Taingda Mingyi U Pho
Taingda Mingyi U Pho (taingdah minjee) was an influential Burmese official of the royal courts of King Mindon and King Thibaw during the Konbaung dynasty.[1][2] He was the most powerful official in the royal court and had held several government positions, including minister of war and minister of interior.[3]
Life
Maung Pho born into a family of noble who served in Kingdom of Mrauk U since the reign of King Bodawpaya. His father, Maha Mingyi Kyawswa, was the minister of Thandwe. His date of birth is not known. He was appointed to the position of royal tea official (လက်ဖက်ရည်တော်) shortly after King Mindon ascended to the throne. Later he held several positions, such as second-in-command of the military unit for Salin, Saku, Kyapin, and Legaing; governor of Mindon and seven hill districts, and count of Monglon.[4][5]
He played a major role in the massacre of upward of 100 members of the royal family; it was an edict by Queen Hsinbyumashin that ordered almost all possible heirs to the throne to be killed, so that her daughter Supayalat and son-in-law Thibaw Min would become queen and king. When King Thibaw ascended to the throne, he was appointed as the Thuye wun (commander-in-chief of ground forces) with the title of Mingyi Minkhaung Maha Kyawhtin on 23 November 1878.[6] On 22 January 1879, he was promoted to the minister of interior and granted the appanage of Taingda (a town between Sidoktaya and Minbu) and and was therefore known as Taingda Mingyi. In 1882, he was promoted to Agga Maha Thenapati wungyi (high minister of hluttaw), while also serving as Thameedaw wun (minister of the royal daughter).[4]
Under British colonial rule, Taingda Mingyi served as a civil servant in the British administration alongside Kinwon Mingyi.[7] He became one of the first two indigenous Burmese to be appointed to the Legislative Council of Burma. However, the British authorities did not believe him and therefore detained and exiled him to India.[8]
References
- ^ Wills, Arthur Winkler (1905). Sunny Days in Burma. Midland Counties Herald Press.
- ^ Shah, Sudha (2012-06-14). The King In Exile: The Fall Of The Royal Family Of Burma. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-93-5029-598-4.
- ^ Fielding, Harold (1899). Thibaw's Queen. Harper.
- ^ a b Mranʻ māʹ lvatʻ lapʻ reʺ kruiʺ pamʻʺ mhu samuiṅʻʺ: Mranʻ mā tuiṅʻʺ raṅʻʺ sāʺ tuiʹ e* lakʻ nakʻ cvai kuiṅʻ toʻ lhanʻ reʺ, 1885-1895 (in Burmese). ʾA chaṅʻʹ mraṅʻʹ Paññā Ūʺ cīʺ Ṭhāna. 1986.
- ^ Preschez, Philippe (1976). Kunʻʺ bhoṅʻ khetʻ praṅʻ sacʻ mranʻ mā chakʻ chaṃ reʺ samuiṅʻʺ (in Burmese). Cā pe Bimānʻ.
- ^ Takkasuilʻ paññā padesā (in Burmese). Takkasuilʻ Myāʺ ʼUpʻ Khyupʻ Reʺ Ruṃʺ. 1969.
- ^ Ṅve tā rī maggajaṅʻʺ (in Burmese). Ūʺ Ēi Moṅʻ. 1979.
- ^ Kranʻ (Daw) (1978). Padesarājʻ Mranʻ mā nuiṅʻ ṅaṃ e* jātʻ simʻʺ (in Burmese). Nuiṅʻ ṅaṃ Samuiṅʻʺ Sutesana Ūʺ cīʺ Ṭhāna, Yañʻ kyeʺ mhu Vanʻ krīʺ Ṭhāna.