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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

[December 19] Thibaw Min, king of Burma

Local Name: သီပေါ‌မင်း
Parents: Mindon, king of Burma, and a princess from Laungshe
Date of Birth: 1 January 1859
House: Konbaung
Spouse(s): Supayalat, daughter of Mindon, king of Burma, and Hsinbyumashin
Predecessor: Mindon
Reign: 1878 – 1885
Brief: Early in his life, Thibaw's mother was exiled and the young prince studied Buddhist scriptures furiously to win his father's favor. Eventually, he did, and his father gave him a half-sister, Supayalat, as his wife and future consort. In 1878, most of the royal family was killed in a purge led by Queen Hsinbyumashin, who wanted to secure the throne for her daughter and step-son. Relations with the United Kingdom were tense during Thibaw's reign. Lower Burma was under direct British control, and Britons were banished from the rest of Burma after British diplomats showed disrespect to the king. In 1885, Thibaw called for the recovery of Lower Burma, prompting war with Great Britain. It only took a day for the British to march into the Mandalay Palace and demand the surrender of King Thibaw Min and his government. Cowering, the king surrendered and was forced into exile in India where he spent the rest of his life at a small palace in Ratnagiri on a government pension. Thibaw Min was the last monarch of Burma and some of his descendants, including his eventual heir, once again live in Myanmar (Burma).
Date of Death: 19 December 1916
Successor: Myat Phaya Lat (as pretender)

Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
  • Geta, emperor of Rome (211)
  • Anastasius I, pope of Rome (401)
  • Urban V, pope of Rome (1370)
  • James Louis, pretender to Poland (1737)
  • Abbas II, king of Egypt (1944)

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