When did the Prome Kingdom exist?

The Prome Kingdom existed 1482–1542. On this map it is drawn 1482–1546.

Southeast Asia · Sultanates and the spice trade

Prome Kingdom

Kingdom (vassal of the Shan Confederation, 1532–1542) · 1482–1542

Type: Kingdom (vassal of the Shan Confederation, 1532–1542)
Existed: 1482–1542
Shown on the map: 1482–1546
Peak area: c. 20,000 km²
Region: Southeast Asia

Origins & foundation

Prome (Pyay), the site of the ancient Pyu city of Sri Ksetra, had long been the southernmost strategic province of Upper Burma's kingdoms—Pagan, Pinya and Ava—guarded by senior princes against Hanthawaddy. When King Thihathura of Ava died in 1480 and succession struggles paralysed the court, Thado Minsaw, governor of Tharrawaddy, seized Prome in 1482 and declared himself king; Ava's armies could not retake the city, and Prome became independent with territory up to Tharrawaddy and Myede.

Political history & notable rulers

Thado Minsaw (r. 1482–1526) kept peace with Hanthawaddy but joined Sawlon's Confederation of Shan States in the 1520s; their combined armies sacked Ava in March 1525 and captured it in 1527, the Prome forces carrying off the celebrated poet-monk Shin Maha Rattathara. His son Bayin Htwe (r. 1526–1532) was taken prisoner when the ungrateful Confederation attacked Prome in 1532, making the kingdom a Shan tributary. Under Narapati and then Minkhaung, Prome was drawn into the Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War, sheltering fleeing Hanthawaddy troops in 1539 and allying with Mrauk U. After a five-month siege, King Tabinshwehti's Toungoo forces under Bayinnaung defeated both the Confederation and Arakanese relief armies, and Minkhaung surrendered on 19 May 1542.

Economy, culture & religion

A small Theravada Buddhist riverine kingdom on the Irrawaddy, Burmese-speaking, deriving wealth from wet-rice agriculture and the trade route between Upper and Lower Burma.

Peak & territorial extent

Roughly the Prome–Tharrawaddy–Myede corridor of central Burma, about 20,000 km².

Decline & end

Conquered by Toungoo in 1542; it revolted again in 1550 and 1594–1608 before final re-annexation by Anaukpetlun in 1608.

Legacy & modern connections

Prome (Pyay) remains a major Irrawaddy city, and nearby Sri Ksetra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the kingdom is remembered chiefly as one of the warring statelets whose rivalry enabled Toungoo's unification of Burma.

Common questions

What was the Prome Kingdom?: Prome (Pyay), the site of the ancient Pyu city of Sri Ksetra, had long been the southernmost strategic province of Upper Burma's kingdoms—Pagan, Pinya and Ava—guarded by senior princes against Hanthawaddy.
When did the Prome Kingdom exist?: The Prome Kingdom existed 1482–1542. On this map it is drawn 1482–1546.
How large was the Prome Kingdom at its height?: Roughly the Prome–Tharrawaddy–Myede corridor of central Burma, about 20,000 km².
Who ruled the Prome Kingdom?: Thado Minsaw (r. 1482–1526) kept peace with Hanthawaddy but joined Sawlon's Confederation of Shan States in the 1520s; their combined armies sacked Ava in March 1525 and captured it in 1527, the Prome forces carrying off the celebrated poet-monk Shin Maha Rattathara. His son Bayin Htwe (r. 1526–1532) was taken prisoner when the ungrateful Confederation attacked Prome in 1532, making the kingdom a Shan tributary.
How did the Prome Kingdom end?: Conquered by Toungoo in 1542; it revolted again in 1550 and 1594–1608 before final re-annexation by Anaukpetlun in 1608.
What did the economy and culture of the Prome Kingdom rest on?: A small Theravada Buddhist riverine kingdom on the Irrawaddy, Burmese-speaking, deriving wealth from wet-rice agriculture and the trade route between Upper and Lower Burma.
Why does the Prome Kingdom still matter?: Prome (Pyay) remains a major Irrawaddy city, and nearby Sri Ksetra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the kingdom is remembered chiefly as one of the warring statelets whose rivalry enabled Toungoo's unification of Burma.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia: Prome Kingdom en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prome_Kingdom

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 10 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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