The military strength figures in this article have been reduced by an order of magnitude from those reported in the chronicles, following G.E. Harvey's and Victor Lieberman's analyses of Burmese chronicles' military strength figures in general.[note 3]
Invasion of Ava (1401–1402)
Circa 15 November 1401,[note 4] Hanthawaddy forces led by King Razadarit invaded Ava by land and by river.
Hanthawaddy Pegu
The Razadarit Ayedawbon chronicle provides the most detailed description of Pegu's order of battle: (1) a naval invasion force (~5000 to 7000 troops)[note 5] that sailed up to Ava, (2) a 3000-strong army that laid siege to Prome (Pyay), and (3) an army of unknown strength that guarded the capital Pegu (Bago).[1] The main royal chronicles provide higher figures, ranging from 6000 troops and 500 war boats (Yazawin Thit)[2] to 16,000 troops and 300 war boats (Maha Yazawin and Hmannan Yazawin).[3][4]
The Maha Yazawin chronicle (1724) names 12 forts along the Irrawaddy river to face the invasion forces.[3] The Yazawin Thit (1798) mentions only Prome, Ava, Myede, and Pagan in its narrative,[2] and the Hmannan Yazawin (1832) repeats the Maha Yazawin's account.[4]
Furthermore, the Ava court claimed that the kingdom's defensive network included over 50 fortified towns whose rulers were loyal to Minkhaung. According to Michael Aung-Thwin, the forts were "strategically arranged throughout the kingdom so that each town was within one day's or two days' march of another."[5] The following are the lists reported in the three main chronicles.
Of the 17 Southern Division fortifications reported in the Maha Yazawin,[6] at least twelve are located in the Ava capital region, not in the south. Indeed, the Yazawin Thit omits the twelve and reports only five in the Southern Division. Furthermore, it omits the Ngasingu fort, and keeps just the nearby Singu fort in the Irrawaddy Division.[7] The Hmannan Yazawin largely follows the Maha Yazawin's list, excluding the fort at Pin, while keeping the nearby Natmauk fort.[8] Note that Michael Aung-Thwin gives a total of 53 forts, citing the Maha Yazawin,[9] even though it is the Hmannan's list that sums up to 53.
Battle of Sale (April 1402)
Chronicles do provide little information with regard to the units involved. The Razadarit Ayedawbon mentions Smin Upakaung the Younger as a cavalry commander in the Hanthawaddy detachment from the retreating Hanthawaddy navy that tried to raid Sale. The main chronicles say two cavalry battalions sent down from Ava defended the town.[10][11][12]
The following is the Hanthawaddy order of battle as listed in the Yazawin Thit chronicle.[14] The Maha Yazawin and Hmannan chronicles mention only Razadarit, Dein Mani-Yut and Byat Za as commanders.[15][16] The Razadarit Ayedawbon only says that a combined land and naval forces reinvaded again, right after the new year, without listing an order of battle.[17]
The battle of Nawin took place on 26 December 1402.[note 10] It was the last battle of the war. Peace negotiations began about 10 days after the battle, c. 5 January 1403.[21]
Ava
None of the main royal chronicles provides a specific order battle for Ava, except to say that the army included regiments from the Shan states.[22][23] According to the Razadarit Ayedawbon and Yazawin Thit chronicles, the remnants of the Vanguard Army defeated in the battle of Thaymathauk also joined the main army.[24][19]
^See (Pan Hla 2005: 205–206, 224, 227–228) for the orders of battle. See (Pan Hla 2005: 222, 223, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229) all of which refer to the "Burmese language manuscript", which by Pan Hla means the Burmese language Razadarit Ayedawbon chronicle.
^See (Harvey 1925: 333–335)'s "Numerical Note". (Lieberman 2014: 98) writing on the First Toungoo period concurs: "Military mobilizations were probably more of a boast than a realistic estimate. Modern industrial states have difficulty placing 10% of their people under arms."
^(Pan Hla 2005: 205, footnote 2): Tuesday, 9th waxing of Nadaw 763 ME = Monday, 14 November 1401. If it was on a Tuesday, the date should be 15 November 1401.
^(Pan Hla 2005: 205, footnote 1): In the Binnya Dala's version of the chronicle, referred to as "the Burmese language version" by the editor Nai Pan Hla, the troop strength of the naval invasion force was at most 5000 strong. Nonetheless, Pan Hla used "70,000 troops" in the main text (Pan Hla 2005: 205), which translates to 7000 troops after adjusting by an order of magnitude per (Harvey 1925: 333–335).
^ abcdefghijUnless otherwise stated, the military mobilization figures in this article are reduced by an order of magnitude from those reported in the royal chronicles, per G.E. Harvey's analysis in his History of Burma (1925) in the section Numerical Note (pp. 333–335).
^(Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 318) identifies the commanders as Baya Gamani and Yazathingyan. (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 218) says the commanders were the brothers Nga Chit Swe and Nga Chit Thin. (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 455–456) follows the Maha Yazawin's narrative.
^(Pan Hla 2005: 224) says Minkhaung sent 30,000 troops to relieve the siege of Prome.
^According to Pan Hla's version of the Razadarit Ayedawbon (Pan Hla 2005: 225), the Hanthawaddy strength figures were: 30,000 troops and 70 war elephants.
^(Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 220, footnote 3): Tuesday, 3rd waxing of Tabodwe 764 ME = 26 December 1402
