Sanda Dewi

Sanda Dewi (Burmese: စန္ဒာဒေဝီ [sàɰ̃dà dèwì]; Pali: Candādevī) was one of the three principal queens of King Bayinnaung of Burma from 1553 to 1581. She was also a queen of the last two kings of Prome Kingdom from 1532 to 1542. She was the maternal grandmother of Natshinnaung, king of Toungoo.

Sanda Dewi စန္ဒာဒေဝီ
Chief queen consort of Burma
Tenure	15 June 1568 – 10 October 1581
Predecessor	Atula Thiri Maha Yaza Dewi
Successor	Hanthawaddy Mibaya
Queen of the Northern Palace
Tenure	April 1553 – 15 June 1568
Predecessor	Khin Myat
Successor	Thiri Yaza Dewi
Chief queen consort of Prome
Tenure	December 1532 – 19 May 1542
Predecessor	Shwe Zin Gon
Successor	Salin Mibaya
Born	1517/1518[note 1] Ava
Died	1580s? Pegu?
Spouse	Narapati of Prome Minkhaung of Prome Bayinnaung
Issue	A son (by Minkhaung) Min Khin Saw (by Bayinnaung)
Names Sanda Dewi Birth name: Thiri Hpone Htut
House	Ava
Father	Narapati II of Ava
Mother	Dhamma Dewi of Ava
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

Brief

The queen was born Thiri Hpone Htut (သီရိဘုန်းထွဋ် [θìɹḭ pʰóʊɰ̃ tʰʊʔ]) to King Shwenankyawshin of Ava and Queen Dhamma Dewi in 1517/1518. After her father was killed in action against the forces of the Confederation of Shan States and the Prome Kingdom on 25 March 1527, the young princess was brought to Prome (Pyay) by King Thado Minsaw of Prome. Later at Prome, she was married to one of Thado Minsaw's grandsons, King Narapati who ruled from 1532 to 1539. After Narapati died, she was married to his younger brother Minkhaung. She had a son with Minkhaung.^[1]

When Prome fell to Toungoo forces in May 1542, the king and queen of Prome were sent to Toungoo. But c. April 1553, Minkhaung was executed for suspicion of plotting against Bayinnaung. Thiri Hpone Htut then became Bayinnaung's queen, with the title of Sanda Dewi.^[2][3] They had a daughter, Khin Saw, who was mother of Natshinnaung, the future rebel king of Toungoo.^[4]

Ancestry

Ancestry of Queen Sanda Dewi
8. Thihathura of Ava 4. Minkhaung II 9. Ameitta Thiri Maha Dhamma Dewi of Ava 2. Narapati II of Ava 10. Thihapate I of Pakhan 5. Atula Thiri Dhamma Dewi of Ava 11. Shwe Einthi of Twinthin 1. Sanda Dewi 12. Thihapate I of Pakhan 6. Thihapate II of Pakhan 13. Shwe Einthi of Twinthin 3. Dhamma Dewi of Ava 7. (unnamed)

In popular culture

She was portrayed by Kanang Damronghat in the 2003 Thai television drama Kasattriya (กษัตริยา) under the name Phra Raja Devi Chandra,^[5][6] and appeared the King Naresuan film series, seated next to King Bayinnaung.^[7][8]

Notes

1. Chronicles (Maha Yazawin Vol. 2 2006: 111) and (Hmannan Vol. 2 2003: 133) say she was 7 (in eighth year) when she was taken prisoner at Ava/Inwa (on 22 March 1525 per (Sein Lwin Lay 2006: 105–106)) to Prome/Pyay.