Thado Minsaw (Burmese: သတိုးမင်းစော, pronounced [ðədó mɪ́ɴsɔ́]; 20 May 1531 – May 1584) was viceroy of Ava (Inwa) from 1555 to 1584 during the reigns of kings Bayinnaung and Nanda of Toungoo Dynasty of Burma (Myanmar).
He was born on 20 May 1531[1] in the Toungoo Palace precincts to Mingyi Swe and the younger sister of Shin Myo Myat.
The chronicles inconsistently report the name Zeya Nanda (ဇေယျနန္ဒ) as the name of the men who became Minkhaung II and Thado Minsaw in different parts.
[note 1] He grew up during a period in which Tabinshwehti, with the help of his brothers, was waging wars against his neighbors on his way to founding the Toungoo Empire.
[3] Though he most probably joined his brothers in Tabinshwehti's last campaigns in the late 1540s, he had not gained a regimental commander rank, and thus is not mentioned in the chronicles.
Every major viceroy and governor declared himself independent, and did not submit to Tabinshwehti's chosen successor Bayinnaung.
[5] Thado Minsaw was one of the four deputies of Bayinnaung in the king's campaigns between 1552 and 1565 that greatly expanded the Toungoo Empire.
The new king faced an impossible task of maintaining an empire ruled by autonomous viceroys who were loyal to Bayinnaung, not the kingdom of Toungoo.
Thado Minsaw's only child was married to Nanda's son and heir apparent, Mingyi Swa.)
At any rate, when two Chinese Shan states revolted in September/October 1582,[note 5] the king appointed Thado Dhamma Yaza II of Prome and Nawrahta Minsaw of Lan Na to lead two armies to put it down.
Although the majority of the troops were drawn from Upper Burma and Shan states, he did not appoint the viceroy of the province to lead the invasion.
He sent secret embassies to Prome, Toungoo and Chiang Mai to launch a simultaneous revolt against Nanda.
Faced with an overwhelming force, Thado Minsaw issued a challenge to Nanda to fight each other on their war elephants.
The Siamese army, led by Naresuan, never marched to Ava as ordered, and hung around Pegu waiting for the news.
[34] The ensuing unsuccessful campaigns against Siam ultimately led to the downfall of the empire in the next 15 years.