Hsinbyushinme: Queen of the Land "Where Birds Rest and Birds Sleep"

Part of Ancient Chiang Mai

The known history of northern Thailand can most conveniently be divided into six periods-the autochthonous period of pre-history when the indigenous Lawa dominated the region (before about 750AD), the Mon-Haripunchai period when the first known urban civilisation was established at Lamphun (c750-c1250), the Mangrai Dynasty of the Lanna Kingdom (1263-1578), the Period of Burmese Domination (1558-1775), the era of the Chao Chiang Mai (1775-1939), and the modern period of integration within Thailand.

Perhaps because of the long history of hostility between Siam and Burma, dating at least from the beginnings of the Ayutthaya Period down to the British conquest of Upper Burma in 1885 (if not to the present day), amongst the least-known of these periods is that of Burmese Domination, when Chiang Mai and the Lanna Kingdom were political tributaries of, and cultural partners to, the Burmese Kingdoms of Pegu and Ava. Indeed, during much of the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th centuries, Chiang Mai was in many ways closer to Burma than it was to the Siamese Kingdom of Ayutthaya.

Yet this period is not so very far in the past. In 1558 when King Bayinnaung of Pegu first reduced King Mae Ku of Chiang Mai to tributary status, the Emperor Akbar sat on the Mughal throne in India, while Queen Elizabeth I ruled over England. Why, then, is so relatively little known of, or written about, the time when Chiang Mai was linked to Burma rather than Siam? Might it be because the long history of hostility between Burma and Ayutthaya, culminating in the sack of the Siamese capital by Burmese forces in 1767, has overshadowed the history of relations between Burma and Chiang Mai? Certainly the eminent historian of North Thailand, Hans Penth, has suggested that the people of Lanna bore little ill will towards their Burmese suzerains for much of the 217 years that Chiang Mai was a Burmese tributary. This seems to have been because the yoke of Burmese rule rested fairly lightly on the Northern Thai.

It was not until 1775 that the Tipchang rulers of Lampang, having allied themselves with the Siamese of the central plains, drove out the Burmese. For at least the next two centuries the priority of Bangkok was the demonisation of the dreaded Bamar in the interests of "nation building", while the Burmese, for their part, were equally determined to blacken the name of the unscrupulous Yodhia (Ayutthayans, or people of Siam) for much the same reason. Astonishingly, it was not until 1994 that the first Thai-Burmese dictionary was published (imagine if the first English-French dictionary had not been published until a few short years ago)-so deep was the tradition of hostility and mistrust between the two peoples!

And yet, not only did the people of Lanna often tolerate, and sometimes even voluntarily support, the dominion of their Burmese suzerains in the 15^th -18^th centuries. It now seems clear that certain Burmese rulers, from the very beginning of their dominion over the Lanna Kingdom, felt a strong attachment to and affection for their Northern Thai dominions, a region celebrated in the Zinme Yawazin, or Burmese "Chronicle of Chiang Mai", by the lyrical designation hnget eit hnget na "Where Birds Rest and Birds Sleep". [A similar designation occurs in some Thai chronicles, including the Ratchawongsa Phun Muang Chiang Mai, where Lanna is styled wan tok nok non, "Where the Sun Sets and Birds Sleep"]

As we have seen, King Mae Ku, the last independent ruler of the Mangrai Dynasty (1551-1564), became a tribune of King Bayinnaung of Pegu on the latter's seizure of Chiang Mai in 1558. Six years later Mae Ku defied the wishes of his Burmese suzerain and was deposed, being carried off to an (honourable) exile in Pegu. He was succeeded by Queen Wisuttha Thewi, who ruled over Chiang Mai on Bayinnaung's behalf until her death in 1578, the last scion of the illustrious House of Mangrai. On her death Bayinnaung appointed his son, Minthasit (born 1551), to rule over Chiang Mai. At the time Minthasit was administering the Burmese district of Tharyarwaddy, near Pegu, and hence was known as Tharyarwaddy Min, or "the Tharyawaddy Prince". In 1576, two years before he assumed the throne of Chiang Mai, he successfully put down rebellions against his father's rule in Mogaung and Mohnyin, as a consequence of which he was given the title Nawrahtaminsaw, the name by which he is best known as the first Burmese ruler of the Lanna Kingdom. He was to rule over Chiang Mai from 1578 to 1607.

In 1578 when Nawrahtaminsaw journeyed to Chiang he brought with him his wife, Queen Hsinbyushinme, the "Lady of the White Elephant". It is clear that these new rulers of Chiang Mai were no ingénues. Rather, they were educated sophisticates of their time. Nawrahtaminsaw was a poet and patron of the arts, as well as a warrior prince. For her part Hsinbyushinme was a sophisticated court lady and princess, well suited to rule over-and grow to love-her new home, the city of Chiang Mai.

Hsinbyushinme was a skilled composer of yadu poems, a Burmese verse-form where three stanzas are linked by the rhyming of their last lines. According to Ni Ni Myint, the Director of the Universities Historical Research Centre at Yangon and the skilled linguist who first translated Hsinbyushinme's verses on Chiang Mai into English, yadu poems generally evoke 'a mood of wistful sadness through the contemplation of nature in the changing seasons or the yearning for a loved one temporarily separated'.

CPA Historical Images

A Burmese princess.

Hsinbyushinme was the daughter of Thado Dhamma Raja, King of Pyay, a younger brother of King Bayinnaung, and Narapati Medaw, a Burmese lady of high birth. As a young girl Hsinbyushinme learned the art of yadu verses from the great poet Nawade. Nawade even composed an ayegyin song celebrating Hsinbyushinme's virtues and beauty:

Endowed with the Five Virtues
Exceedingly clear and unblemished
Like a vein of lightning peeping
Lady of the White Elephant

Hsinbyushinme was married to her cousin Minthasit, the future Nawrahtaminsaw, in 1574. On being appointed King of Chiang Mai by Bayinnaung, Nawrahtaminsaw set out with Hsinbyushinme from Pegu in April, 1579. During their journey Hsinbyushinme gave birth to a son at Doi Luang, naming him Tu Luang after the place of his birth. The family arrived at Chiang Mai in July, 1579, and assumed their positions as King and Queen of Lanna. But Nawrahtaminsaw was a warrior prince who loyally served the interests of his father, King Bayinnaung, and was destined to be absent from both Chiang Mai and his beloved wife Hsinbyushinme on many occasions.

How do we know Hsinbyushinme was so loved by Nawrahtaminsaw? Because the latter was also a skilled composer of yadu verse. In one such poem which begins 'Golden Yun, pleasant country' (Yun being an old Burmese name for Chiang Mai and its people) he writes of Hsinbyushinme:

None there be in the thousand lands Though should I search
Let alone an equal I will find none
To match a strand of her hair
Fragrant as attar of jasmine
Sweet-voiced, pleasant of expression
Generous of thought, lovely of disposition
My heap of life
The warm nest of my sight

For her part, Hsinbyushinme stayed behind in Chiang Mai when Nawrahtaminsaw was away campaigning. She clearly grew to love her new home and its verdant surroundings. A pious Buddhist, she drew comfort during her husband's absences by worshipping at various Chiang Mai temples, most notably venerating the Phra Kaew (Emerald Buddha) image at Wat Chedi Luang (now in Bangkok) and the Phra Singh image at Wat Phra Singh. Sometimes she would make the more arduous journey out of town to Doi Suthep, where she would pray at the shrine there and enjoy the view across the country of which she was queen.

In March, 1583, when Nawrahtaminsaw was away campaigning in Yunnan, Hsinbyushinme composed a yadu poem characterised by its translator, Ni Ni Myint, as 'poetry of grace and fluency'. Across more than four centuries, her love not just for her husband, but also for her adopted city of Chiang Mai, remains clear, genuine and moving:

Victory Land of Golden Yun, Our Home
Thronged pleasantly like paradise.
The clear waters moving without cease
The forests teeming with singing birds
The breezes replace the sere leaves
As buds peep and petals spread
ingyin, yinma, thawka, tharaphi
gangaw, swedaw, fragrant hpetsut
anan, thazin, gamone, balmy in bloom
Luxuriantly scenting the air in the early summer...
Yet my love is not here to enjoy
I in loneliness watch the delights
In this season of diverse scents
In Yun City, created by you, lord
And await your return
Topmost of the royal lineage of the sun
Brilliant like the flame of the sun
Ever-triumphant conqueror of the foes
My husband marches boldly to far-off China and Lan Chang
To clear the enveloping enemies...
Sadly I nurse my loneliness
Clear the enemy before [the month of] Tagu!
All enemies bow to Chiang Mai City
Encircled by cool waters and wall-like hills
Unequalled Lord of Golden Yun...
My topmost lineage of the sun
Now that the south wind blows, the sere leaf falls
The golden laburnum flutters, liquid emerald
I do not know how to wear
Fragrant flowers in my top-hair
Since my lion-hearted husband marched to war
I guard my mind and kneeling
Before Buddha's images
Of Phra Kaew, Phra Singh, golden Maha Chedi
And the famous Phra Suthep
Images bright as sun
On western hill-top beyond the city, and within
With reverence I say my prayers
Rising glory of the lineage of the sun

Nawrahtaminsaw did indeed return 'to the Palace of Pleasant Victorious Yun', ruling over Chiang Mai for 28 years. Hsinbyushinme bore him four children, two of whom-Min Ye Dibba (1607-1613?) and Thado Kyaw (1613-1614?)-succeeded their father as kings of Chiang Mai, albeit more briefly and with less glory. Little is known of Hsinbyushinme's later life, but it seems likely she stayed at Nawrahtaminsaw's side until her death in the adopted city she loved so much.

Unfortunately no chedi are known definitely to contain the remains of Nawrahtaminsaw or Hsinbyushinme, though it is possible-even likely-that ashes of both monarchs were interred in the "water melon stupa" of Wat Ku Tao, which was erected in 1613, six years after Nawrahtaminsaw's death. Be this as it may, as Ni Ni Myint points out: 'The cool waters and wall-like hills around Chiang Mai which Hsinbyushinme once viewed still remain. The fragrant flowers which she loved to wear in her hair when her husband was with her still bloom in their season. Although Phra Kaew has been moved (to Wat Phra Kaeo in Bangkok), Phra Singh and Phra Suthep, before which she knelt and worshipped with great devotion, still attract devotees. And as these things which she loved and reverenced endure, the presence of Hsinbyushinme lingers in this Victory Land of Golden Yun as it does also in her graceful poetry'.

Text by Andrew Forbes, images by David Henley. © CPA Media, 2005

Hsinbyushinme's Flowers:*

* The author is not a botanist: as in all Ancient Chiang Mai articles posted on these pages, help and advice is actively sought and would be much appreciated. Please write to: research@cpamedia.com

Contributions

1. Hsinbyushinme's Flowers:

Ingyin--Pentacme suavis--Rang--Sal Tree
Sal Tree refers to a species of Shorea common in Thai forests. Rang is Shorea siamensis, Dipterocarpaceae family, i.e. seeds with large wings. Pentacme suavis is a synonym for Shorea siamensis and should be written thus: Shorea siamensis [Pentacme suavis] if you wish to include it. Other synonyms: [Pentacme, P. malayana, P. tomentosa]. This sp. has been transferred to the genus Shorea.

Note: do not confuse this sp. with the tree called Sa lah in Thai, Couropita guianensis, which for some obsure reason is thought by many Thais as THE Sal Tree, sacred to Buddhists. From this misidentification, C. guianensis, common name Cannonball Tree, is seen in various wats and identified as a Sal Tree. From its name you can see that it is native to northern S. America.

Yinma--Chukrasia tabularis--Siat Ka--Burma Almond
Chukrasia tabularis is similar to Acrocarpus fraxinifolius, which is one of the forest giants of Thailand, up to 50m. tall, although A. fraxinifolius is shorter, up to 35m. Chukrasia tabularis is called Siat Ka & Mai Yom Hin. I have no reference to the name Burma Almond or Burmese A. for this sp.

Thawka--Amherstia nobilis--Sok--Asoka Tree
Asoke is a Thai name for Saraca bijuga and S. indica, which is also called Sok Yai. Perhaps Sok is another Thai name for this sp. S. bijuga is also called Asoke Nam in Thai. Another common English name for Asoka is Sorrowless Tree. S. indica is cultivated in gardens & Hindu temples. It is sacred to Buddhists. S. bijuga is listed by some researchers as a variety of S. indica, i.e. Saraca indica var. bijuga. I find Amherstia noblis, Pride of Burma; Orchid Flower; Rose of the Mountains, in a small guide book on "Tropical Trees of the Pacific". This book is not a good reference. I find no reference even to the genus Amherstia in any of my more up to date and good references. But Amherstia nobilis is not the same as Sok nor Asoka Tree, of that I'm sure. Perhaps the sp. has been transferred to another genus, but I find no cross-reference. Tropical T of the P says that the flowers of A. nobilis are orchid like. Saraca spp. have flowers in dense corymbs.

Tharaphi--Calophyllum spectabile--Tanghon--Bintangor
I have no reference for Calophyllum spectabile, but Gardner lists 2 spp. for this genus as native to N. Thailand, C. inophyllum & C. polyanthum. No reference to Tanghon nor to Bintangor.

Gangaw--Mesua ferrea--Boon Nak--Indian Rose Chestnut
Mesua ferrea is a forest tree native to N. Thailand & elsewhere. It has numerous synonyms, Mesua ferrea is currently correct. Widely planted, especially in temples. In India it is considered to be one of the most sacred trees, especially by Buddhists. The future Buddha (Maitreya) is often depicted with a Mesua flower in his hand. Boon Nak & Indian Rose Chestnut are common names for this sp.

Swedaw--Bauhinia acuminata--Kahlong--Dwarf White Orchid
Bauhinia acuminata is not an orchid. This genus is in the Leguminosae (Caesalpinioideae) family. It is also known as Dwarf White Bauhinia, Kalong is one of the Thai names, although Gardner doesn't list this as a common name for any of the spp. in this genus. Kalong also refers to B. purpurea & B. variegata. B. acuminata is a shrub with nodding white blossoms. B. purpurea & B. variegata are small to medium sized trees. B. purpurea has purple fls & is native to S. America, but is widely planted in Thailand. B. variegata is a native forest sp. usually with white fls. stripped yellow, pink or purple. Cultivated trees have very variable fls., ranging from pure white to pink or dark purple. Dwarf White Orchid might well be a name for B. acuminata however the flower doesn't look very orchid like, while the flowers of B. purpurea & B. variegata do. Both are known as Orchid Tree among other common English names. B. purpurea is also called Chong Kho in Thai, not sure if B. variegata is also called Chong Kho. I would suggest that if you use Dwarf White Orchid as a common English name that you mention that the sp. is NOT an orchid. Perhaps the Burmese name is more specific than the Thai name. You also might use "Orchid Flower" as a common English name as many Bauhinia spp. are called Orchid Flower or Orchid Tree, but we don't know if the sp. is a tree or not, due to the duplication of the Thai name in this genus.

Hpetsut--Engelhardtia spicata--Hoi Chan--Mahuwa
Engelhardtia spicata is a member of Juglandaceae, walnut family. Native from N. India to SE Asia, Indonesia, Borneo, Phillipines, China & Hainan. The tree is the host of the lac insect. The roots used as a fish poison. No info on Hoi Chan or Mahuwa.

Anan--Fagraea fragrans--Kan Krao--Tembusu
Fagraea fragrans is uncommon here. Native to N. India, Andaman Is., S. Myanmar, Vietnam & Malaysia. It is similar to Fagraea ceilanica. Tembusu is a common English name. No info on Kan Krao.

Thazin--Bulbophyllum auricomum--xxx--Royal Orchid
Bulbophyllum auricomum is not listed by Nantiya. The genus is very large. Perhaps this sp. is not native to Thailand or is quite rare. Never the less it's an orchard. Some spp. in this genus "Uang etc." It appears to me that the Thai name is more dependent on the shape than the genus, but this is merely my assumption, so don't quote this assumption. Most of the Bulbophyllum spp. listed by Nantiya have no Thai name.

Gamone--kaempferia galanga--Pro Hom--Lesser Galangale
kaempferia galanga (sic). should be spelled: Kaempferia galanga with a capital K. Kaempferia is a member of Zingiberaceae, the Ginger family. This sp. is subject to confusion. It is called Pro hom in Thai, Cekur in Malaysia, and Kencur in Indonesia. Some refer to it as Resurrection Lily, but I believe that that is Kaempferia pulchra (Pro pah in Thai). Although for all I know they could be conspecific, but I have nothing to back this up. From this we might induce that it does have a significant flower, as do all or most of the Zingiberaceae. My reference lists no common English name other than the local country name. My reference also states that Lesser Galangal (note spelling, Galangale or Galingale are other forms) is a sp. found in southern China. Galangal (Kha in Thai) is probably Alpinia galanga.

Sorry that I can't be more help on this sp., but my references on herbs are not as precise as those for tree spp. For further reference I suggest that you consult Mabberly.

E.J. Haas [Chiang Mai] 07/02/05

Erudition exemplified! Many thanks indeed, E.J., much of this is over my head, but I have made changes where I understand them. Thanks again! [AF]