The eldest son of Sawlon of Mohnyin was a commander who actively participated in Monhyin's numerous raids of Ava's territories in the first quarter of 16th century.
He is remembered in Burmese history as a "full-blooded savage" who killed learned monks, looted treasures from Buddhist pagodas and burned books.
Hso Harn Hpa[2] or Thohanbwa in Burmese was a son of Sawlon of Mohnyin, who had successfully rebelled against Ava's rule in the 1480s.
By the early 16th century, the father-son team of Sawlon and Thohanbwa regularly raided Ava's territories from the north.
(Many of Ava's ministers, their families, and people in general had fled south to Toungoo to escape persecution by the Shans.)
The confederation did not take any concerted action in the second half of the 1530s when Tabinshwehti of Toungoo was waging war on the southern kingdom of Hanthawaddy Pegu.
With Toungoo in an all-out war with Hanthawaddy, the upstart kingdom's northern border with Ava must have been lightly defended.
In 1542, Thohanbwa got his confederation (Mohnyin, Mogaung, Bhamo, Momeik, Hsipaw and Yawnghwe) to march down to defend Prome against Toungoo's attacks.
His chief minister Yan Naung finally decided to organize a putsch at the summer palace outside Ava.