Yazathingyan (Burmese: ရာဇသင်္ကြန်, pronounced [jàza̰ θɪ́ɴdʑàɴ]; also spelled Yaza Thingyan or Yazathinkyan; 1198/1199–1260) was the chief minister of kings Kyaswa, Uzana, and Narathihapate of the Pagan dynasty of Burma (Myanmar).
[2] That he was married to a daughter of King Kyaswa and that he became the chief minister show that he hailed from a (distant) branch of the royal family.
[1] He rose to the rank of chief minister with the title of Yazathingyan by 1248 at King Kyaswa's court.
[3] King Kyaswa, a devout Buddhist and scholar, was interested only in religion and gave up all administrative duties to his heir-apparent Uzana.
Yazathingyan felt slighted by what he considered the young prince's rude and disrespectful behavior toward him—someone several decades older.
Thihathu, the only son of Uzana by a queen, claimed the throne,[6] but the powerful court disagreed.
[6] According to inscriptional evidence, Prince Dog Dung was crowned king with the title of Narathihapate in November 1256.
He quickly consolidated power and pushed aside Yazathingyan by exiling him to Dala (modern Yangon).
On the advice of his queen Saw Hla Wun, the king recalled Yazathingyan to Pagan (Bagan).
The king sent Yanda Pyissi, the younger son of Yazathingyan, to the front with an order to execute the commander, Thray Pyissapate.
Yazathingyan was on his way back to Pagan, intercepted his son en route near Salin, and stopped him from carrying out the order.
He also had at least two younger children named Saw San and Saw Soe by Princess Saw Khin Htut, daughter of King Kyaswa and Queen Yaza Dewi.
[18] Through Yanda Pyissi, Ava kings from Mohnyin Thado to Narapati II were his descendants.