[2] He was the first and only member of the Asiatic Society of Bengal from the Burmese royal family[3] and was nicknamed the "philosopher-prince" by English officers for his knowledge of literature and science.
He had a younger brother and a sister: Maung Yoe the Prince of Hlaing and Shwe Nan Myint the Princess of Kyaukse.
[5] Suffering from paralysis from an early age, Prince Phyo focused on scholarly rather than martial prowess, studying medicine, chemistry, physics, astrology, Pāli and Sanskrit, from which languages he translated about 234 books into Burmese.
[5] He learned the English language from a physician named Price, the Particular Baptist missionary Simon, and Rodger, a merchant who accompanied Adoniram Judson (who translated the Bible into Burmese) to Burma.
Prince Phyo could speak and write English well, and was proficient in mathematics.