Wisutthithewi
Wisutthithewi (Thai: พระนางวิสุทธิเทวี) was queen regnant of Lan Na from 1564 to 1578.[1]
| Wisutthithewi | |
|---|---|
| Queen regnant of Lan Na under Burmese rule | |
| Reign | 1564 - 1578 |
| Predecessor | Mekuti |
| Successor | Nawrahta Minsaw |
| Died | October 1578 |
| Burial | |
Names
Wisutthithewi's name is variously romanized Visuddhidevi, Wisutthi Thewi, and Wisuthithewi. While the Chiang Mai Chronicle consistently records her name as Wisutthathewi, the Yonok Chronicle prefers Wisutthithewi. She also has a number of names across extant historical sources: in the Burmese and Chiang Saen chronicles, she is referred to as Lady Wisutthathewi, and is also called Maha Dewi (မဟာဒေဝီ, Mahādevī) in U Kala's chronicle, Maha Yazawin, and as Ratcha Thewi (Rājadevī) and Nang Thewi in other sources.[2]
Early life
Wisutthithewi's origins are unclear; she may have been a daughter of Ket Chettharat, a ruler of Chiang Mai, or Princess Ton Kham, the youngest daughter of Chettharat.[3] She may have been the queen consort of her predecessor Mekuti.
Reign
The reign of her predecessor, Mekuti, saw Lan Na transition into a vassal state of the Toungoo empire.[4] In 1564, she was installed as queen regent by Bayinnaung, in response to Mekuti's refusal to join Bayinnaung's military campaign against Ayutthaya, which was seen by Bayinnaung as an act of rebellion.[5][6]
Throughout her fourteen-year reign, Lan Na enjoyed political stability, and Wisutthithewi offered tribute to the Toungoo empire, in exchange for political stability in her dominion,[3] which had seen recurrent instability from raids and conflicts with neighboring territories.
Wisutthithewi is portrayed in a contemporaneous Thai epic poem Khlong mangthra rop Chiang Mai (โคลงมังทรารบเชียงใหม่, lit. the "Epic of Mintaya's war against Chiang Mai"), written by an anonymous Lan Na author.[3] The poem mentions a queen, Mae Mintaya Sri, which implies that she may have been wed to Bayinnaung.[7] However, no other Burmese or Lan Na sources corroborate any marriage between Bayinnaung and Wisutthithewi; moreover, no Chiang Mai princess is listed among Bayinnaung's queens and concubines in these sources.[7]
Death
Wisutthithewi died in October 1578, and news of her death reached Pegu in January 1579.[2] Following her death, Bayinnaung appointed his son Nawrahta Minsaw as her successor.[5] The ashes of Wisutthithewi are interred in a chedi at Wat Lok Moli in Chiang Mai.[8]
References
- Fry, Gerald W.; Nieminen, Gayla S.; Smith, Harold E. (2013-08-08). Historical Dictionary of Thailand. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-7525-8.
- Kirigaya, Ken (2014-11-29). "Some Annotations to The Chiang Mai Chronicle: The Era of Burmese Rule in Lan Na". The Journal of the Siam Society. 102: 257–290. ISSN 2651-1851.
- Ratana, Pakdeekul (2009). "Social strategies in creating roles for women in Lan Na and Lan Sang from the thirteenth to the nineteenth centuries". ULB Münster. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
- Premchit, Sommai (1997). ตํานานสิบห้าราชวงศ์: ฉบับสอบชําระ (in Thai). Sathāban Wičhai Sangkhom, Mahāwitthayālai Chīang Mai.
- Veidlinger, Daniel M. (2006). Spreading the Dhamma: Writing, Orality, And Textual Transmission in Buddhist Northern Thailand. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3024-3.
- Forbes, Andrew (2011-07-20). "Ancient Chiang Mai: King Mae Ku: From Lan Na Monarch to Burmese Nat". CPA. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
- Simms, Sanda (2013-10-11). The Kingdoms of Laos. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-86330-1.
- May 2020, Ben (2020-05-01). "Wat Lok Moli: Ancient Lanna's Best Architecture". Paths Unwritten. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
| Preceded by Mekuti |
Queen of Lanna 1564–1578 |
Succeeded by Nawrahta Minsaw |