The orders of battles for Ava in this article are sourced from the main royal chronicles—the Maha Yazawin, the Yazawin Thit and the Hmannan Yazawin, which primarily narrate the war from the Ava side.[note 1] The orders of battle for Hanthawaddy Pegu are mainly sourced from Nai Pan Hla's version of the Razadarit Ayedawbon, which has incorporated narratives of the Pak Lat Chronicles.[note 2] The Rakhine Razawin Thit, which narrate from the Arakanese perspective, is the only chronicle that mentions the subsequent campaigns in Arakan between the two armies, after the initial Hanthawaddy invasion.[1]
Adjustment of strength figures
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]
The Capital Defense Corps was in charge of defending the Ava capital region. The Prome Defense Corps consisted of 12 battalions from the nearby regions, and were responsible for safeguarding Prome itself as well as the supply lines to the front.[6][7][8]
The following lists the order of battle of the remaining Hanthawaddy army in the home country. Note that the regimental commanders are as those reported in the three main chronicles;[10][7][11] the Razadarit does not provide a commander list.[12] At least two notable differences in reporting exist:
The main chronicles list Smin Maw-Khwin, one of the two commanders of the Arakan Expeditionary Strike Force, as one of the commanders in the main Hanthawaddy army.[10][7][11] This means he had gotten back from Arakan. However, according to the Rakhine Razawin Thit, Maw-Khwin remained in Launggyet (until he was driven back by an Ava army later in the year).[1]
The main chronicles say Smin Ye-Thin-Yan was one of the commanders of the opposing army[10][7][11] while the Razadarit says he was in charge of the Capital Defense Corps in Pegu.[13] Both narratives are not mutually exclusive: Ye-Thin-Yan's regiment may have stayed behind to guard the capital.
The following is the orders of battle of the two Hanthawaddy armies as reported in the main chronicles; the first army's job was to pursue Minkhaung's main army while that of the second army was to pursue the Ava Rearguard Army.[17] However, the Razadarit Ayedawbon does not mention a second army (organized under a single commander), and says Smin Ye-Thin-Yan remained in charge of the Capital Defense Corps at Pegu.[13]
According to the Rakhine Razawin Thit chronicle, Ava forces led by the lord of Myinsaing drove out the combined Hanthawaddy and Launggyet forces. However, a new Hanthawaddy force returned, and drove out the Ava army out of Launggyet. An Ava regiment remained in Arakan at Nga-Khway-Thaung Taung for another three years, until it too was driven out by another Hanthawaddy army.[1]
^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."
^ abcdefghijklUnless 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).
The Razadarit Ayedawbon gives 5000 troops with "several" cavalry and elephants for the strength of the first army, and the same for the second army. The commanders of the two armies were Smin Paik-Nye and Smin Maw-Khwin, respectively. It does not mention Byat Za (or Dein) as part of the expedition force in any capacity at all.[2]
The Maha Yazawin says the overall strike force consisted of 40,000 troops and 300 elephants, and the commander-in-chief was Gen. Byat Za.[3]
The Yazawin Thit gives 40,000 troops and 200 elephants as the overall strength.[4]
The Hmannan Yazawin says 40,000 troops and 100 elephants for the overall strike force, commanded by Byat Za.[5]
^None of the chronicles provide any prewar strength figures for Ava's Arakan Area forces. The Razadarit says the victorious Hanthawaddy forces captured over 3000 troops (i.e. 300 troops, adjusted down).[2]
The Razadarit, which reports from Hanthawaddy's perspective, estimates the enemy's strength as 15,000 troops, 600 cavalry and 60 elephants.[9]
One key difference is that the Yazawin Thit says Crown Prince Minye Kyawswa did not go to the front, rather he remained at Ava to lead the Capital Defense Corps[7] whereas both the Maha Yazawin and Hmannan chronicles say Minye Kyawswa did go to the front.[6][8]
^The Maha Yazawin, Yazawin Thit and Hmannan chronicles report 40,000 troops, 2000 cavalry and 200 elephants for the Tatmadaw.[6][7][8]
^All three main chronicles say the Capital Defense Corps consisted of four regiments. The Maha Yazawin says Prince Thihathu was the overall commander[6] while the Yazawin Thit says Crown Prince Minye Kyawswa was in charge.[7] The Hmannan sides with the Maha Yazawin.[8]
^Chronicles do not mention the overall commander of the Prome Defense Corps. It was not Gov. Letya Pyanchi, who went to the front in the vanguard army.[6][7][8]
The Razadarit reports 80,000 troops, 600+ elephants.[12] It does not report commander names. Smin Ye-Thin-Yan was in charge of the Capital Defense Corps.[13]
The Maha Yazawin, Yazawin Thit and Hmannan give 10 regiments, 80,000 troops, 3000 cavalry, 200 elephants[10][7][11]
^Per the main chronicles.[17][15][16] The Razadarit does not reports only the army that chased Minkhaung's army.[13]
^The main chronicles say the 2nd Army consisted of six regiments, including one led by Smin Ye-Thin-Yan.[17][15][16] The Razadarit does not list the 2nd Army or its commanders but does say that Ye-Thin-Yan remained in charge of the Capital Defense Corps in Pegu.[13]
^The Rakhine Razawin Thit says it was Min Khayi that accompanied the Hanthwaddy army.[1] However, the main chronicles and the Razadarit all say Min Saw Mon was still in charge of Launggyet in early 1411 when he faced Minye Kyawswa's invasion army for a second time.[18][19][20][21]
