Pagan Min

Infobox Monarch
name=Pagan Min
title=King
reign=Konbaung Dynasty:1846 - 1853
predecessor=Tharrawaddy Min
successor=Mindon Min
queen=Min Shwe Kyucite web|url=http://www.royalark.net/Burma/konbau15.htm|title=The Royal Ark:Burma - The Konbaung Dynasty 15|first=Christopher|last=Buyers|accessdate=2007-04-21]
consort=
dynasty=Konbaung Dynasty
father=Tharrawaddy Min
mother=Min Myat Shwe [cite web|url=http://www.royalark.net/Burma/konbau12.htm|title=The Royal Ark:Burma - The Konbaung Dynasty 12|first=Christopher|last=Buyers|accessdate=2007-04-21]
date of birth=June 211811
place of birth=Amarapura
date of death=March 141880
place of death=Ava|

Pagan Min (born June 21 1811, Amarapura, Kingdom of Ava, died March 14 1880 Ava), was king of Ava (1846-53) in today's Myanmar and formerly Burma. He was the ninth ruler of the Konbaung dynasty. Born Maung Biddhu Khyit, he was granted the title of Prince of Pagan (Pagan Min) by his father Tharrawaddy Min in August 1842. Pagan Min became king when Tharrawaddy died on 17 November 1846, with the formal title of His Majesty "Pyinsama Thangayana-tin Sri Pawara Vijaya Nanda Jatha Maha Dharma Rajadhiraja Pagan Min Taya-gyi". He married 18 times.

Pagan Min won the power struggle to succeed his father by having his rival brothers killed. His chief ministers Maung Baing Zat and Maung Bhein enriched themselves by executing rich subjects.cite web|url= http://www.san.beck.org/20-8-BurmaMalaya1800-1950.html|title=Burma, Malaya and Siam 1800-1950|author=Sanderson Beck|accessdate=2007-04-22]

The Second Anglo-Burmese War broke out during the reign of Pagan Min. In 1851 the governor of Pegu, Maung Ok, charged the captains of two British merchant ships with murder, embezzlement, and evading custom duties. He forced them to pay several hundred rupees before being allowed to return to Kolkata. After receiving their complaints, Lord Dalhousie, the governor-general of British India, sent an emissary to the king requesting compensation and the dismissal of Maung Ok. Pagan complied by replacing Maung Ok, but on January 6 1852, when the new governor declined to meet with a British delegation, all British subjects were evacuated and the coast blockaded. Within days British warships were firing on Yangon. On February 7, Pagan wrote Dalhousie to protest against the acts of aggression. On February 13, Dalhousie sent an ultimatum to the king, demanding the equivalent of £100,000 as compensation for the British war expenses, to be paid by April 1. Pagan chose to ignore the ultimatum, and a few days after it expired British troops invaded Burmese territory. Britain annexed the province of Pegu in December.

Pagan Min’s half brother Mindon Min opposed the war; he fled with his brother Ka Naung to Shwebo and raised the standard of rebellion. After a few weeks of fighting, Pagan’s chief minister Magwe Mingyi went over to Mindon’s side and Pagan Min abdicated on February 18, 1853, in favour of Mindon. Mindon allowed Pagan to live, and released all the European prisoners. Mindon sued for peace with the British but refused to sign a treaty ceding Burmese territory.

References

External links

* [http://www.rulers.org/indexp1.html Rulers] B Schemmel