Htaw Lay

Sitke Htaw Lay ထော်လေး KSM
Magistrate of the Provincial Civil Service of Moulmein
In office 1838–1853
Preceded by	New office
Governor of Dala
In office 1805–1827
Monarchs	Bodawpaya (1805–19) Bagyidaw (1819–27)
Personal details
Born	1776 Martaban, Konbaung Burma
Died	1869 or 1871 (aged 92 or 94) Twante, Burma, British India
Spouse	Min Ya
Relations	Mya Sein May Oung Tun Hla Oung Myo Kyawt Myaing
Children	5, including:[1] Daw Htu (2nd) Daw Hmya (3rd) Daw Mya May (5th)
Military service
Allegiance	Konbaung dynasty
Branch/service	Royal Burmese Army
Years of service	1824–26
Rank	Commander
Battles/wars	First Anglo-Burmese War

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Maung Htaw Lay (Burmese: မောင်ထော်လေး, pronounced [màʊɴ tʰɔ̀ lé]; also spelled Maung Taulay; 1776–1869 or 1871) was Magistrate of Moulmein (Mawlamyine) from 1838 to 1853 during the early British colonial period of Myanmar (Burma), and governor of Dala from 1805 to 1827 during the Konbaung period. Prior to his defection to the British in 1827, he had been a Royal Burmese Army commander, and had fought in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–26). At Moulmein, Htaw Lay became one of the most senior indigenous officials in the colonial government. He moved to Yangon (Rangoon) in 1853 after the British annexation of Lower Burma. He successfully used his influence with the colonial government to stop the occupation forces' pillaging of Buddhist shrines around Yangon, and with the help of his son-in-law Maung Khaing, spent the rest of his life restoring the Shwedagon Pagoda.

The colonial government named two wide streets in downtown Yangon after him and Maung Khaing. The two street names survived the renaming of Yangon Streets until 1989. Some of his descendants became some of the most prominent members of the colonial era, including Mya Sein, May Oung, and Tun Hla Oung. The singer Myo Kyawt Myaing is his four times great-grandnephew.