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Setkya Dewi
Chief Queen of Burma From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thiri Pawara Atula Tilawka Maha Yazeinda Adhipati Yadana Dewi (Pali: Sīripavara Atulatiloka Mahārājindādhipati Ratanādevī; Burmese: သီရိပဝရ အတုလတိလောက မဟာရာဇိန္ဒာဓိပတိ ရတနာဒေဝီ; born Supaya; 22 December 1813 – 12 November 1876), commonly known as Setkya Dewi (Burmese: စကြာဒေဝီ; Pali: Cakrādevī), was the chief queen of Mindon Min of the Konbaung Kingdom from 1853 until her death in 1876. A daughter of Tharrawaddy Min, she was designated Princess Tabindaing (chief queen designate) during her father’s reign and held the senior female position at court under both Tharrawaddy and Mindon.
Educated at the Amarapura court, Setkya Dewi was noted for her learning in astrology, traditional Burmese Bedin,[nb 1] the Vedas, Western astronomy, and the English language. British contemporaries described her as an erudite “bluestocking”, and foreign envoys frequently presented her with scientific and astronomical instruments. As Thameedawgyi and later Hnamadaw, she acted as a political adviser, held extensive appanages, and uniquely received the Jīvita Dāna (Life Release) honour, which empowered her to commute death sentences.
As chief queen consort, Setkya Dewi played a central role in the ceremonial and religious life of the Konbaung court, participating in major coronation rites, merit-making projects, and acts of royal clemency. She died in 1876 after a prolonged illness and was honoured with a state funeral and a royal tomb within the grounds of the Mandalay Palace.
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Early life and education
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Setkya Dewi was born Supaya on 22 December 1813 at the House of Thayet in the Amarapura Palace, Amarapura, during the reign of her great-grandfather King Bodawpaya.[1] Her father, the Prince of Thayet (later Tharrawaddy Min),[nb 2] was a son of Crown Prince Thado Minsaw, Prince of Shwedaung and the Princess of Taungdwingyi.[2] Her mother, the Princess of Kyapin, was the daughter of Thiha Thura Maha Dhamma Yaza, Viceroy of Pagan, and Min Shwe Nan, a daughter of Hsinbyushin and his chief queen.[2] Setkya Dewi had seven siblings, five of whom died young; her elder brother was Pagan Min, who later abdicated in favour of her husband, Mindon Min.[3]
Setkya Dewi was educated at home, and her strongest subject was astrology.[4] She studied both the traditional Burmese Bedin and the Vedas.[5] She learned English under her grandfather, the Prince of Mekkhaya,[6] and acquired knowledge of Western astronomy from Charles Lane, an English merchant.[6] She was highly regarded by British visitors, who frequently brought her gifts related to her scientific interests.[4] In a letter to Major Arthur Phayre on 21 May 1853, Lord Dalhousie described her as “the Queen with such very blue stockings”.[7] When Phayre arrived at the Amarapura court on 17 September 1855, he presented her with a telescope.[8][9]
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Thameedawgyi (1837–1846)
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Upon the abdication of her paternal uncle Sagaing Min following a forty-day[10] palace revolution that began on 24 February 1837,[11] her father ascended the throne on 30 April that year.[12][13] Setkya Dewi consequently assumed the position of Thameedawgyi[nb 3] (the equivalent of Princess Royal).[14] On 31 May 1837, she was granted the appanages of Sagaing, Myede, Kyangin, Dala, and Tharrawaddy.[15]
Acting as an adviser to her father,[16] she was bestowed the newly established honour of Jīvita Dāna (Burmese: အသက်ဒါနဆု, Athet Dāna Hsu; lit. 'Life release award'), granting her authority to acquit individuals on death row.[17][18] She retained this prerogative into the reign of Mindon Min.[1] She was the first and only princess in Burmese history to receive such an honour.[5] Through her intervention, approximately fourteen people were absolved of their guilt,[6] including Sagaing Min,[1] Myawaddy Mingyi U Sa,[19] Hsinbyumashin,[20] Yaw Mingyi U Pho Hlaing, and Hlaing Hteik Khaung Tin.[21]
At her father's Rājjābhiseka coronation ceremony, held from 10 to 12 July 1840—a date chosen by her—[5] Setkya Dewi was conferred the title Thiri Pawara Tilawka Yadana Mingala Dewi (Pali: Sīripavara Tiloka Ratanā Maṅgalā Devī; Burmese: သီရိပဝရ တိလောကရတနာ မင်္ဂလာဒေဝီ).[22] She was styled Princess Tabindaing and designated by her father as the future chief queen of the next monarch.[1][nb 4]
Ear-boring ceremony
A festival honouring the kaṇṇavijjhana maṅgalā (ear-boring ceremony) of Setkya Dewi was held from 8 to 28 November 1840 in Amarapura, beginning with a Thingyandaw bathing rite.[23] At around 8:00 a.m. on 11 November, a ceremony performing the ear-boring, hair-knotting, shawl-wrapping, and necklace-wearing rites for Setkya Dewi took place before the Bhamarāsana Throne in the Glass Palace.[23]
She was accompanied by Thiri Thu Myatswa Yadana Dewi, Princess of Hlaing, Thiri Thu Manla Wadi, Princess of Pindale, Thiri Thu Nanda Wadi, Princess of Yinge, Thiri Pabawadi, Princess of Taungtha, Thiri Thama Wadi, Princess of Nyaung-oke, and Thiri Athawadi, Princess of Saw-hla, who served as her maids of honour. A simultaneous hair-knotting and ear-boring service was conducted for Thado Minye Kyawhtin, Prince of Padein; Thado Minye Kyawgaung, Prince of Tayoke-myaw; and Thado Minye Kyawswa, Prince of Mindat.[23]
As part of the ceremony, forty-two prisoners were released. Bolts of paso, gaung baung, and cotton cloth were distributed to princes, ministers, counsellors, su-yays[nb 5], and su-gaings[nb 6]. Additionally, pasos, htameins, gaung baungs, scarves, and towels were given in charity to attendees.[23]
On 28 December 1840, at the Southern Samote Hall,[nb 7] food offerings were made to 1,200 monks from surrounding kyaungs. Further offerings were made to 1,000 monks on 3 January 1841.[24]
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Hnamadaw (1846–1853)
Her brother Pagan Min acceded to the throne following the death of Tharrawaddy Min on 17 November 1846,[25] and Setkya Dewi therefore became Hnamadaw[nb 8] while retaining her position as Princess Tabindaing.[26] At the opening ceremony of the royal hti and throne on 27 February 1847, she was granted the appanages of Sagaing, Singu, Kyaukmyaung, Myede, Kyangin, Tharrawaddy, Dala, and Taungoo.[27]
The king further entrusted her with the duty of caring for the Queen Mother on his behalf.[28][29] Maha Thiha Minhtin was appointed hnamadaw-wun[nb 9] to serve as her private secretary.[28][29]
Queen consort (1853–1876)
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In the aftermath of the Second Anglo–Burmese War, Mindon Min ascended the throne following a succession conflict with his half-brother Pagan Min. Mindon Min and his brother Kanaung Min, accompanied by their immediate family and retainers,[30] left the capital through Laygyun Gate of the northernmost front moat after 6 p.m. on 18 December 1852.[31] They fled to Shwebo, the ancestral seat of King Alaungpaya,[32] arriving shortly after midday on 21 December 1852.[33]
The succession dispute was resolved on 17 February 1853,[34] with Pagan Min being overthrown and placed under house arrest.[30] Setkya Dewi, the Queen Mother, Ayeedaw[nb 10] Myingun Mibaya, Thiri Tilawka Maha Yadana Dewi, the Princess of Hlaing, the Princess of Pindale, and the Princess of Yinge were brought to pandals in the court of Shwebo on 10 March 1853.[35]
Around 1:36 a.m. on 26 March, Setkya Dewi was installed as the chief queen consort in front of the Great Audience Hall.[35] During the ugindaw bwint (lit. 'opening of the royal palace') ceremony of 16 June 1854 at the Amarapura Palace, she assumed the regnal title Thiri Pawara Maha Yazeinda Yadana Dewi.[36] She was two years older than her husband, and Mindon Min referred to her affectionately as Amadaw or Ma-phaya (lit. 'Royal elder sister').[1] Their coronation ceremony was held on 14 May 1857 at the newly built Mandalay Palace.[37]
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Illness and death
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On 26 August 1876, Setkya Dewi fell ill the day after accompanying her husband on a visit to the royal gardens by royal boat.[38] She had previously fallen ill on 7 August that year but recovered after ten days.[38] This second illness proved more serious. Eight physicians, together with her personal doctors Naymyo Thekka Nawratha and Meikhtila Saya, attended her.[38] Their work was supervised by Mingyi Maha Mingaung Thinkhayar, myosa of Hlaingtet and wundauk of Kinnsin, and Mingyi Minhla Maha Sithu, myosa of Wetmasut and minister for Shwepyi.[nb 11][38]
Later, a German physician, Minkyaw Theiddi Bithekka Pyinnnyar, who served as minister for forestry, was added to the medical team.[39] Their brother Pagan Min was also summoned, along with eight golden htis presented by the Myosa of Yaw and the Myosa of Myothit, to the southern royal garden where Setkya Dewi resided.[40]
As acts of merit for her recovery, a budget of 170,000 kyats was allocated from the royal treasury. Sixty-five bridges were repaired, and sixty-five prisoners were released.[39] Beginning on 2 October 1876, daily food offerings were made to sixty-five monks at the Zetawun Hall.[39] Ten sayadaws from the city presided over a three-day recitation of the Paṭṭhāna, Bojjanga Sutta, and Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta, which Setkya Dewi listened to attentively.[39]
Setkya Dewi died on 12 November 1876 at around 11:06 a.m., reportedly while listening to the recitations of the sayadaws.[40]
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State funeral
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The remains of Setkya Dewi were prepared for lying in state, overseen by her sister, the Queen of the Western Palace, together with Mindon Min and Pagan Min.[40] Her body was placed in the coffin on 14 November.[40] A statue of Setkya Dewi was created under the supervision of the Myosa of Khanpet, using 5.55 viss of gold.[41][42] Construction of the royal tomb in the northern royal garden was supervised daily by Mindon Min himself, and the Myosa of Khanpet and the Myosa of Hlaingtet were instructed to oversee the work.[41]
The procession to the royal tomb took place on 2 December 1876. The bier was carried first by the elder princes to the Western Samote Hall, including the Prince of Thonze, the Prince of Mekkhaya, the Prince of Nyaungyan, the Prince of Nyaungok, and the Prince of Thibaw.[41] From there, it was borne by the Prince of Taungnyo, the Prince of Myinsaing, the Prince of Htantabin, and other sons and grandsons of Kanaung Min to the royal tomb.[43] From the tomb itself, the body was carried by the Queen of the Central Palace, the Queen of the Western Palace, and other mibayas and princesses to the funeral pyre.[43]
Mindon Min held royal audience at the royal tomb for three months following her death[43] and thereafter wore white cloth exclusively.[42]
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In popular culture
Her personality and role were adapted into a character in the Thai television drama The Royal Fire, where she was portrayed as Queen Sekkharadevi by Priyanuch Panpradab in 1996 and by Chiranan Manochaem in 2017.[44]
Ancestry
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Notes
- Burmese version of astrology
- Tharrawaddy Min received the appanage of Thayet during Bodawpaya’s reign and of Tharrawaddy during Bagyidaw’s reign.
- The princess so designated is sequestered in a separate palace and remains unmarried, as she is expected to become the chief queen when the heir apparent eventually ascends the throne.
- Minister in charge of the community of gun corps residing in the Shwepyi ward
References
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