This is a list of the queen consorts of the major kingdoms that existed in present-day Myanmar. Those with the rank of Nan Mibaya (senior queens) are listed.
Prior to the Konbaung period (1752–1885), the consorts of the Burmese monarchs were organized in three general tiers: Nan Mibaya (နန်းမိဖုရား, lit. "Queen of the Palace", senior queen), Mibaya (Nge) (မိဖုရား (ငယ်), "(Junior) Queen"), and Ko-lok-taw (ကိုယ်လုပ်တော်, concubine).[note 1] Starting in the late 18th century, the Konbaung kings inserted the tiers of Hsaungdaw Mibaya (ဆောင်တော် မိဖုရား, lit. "Queen of the Royal Apartment") and Shwe-Yay Hsaung Mibaya (ရွှေရေးဆောင် မိဖုရား, lit. "Queen of the Gilded Chamber") between the tiers of senior queen and junior queen.[1]
Ladies in waiting such as Apyo-daw (အပျိုတော်, "maiden") and Maung-ma (မောင်းမ, "handmaid") were part of the general staff of the palace.[2]
Each tier had further rankings within it. The order of precedence within the topmost tier was:[1]
Rank
Title
Description
1.
Nanmadaw Mibaya Khaunggyi (နန်းမတော် မိဖုရား ခေါင်ကြီး) or Taung Nan Mibaya (တောင်နန်း မိဖုရား)
Chief Queen or Queen of the Southern Palace
2.
Myauk Nan Mibaya (မြောက်နန်း မိဖုရား)
Queen of the Northern Palace
3.
Ale Nan Mibaya (အလယ်နန်း မိဖုရား)
Queen of the Central Palace
4.
Anauk Nan Mibaya (အနောက်နန်း မိဖုရား)
Queen of the Western Palace
Aside from a few rare exceptions, the Queen of the Southern Palace was the official chief queen consort.[note 2] In theory, the chief queen consort alone had the right to a white umbrella and to sit with the King on the royal throne.[3]
Concubines were called Ko-lok-taw (ကိုယ်လုပ်တော်, lit. "one who administers to the royal body") or Chay-daw-din (ခြေတော်တင်, lit. "one on whom the royal feet are placed").[2]
The names of the queens, if known, are given according to their most well known common name, which often happens to be the primary name used by the royal chronicles. The chronicle reported names of the queens may be their popular/commonly known name (e.g., Pwa Saw, Nanmadaw Me Nu); formal title (e.g., Agga Mahethi, Sanda Dewi); personal name (e.g., Shin Bo-Me, Yun San); or generic name of the office (Hanthawaddy Mibaya, "Queen of Hanthawaddy"; or Myauk Pyinthe, "Queen of the Northern Palace"). Finally, the names of the queens with no known records are given as "(Unknown)".
The "Became consort" and "Ceased to be consort" dates indicate the period in which a given queen was in the role of royal consort—not the duration of marriage.
^(Than Tun 1964: 129): The Pagan period (849–1297) term for Nan Mibaya was Pyinthe (ပြင်သည်), and the term Usaukpan (ဦးဆောက်ပန်း) also meant the chief queen. (Harvey 1925: 327): Usaukpan was an Old Burmese direct translation of PaliVatamsaka, an artificial flower of silver or gold used as a hair ornament.
^In Burma Proper, it was extremely rare for a queen of the Southern Palace to not also be the chief queen. According to the rankings reported in the chronicles, Sithu II (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 287) and Nanda (Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 107) had South Queens who were not their chief queen. In the Mrauk-U Kingdom on the west coast, three kings—Min Khamaung (RRT Vol. 2 1999: 87, 89), Thado (RRT Vol. 2 1999: 115), Sanda Thaditha (RRT Vol. 2 1999: 147, 149)—had South Queens who were not their chief queen.
^Chronicles (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 267–268) mention Agga Mahethi and Manisanda as Anawrahta's two senior queens towards the end of his reign. Per (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 255–256), Queen Saw Mon Hla was sent back to her native land about six years before his death.
^See (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 279) for Kyansittha's four senior queens. (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 283) says Thanbula showed up with Kyansittha's son at the palace after the king had anointed Sithu I as heir apparent, and that the king raised her to queen with the title of Usaukpan, which meant the chief queen. Since Sithu I was born in 1090, she could have come in the 1090s at the earliest. Her getting the title probably meant the first chief queen Apeyadana had died. But Queen Apeyadana was still alive in 1102; it means Thanbula probably came to the palace in the 1100s.
^(Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 287): All four of Sithu's senior queens (not just the chief queen) participated in his coronation ceremony. The South Queen, Taung Pyinthe, technically should have been the chief queen but the royal chronicles list her fourth in line behind Yadanabon, Ti Lawka Sanda Dewi and Yazakumari. Later, Sanda Dewi succeeded Yadanabon as chief queen. (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 287, 302): Late in his regin, Sithu II raised two other queens: Khin U and Princess Pabhavati of Padeikkaya. Though the chronicles do not explicitly say they were senior queens, they probably graduated to the rank, especially toward the end of the reign. His remaining three senior queens probably might not have lived as long as the king who lived to 77.
^None of the main chronicles has a record of the names of the queens of Narathu. Yazawin Thit (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 122) explicitly says no records of his queens could be found. Yazawin Thit and Hmannan (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 312) mention only that Naratheinkha and Sithu II had the same mother. Per scholarship, (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 124, footnote 2, citing Than Tun), their mother was the North Queen. It means there was a South Queen.
^See (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 312) and (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 124) for the names of the Chief and North queens; and (Than Tun 1964: 129) for Saw Ahlwan (Saw Hteikhta in Modern Burmese per Than Tun).
^Per (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 317), Sithu II took all his brother's senior queens as his at the start of his reign. Per inscriptional evidence (Than Tun 1964: 129), the king had at least six senior queens during his reign. Queen Weluwaddy died in 1186 per (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 321). Sithu II kept separate chief and South queens at least with Weluwaddy and Min Aung Myat.
^Chronicles do not mention Naratheinga Uzana as king at all. Per (Than Tun 1964: 131–132), contemporary inscriptions say that Uzana, who was crown prince, was now the ruler or at least the regent. Some historians such as Htin Aung (Htin Aung 1970: 43) and Michael Aung-Thwin (Aung-Thwin and Aung-Thwin 2012: 99) do not accept that Uzana was king.
^Chronicles (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 358) mention Pwa Saw as the only senior queen and the rest as junior queens. Per inscriptional evidence (Ba Shin 1982: 37), Pwa Saw's sister Yadanabon was the first chief queen of Narathihapate.
^Chronicles (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 360) mention only Saw Soe as the senior queen. But inscriptional evidence (Ba Shin 1982: 41–43) shows Saw Thitmahti was the chief queen, certainly by 1296.
^(Than Tun 1959: 125–126): An inscription dated 28 February 1409 by Queen Saw says she was a granddaughter of King Swa Saw Ke by Shin Saw Gyi. Per (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 440), Shin Saw (known as Hsinbyushin), Saw Khway and Min Pyan were sisters.
^(Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 111): Yazawin Thit gives Mi Pongyi of Prome as the third senior queen but Hmannan rejects it.
^Salin Minthami became co-chief queen in c. 1485/86 per (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 111), and chief queen in 1501 per (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 120).
^(Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 120): Min Taya Hnamadaw of Yamethin became queen soon after her father Minye Kyawswa's death in Waso 863 ME (15 June 1501 to 14 July 1501). (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 121): Dhamma Dewi of Pakhan and Taungdwin Mibaya became queens in Tabaung 863 ME (6 February 1502 to 7 March 1502). See (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 136–137) for the complete list of senior queens and issue.
^The main royal chronicles do not have any record of the chief queens of Ava between 1527 and 1551. The title of the chief queen of Shan states was Maha Dewi, certainly by the Toungoo period.
^See (Pan Hla 2005: 44–45, 47) for a list of Binnya U's queens. (Pan Hla 2005: 57): Queen Sanda Min Hla II died during the rebellion by Byattaba during the 1360s. (Pan Hla 2005: 61): Thiri Maya Dewi died soon after having given birth to Razadarit.
^(Pan Hla 2005: 158–160): Tala Mi Daw, the first wife of Razadarit, was never his chief queen. Per (Pan Hla 2005: 193), she committed suicide soon after Razadarit's coronation ceremony c. March 1391. According to Razadarit Ayedawbon (Pan Hla 2005: 203), Piya Yaza Dewi died, and Razadarit raised Yaza Dewi, Lawka Dewi and Thiri Maya Dewi as queens c. Kason 755 ME (11 April 1393 to 10 May 1393) soon after King Swa Saw Ke's campaign near Tharrawaddy. But Hmannan Yazawin (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 432) says Swa's campaign took place a year earlier. (Pan Hla 2005: 241, 266): Razadarit also raised two other queens Saw Pyei Chantha and her mother Shin Mi-Nauk in 1408 in addition to Saw Pyei Chantha's aunt Thupaba Dewi who was sent over to Razadarit in a marriage of state in 1403.
^Shin Sawbu was the country's only historically verifiable queen regnant. According to Arakanese history (RRT Vol. 2 1999: 18–19), Saw Yin Mi was queen regnant of Sandoway (Thandwe) in the 1430s.
^Ran's most senior queens in April 1495 per (Aung-Thwin 2017: 278–279). It is unclear if any of the queens lasted his entire reign.
^The only known queen of Taka Yut Pi in the chronicles was Minkhaung Medaw (known as Pegu Mibaya). But she most likely could not have been the chief queen. Per Hmannan (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 195–196), Minkhaung Medaw was sent to Pegu (Bago) as part of the formation of an alliance between Prome and Pegu against Toungoo.
^See (RRT Vol. 2 1999: 29, 34) for Saw Min Hla and Saw Kauk Ma. Rakhine Razawin Thit (RRT Vol. 2 1999: 33) says Minkhaung Medaw was presented by King Tabinshwehti on 27 February 1547. But per (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 195–196), she was sent to Mrauk-U c. 1540 by King Minkhaung of Prome.
^(RRT Vol. 2 1999: 46): Saw Thanda's official title during Saw Hla's reign was Tanzaung Mibaya.
^(RRT Vol. 2 1999: 47): Dhamma Dewi died sometime between Thadingyut 927 (5 October to 2 November 1565) and Thadingyut 930 (1 October to 29 October 1568), and was succeeded by Saw Thanda.
^Phalaung's queens apparently were not ranked according to tradition. Per (RRT Vol. 2 1999: 48), Saw Mi Taw was the chief queen, followed by Saw Thanda the South Queen. The third ranked queen Shin Lat was officially "Nan Htet Mibaya" (နန်းထက် မိဖုရား), "Queen of the Exalted Palace"), followed by Saw U the North Queen.
^The chronicle Rakhine Razawin Thit (RRT Vol. 2 1999: 87) says Raza II had nine senior queens during his reign but gives only six names. "Nine" was most likely a typographical/copying error since Burmese numerals six (၆) and nine (၉) are very similar. Khin Ma Hnaung's official title was Tanzaung Mibaya (တန်ဆောင်း မိဖုရား, "Queen of the Royal Hall"), which was likely the title of the second ranked queen. (Saw Thanda, the second ranked queen, during Saw Hla's reign was also Tanzaung Mibaya per (RRT Vol. 2 1999: 46). Similarly, Nan Htet Mibaya apparently was the title of the third ranked queen; Thupaba Dewi, the third ranked queen of Raza II, was Nan Htet Mibaya. Furthermore, the chronicle does not mention if any of the queens lived to the end of Raza II's reign. The chief queen presumably made it since there is no mention of other chief queens.
^Another case of the South Queen not being the chief per (RRT Vol. 2 1999: 115)
^(RRT Vol. 2 1999: 118): Several people, including queens, concubines and their attendants, died during a major fire at the palace on 16 February 1686. Presumably, Thukomma survived the fire since the chronicle reports no other chief queen of Wara.
^(RRT Vol. 2 1999: 119–120): The Palace Guards installed and removed their puppet kings Wara Dhamma, Mani Thudhamma and Sanda Thuriya I, as they pleased.
^(Sein Lwin Lay 2006: 127, footnote 2): According to Sein Lwin Lay, Tabinshwehti may not have had a chief queen in the formal sense that he never formally had a formal coronation ceremony with any of his queens; and Khay Ma Naw, whom the king married at the 1545 coronation, nonetheless was not mentioned as his chief queen either.
^This is a rare instance where the South Queen was not the chief queen. The two standard chronicles Maha Yazawin (Maha Yazawin Vol. 3 2006: 103) and Hmannan Yazawin (Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 107) both say that Min Phyu, Min Htwe and Min Pu were South, Center and North Queens, respectively, while Hanthawaddy was the chief queen. Yazawin Thit (Yazawin Thit Vol. 2 2012: 239) omits the ranks of Min Phyu and Min Htwe, and confirms only that Thiri Yaza Dewi was the North Queen. All chronicles list Min Taya Medaw as the fifth senior queen but do not say when she became a senior queen. She certainly should have become a senior queen after the death of Min Phyu in 1596.
^Chronicles, which regard Minye Deibba as a usurper, do not list any of his "queens". Per (Hmannan Vol. 3: 189), Khin Hnin Paw was his lover. Presumably, she was his "queen" during his short reign.
^(Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 289): Narawara had no queens or concubines whatsoever.
^(Lieberman 1984: 215–216): Smim Htaw came to power on 8 December [O.S. 27 November] 1740. Hmannan (Hmannan Vol. 3 2003: 373) says the Lord of Chiang Mai sent his daughter soon after.
^Chronicles (Konbaung Set Vol. 1 simply call Binnya Dala's chief queen Hanthawaddy Shin Mibaya (lit. Queen of Hanthawaddy). Her title or personal name is not known. (Konbaung Set Vol. 1 2004: 187): Thiri Zeya Mingala Dewi, Princess of Manipur, became Binnya Dala's queen after the fall of Ava (Inwa) on 22 March 1752. She came along with Gen. Dalaban who submitted to Alaungpaya on 9th waxing of Pyatho 1118 ME (29 December 1756). She later became a concubine of Alaungpaya per (Konbaung Set Vol. 1 2004: 197).
^(Konbaung Set Vol. 3 2004: 323, 344–345): Su Paya Gyi's nominal reign as chief queen officially ended at the coronation ceremony held at the start of Thingyan (new year's festival) of 1241 ME.
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