Ananda Thuriya of Kanba Myint

The governor started out his career in the military service of King Sithu II of Pagan (Bagan), rising to commander-in-chief of the royal army.

Chronicles say that Htwe made his name one day when the king was sailing upriver from Pagan (Bagan), and the royal barge was attacked by a large crocodile.

[1][2] Legends grew about his bravery: He supposedly wrestled and killed a tiger, and an elephant on separate occasions.

[1][3] For his battlefield successes, the king rewarded him by granting a senior court title, Ananda Thuriya (Pali: Ananta Suriya),[note 3] and his teenage daughter Saw Min Hla in marriage.

According to historian Sein Lwin Lay, the king likely considered his son-in-law Ananda Thuriya, a proven military commander and probably an ethnic Mon (based on his name), a perfect fit for the region.