Dates listed are on the "new style" Gregorian calendar that is in use today. In some cases dates are listed in both, with the "old style" Julian calendar (O.S.) date placed second. In the 16th century (1501-1600 CE), the "old style" Julian calendar was 10 days behind the Gregorian calendar.
Min Phalaung (, ; also spelled Min Hpalaung; 27 February 1535 – ) was king of Arakan from 1572 to 1593. He presided over the continued rise of Arakan, begun under his father King Min Bin. He extended his realm to Tripura (1575) and northern Bengal (1586–1587), and withstood a major invasion by Toungoo Burma (1580–1581). He completely stayed out of the chaos in Toungoo Burma in the following years. Phalaung left a prosperous and confident kingdom to his son Raza II, who succeeded him in 1593.
Early life
Min Phalaung was born to King Min Bin and Queen Saw Shin of Mrauk-U on 27 February 1535 (Saturday, 10th waning of Tabaung 896 ME). His birth name was Phwa-Daw Htwe (ဖွားတော်ထွေး, ; "Royal Youngest Birth") as he was the youngest child of the king. Because he was born during the raid on Mrauk-U by the Portuguese, called "Phalaung" in Arakanese, the young prince became known by the nickname Min Phalaung ("Prince Portuguese"). He was given the town of Sittantin (စစ်တံတင်) in fief. He grew up at a time when his father was turning the coastal kingdom into a major regional power. In 1546–1547, the young prince, not yet 12 years old, was given the command of an army battalion to battle the invading Toungoo armies. He was married to his half-sister Saw Mi Taw, whose mother was a granddaughter of King Khayi (r. 1433–1459), by their father.
Accession
After Min Bin died in 1554, he remained governor of Sittantin, loyally serving under his half-brother Dikkha (r. 1554–1556), his paternal nephews King Saw Hla (r. 1556–1564) and King Sekkya (r. 1564–1572). In 1572, King Sekkya suddenly died, and the court chose Phalaung as king. At the coronation ceremony, Phalaung, who was styled as Sikandar Shah, the Sultan of Bengal, took Sekkya's daughter Saw Shin Latt (his first cousin, twice removed) as queen. He also married Saw Thanda, who had been queen of the previous three kings including his father. He made his eldest son Thado Dhamma Raza his heir-apparent, and his second son the chief of the armed forces.
Reign
By his accession, Arakan had been firmly established as a major power in the region. The coastal kingdom thus far had focused its energies on controlling the Bay of Bengal coastline from the Sundarbans in Bengal to Cape Negrais with its powerful navy, armed with Portuguese mercenaries and munitions. Its eastern policy had been to not to attract the attention of Toungoo Dynasty, which under King Bayinnaung was assembling the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia.
Wars
Tripura (1575) Phalaung largely continued this policy, and tried to exert control over northern Bengal and Tripura, which Arakanese kings had never had lasting control. In January 1575, he sent a well-armed expeditionary force led by Crown Prince Thado Dhamma Raza to Tripura. The Arakanese forces easily captured the Tripuri capital, after which Tripura agreed to pay tribute. He kept a strong garrison at Chittagong, manned by a large number of Portuguese seamen and mercenaries. Every year, the king sent troops in hundreds of boats, fully stocked with munitions, to Chittagong while the garrison of the previous year returned to Mrauk-U.
Toungoo invasion (1580–1581) The greatest challenge to his kingdom came in 1580 when the long-awaited invasion from Toungoo finally came. On 9 September 1580 (1st waxing of Thadingyut 942 ME), Toungoo army and naval forces (24,000 troops, 1200 horses, 120 elephants, 1300 boats) led by Thiri Thudhamma Yaza, son of Bayinnaung and governor of Martaban, quickly seized Thandwe (Sandoway). As with the 1546–1547 invasion, Toungoo forces advanced up to Mrauk-U but could not break through the well fortified fort. Unlike the previous invasion, Toungoo forces were prepared for the long haul, and laid siege to the city for over a year. However, the invasion was called off after Bayinnaung died in November 1581.