Minye Kyawhtin of Pakhan

A statue depicting Queen Shin Saw Pu

In 1425, the prince, now styled as Tarabya of Pakhan,[lower-alpha 4] became ensnarled in the succession crisis at Ava (Inwa). In August 1425, Thihathu, who had been king since 1421, was assassinated.[3] Just three months later, Thihathu's son and successor Min Hla too was assassinated. The assassinations were arranged by Queen Shin Bo-Me and Prince Min Nyo of Kale, who went on to seize the throne.[3][4]

Although Tarabya was first in the line of succession after Min Hla's death, he did not challenge Nyo. Not only did Nyo have a strong claim to the throne as the only son of King Tarabya of Ava (r. 1400) but he was also one of the two leading commanders of the military. For his part, the new king gave his half-cousin the lord of Pakhan[lower-alpha 5] lavish gifts and Queen Shin Saw Pu, Thihathu's favorite queen, perhaps as a face-saving gesture.[5][6] (To be sure, Nyo most probably needed to get rid of Saw Pu from the palace as the queen was intensely disliked by Queen Bo-Me, who had put him on the throne.[lower-alpha 6]) At any rate, Tarabya, along with the majority of the vassals from central and southern regions, pledged support to Nyo.[5][6]

It turned out that the vassals needed to back up their pledge soon after. In February 1426, Gov. Thado of Mohnyin, having secured support from the northern Shan states, declared war on Nyo. Initially, Tarabya like other loyal vassals contributed the troops as vassals were required to. He personally led his regiment, which guarded the westerly approach towards the capital,[5][6] but by early May when the tide of war had turned against Ava, Tarabya and other key vassal rulers, renounced their ties to Nyo, and retreated to their respective regions.[5][7] Tarabya also brought his nephew, who then wore the title of Minye Kyawhtin, the eldest son of Crown Prince Minye Kyawswa, to Pakhan.[8] Soon after, Nyo and Bo-Me fled, and Thado entered the capital on 16 May 1426.[lower-alpha 7]

Most vassal rulers were unsure of Thado's claim to the throne as he did not hail from the founding house of the dynasty. Although a few of the vassals would later raise long running rebellions throughout Thado's reign,[9] they initially did not challenge Thado. Tarabya was the only exception. Considering himself the rightful heir to the Ava throne, Tarabya flatly rejected Thado's call for submission,[10] but he could not get other vassals, even those surrounding Pakhan, to support him. Indeed, when the time came to choose, all the vassal rulers near Pakhan—Pagan, Sale, Sagu, Pakhan Nge, Salin and Prome—sided with Thado, and contributed troops to Thado's army.[10]

Despite the odds, Tarabya held out at Pakhan. In August,[lower-alpha 8] Thado sent two armies (with a combined strength of 5000 troops, 300 cavalry and 20 elephants), and sailed down the Irrawaddy with a naval force carrying another 4000 troops.[10] Tarabya still refused to surrender. Thado waited for seven days before ordering an attack. His troops easily took the town, and captured both Tarabya (Minye Kyawhtin the elder) and his nephew (Minye Kyawhtin the younger).[8][11]