January 12th 1554: King Bayinnaung crowned
On this day in 1554, Bayinnaung was crowned King of Burma in his capital of Pegu, now known as Bago. He came to the Burmese throne at a turbulent time, and had to battle other contenders to the throne after the assassination of his brother-in-law King Tabinshwehti in 1551. After Bayinnaung took power, he continued the work of his predecessor to unify Burma. The King first conquered the Shan-dominated regions of the country, then attacked his most powerful enemy, Siam, modern-day Thailand. After Bayinnaung’s brutal and prolonged campaign against the Siamese, Burma took control of the country. However, the Burmese were eventually expelled from Siam after fifteen years of domination. Bayinnaung is best remembered for his military campaigns, which enabled him to assemble the largest empire in Southeast Asian history. However, on the domestic front he was also heavily involved in promoting Buddhism in Burma. The King died on October 10th 1581, aged sixty-five, and was succeeded by his eldest son Nanda. It was under Nanda’s rule that his father’s vast Toungoo Empire fell apart.
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