dāgon (Rangoon), and other towns, or being besieged themselves. Occasionally some determined leader would bring about a battle, but the casualties mentioned are seldom a decimal per cent. of the numbers engaged, and it is difficult to avoid the impression that most of the fighting was of the type not uncommon in mediaeval countries when there was as much shouting as killing and the wretched villagers were the chief sufferers.