| Saw Mon Hla စောမွန်လှ | |
|---|---|
 Statue of Saw Mon Hla | |
| Princess of Maw | |
| Tenure | c. 1040s–1058 |
| Queen of the Northern Palace of Pagan | |
| Tenure | c. 1058–1070 |
| Predecessor | Myauk Pyinthe |
| Successor | Manisanda |
| Born | 1040s Sae Lant village, Northern Maw Shan State |
| Died | Hsipaw |
| Spouse | Anawrahta |
| House | Maw |
| Father | Saopha of Maw |
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
Saw Mon Hla (Burmese: စောမွန်လှ [sɔ́ mʊ̀ɰ̃ l̥a̰]) was a principal queen of King Anawrahta of Pagan.[1][2] She is known in Burmese history for her beauty and her eventual exile instigated by other rival queens. Her story is still part of popular Burmese theater, and she is portrayed as a sad romantic figure.
The queen was daughter of the saopha (chief) of Maw Shan State, located between Pagan and Dali Kingdom (present day Yunnan). The native stories of Hsipaw (Thibaw) and Hsenwi (Theinni) claim Saw Mon Hla as their princess.[3]
In c. 1058, Anawrahta led an expedition to Dali. After his return from the Dali expedition, the king was presented with Saw Mon Hla by her brother (or in some telling, her father Saw Naung, the chief of Mon).[4] At Pagan, Saw Mon Hla quickly became the king's favorite queen.
- ^ Moore, Elizabeth (May 2009). "Archaeology of the Shan Plateau: the Bronze to Buddhist transition". Contemporary Buddhism. 10 (1): 91–110. doi:10.1080/14639940902969044. ISSN 1463-9947.
- ^ Smith, Stefan Halikowski (2011-09-23). Creolization and Diaspora in the Portuguese Indies: The Social World of Ayutthaya, 1640-1720. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-19048-1.
- ^ Takatani, Michio. "On Narrative Formation of Spirit Legends in Burma (Myanmar)". Hiroshima University.
- ^ Morgan, Diane (2007-11-30). Fire and Blood: Rubies in Myth, Magic, and History. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-0-313-08719-6.