Hkun Law
Who was Hkun Law?
2nd king of Hanthawaddy
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Hkun Law (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Hkun Law (1254–1311), also known as Khun Law or Binnya Khon-Law, was the second king of Hanthawaddy. He ruled the kingdom of Martaban from 1307 until his death in 1311. Born in Donwun in 1254, he was part of the Wareru dynasty, the Mon royal family that led the Mon-speaking areas of Lower Burma. He became king after his brother Wareru, who founded the kingdom, was assassinated and left no male heir, leaving the throne to Law.
Law's time as king was marked by political weakness and instability. Even though he gained some recognition from Sukhothai, Martaban’s powerful eastern neighbor, this didn’t translate into real control over his kingdom. His rule barely extended beyond the capital, Martaban, now called Mottama. The regional governors, who were supposed to be loyal to him, acted almost independently, behaving like rulers themselves rather than subjects.
His reign faced serious military challenges. The Lan Na kingdom, located in what is now northern Thailand, raided the Sittaung valley, and Law couldn't defend his lands effectively. This failure to secure his realm weakened his authority even more. His reign showed how vulnerable the newly formed Mon kingdom was, having just recently gained some independence under his brother Wareru.
Hkun Law’s life ended in 1311 when soldiers loyal to his brother-in-law, Governor Min Bala of Myaungmya, assassinated him. After the assassination, Min Bala put his son, Saw O, who was also Law’s nephew, on the throne. This continued the family line, though it abruptly ended Law's rule. His death highlighted the ongoing dynastic strife and power struggles that marked the early Hanthawaddy kingdom.
Despite the short and troubled nature of his reign, Hkun Law is an important ancestral figure in Lower Burma’s history. Most of the monarchs of the Wareru dynasty up to the mid-sixteenth century descended from him, making him a noteworthy ancestor even if his own rule didn’t achieve much in terms of consolidating territory or political stability.
Before Fame
Hkun Law was born in 1254 in Donwun, a settlement in the Mon-speaking lowlands of Lower Burma. Details about his early life aren't well documented, but he grew up during a time of significant upheaval in mainland Southeast Asia. The Mongol invasions led by Kublai Khan were disrupting the Pagan Empire to the north, and the Mon people in the south were starting to re-establish their cultural and political identity after being under control for centuries.
His journey to the throne wasn't a carefully planned one but happened due to circumstances. His brother, Wareru, founded the kingdom of Martaban and established Mon rule over much of Lower Burma. However, when Wareru died without a male heir in 1307, Hkun Law took over because he was next in line according to the Wareru dynasty's succession rules, not through his own military or political schemes.
Key Achievements
- Succeeded to the throne of Hanthawaddy as its second king following the death of founder Wareru in 1307
- Secured formal recognition of his kingship from the Sukhothai kingdom, Martaban's regional overlord
- Maintained the nominal continuity of the Wareru dynasty during a period of acute internal fragmentation
- Became the principal genealogical ancestor of the majority of Wareru dynasty monarchs who followed him through the mid-sixteenth century
Did You Know?
- 01.Hkun Law is also known by the name Binnya Khon-Law, reflecting the Mon honorific 'Binnya' used by royalty in the Hanthawaddy kingdom.
- 02.Although he was recognized as king by the Sukhothai kingdom, which held nominal suzerainty over Martaban, this recognition brought him no practical military or administrative support.
- 03.His assassination was carried out not by a foreign enemy but by troops of his own brother-in-law, Governor Min Bala of Myaungmya, illustrating how internal dynastic rivalry posed the greatest threat to his reign.
- 04.The son placed on the throne after his death, Saw O, was simultaneously the son of his assassin and his own nephew, a family overlap typical of the intermarried Mon ruling class.
- 05.Most of the later Wareru dynasty monarchs who ruled Lower Burma until the mid-sixteenth century were descended from Hkun Law rather than from the dynasty's founder, his brother Wareru.