His six-year reign briefly restored unity in southern Upper Burma although his authority over his southernmost vassals remained largely nominal.

He suddenly died in 1350, and came to be regarded as one of the major Burmese folk spirits, known as Nga-zi Shin Nat.

Born in 1299,[1] Kyawswa was the elder son of Queen Mi Saw U of Pagan and Thihathu, Co-Regent of Myinsaing.

He grew up at the Pinle Palace with his younger brother Nawrahta; three half-siblings Uzana, Saw Yun, and Saw Pale; and one stepbrother Tarabya.

On 7 February 1313, Kyawswa was appointed governor of Pinle by Thihathu who had become the sole ruler of Myinsaing, later known as the Pinya Kingdom.

While the governorship was likely a titular title in the beginning, by 1315, Kyawswa like Uzana was given command of his own military units (1000 shielded infantry, 80 cavalry, 10 elephants).

The king asked Kyawswa to retake Sagaing which Saw Yun had fortified after unsatisfied with what the prince perceived to be a second-class status.

Though Uzana remained the official crown prince, Saw Yun was already the de facto ruler of the northern country.

[11] The assassination attempt did not succeed but Kyawswa turned his attention to the control of Pinya in the following years.

Both he and Uzana maintained separate specialized military units (shielded infantry, cavalry, war elephants) around their core region of Kyaukse.

Kyawswa had collected five white elephants, considered auspicious symbols of Burmese monarchs.

[17] Kyawswa's the reign name was Pawara Pandita Thihathura Dhamma Yaza but was popularly known as Nga-zi Shin (ငါးစီးရှင်, "Lord of the Five White Elephants").

An avid horse rider, the king formed elite cavalry and shielded infantry units.

[1] He also commissioned a study of the state of the Buddhist clergy but the court fearing his wrath left out the corruption of the so-called monks from the report.

[17] Furthermore, he had another son with the title Thettawshay, who was an ancestor of kings Mingyi Nyo and Tabinshwehti of Toungoo.