Quick Facts
Biography
Saw Zein (Burmese: စောဇိတ်, pronounced: [sɔ́ zeiʔ]; 1303–1330) was the fourth king of the Hanthawaddy Pegu from 1323 to 1330. A nephew of the kingdom's founder King Wareru, Saw Zein succeeded his brother King Saw O in September 1323. He lost the southern territories of Tenasserim coast back to his nominal overlord Sukhothai, and looked to expand his territory northwards. He died in battle in his siege of Prome (Pyay).
Reign
Saw Zein moved the capital of kingdom from Martaban (Mottama) to Pegu (Bago) in the north, leaving Martaban with a strong garrison. It is not clear if the move was precipitated by his overlord Sukhothai's reoccupation of the Tenasserim (Taninthayi) coast. (In a strange twist, his brother Saw O, who was married to a daughter of the king of Sukhothai, had nonetheless occupied the coast down to the city of Tenasserim.) Saw Zein's southern frontier was likely no more than Moulmein (Mawlamyaing).
At Pegu, Saw Zein consolidated his hold over the Irrawaddy delta, and looked to expand northwards into Upper Burma. He died trying. In 1330, he attacked Prome, a strategically located city and appeared to have been held by an independent king, with a large army and flotilla. The king was killed in battle, and his forces were defeated.
Family
When he became king, Saw Zein married his first cousin Sanda Min Hla, daughter of King Hkun Law, and took his brother's chief queen, May Hnin Htapi of Sukhothai.
| Queen | Rank | Issue | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanda Min Hla | Chief queen | Mwei Ne (died young) Maha Dewi I of Hanthawaddy Binnya U, King of Hanthwaddy (r. 1348–84) | |
| May Hnin Htapi | Queen of the Northern Palace | Mi Ma-Hsan, later wife of Byattaba of Martaban Min Linka, Gov. of Pegu |
Saw Zein had at least another daughter, Tala Saw Lun, whose three granddaughters became queens of King Razadarit.