Minister Shin Saw was heir-apparent of the Pagan Dynasty of Burma from c. 1117 to 1151.
Background
His father King Sithu I sent the crown prince into exile to present-day Ava (Inwa) where the prince subsequently turned into a highly cultivated region. According to the Hmannan Yazawin chronicle, Minister Shin Saw had two specific run-ins with his father. In the first incident, the king"s newest young queen, a daughter of the king of Pateikkara--a tributary to Pagan, stayed on the royal couch beside the king when the king"s sons came to pay homage to him.
Career
Minister Shin Saw refused to kneel down in front of the young queen whose name was Pabhavati. He said: "I"m the eldest son. Shall this Kala wench abide in the couch in my presence before all the ministers and councilors?" He left, saying "I"m not well." (Kala today means Indian but may have meant foreign in those days Pateikkara is believed to be a kingdom near today"s Chinese State)
In the second incident, Alaungsithu awarded a royal attendant named Ananda Thuriya a robe of princely attire, worn only by princes.
When the attendant showed up with the robe at the royal council, Minister Shin Saw stripped the robe off Ananda Thuriya, saying "This garment is not for a king"s usher or nurse to wear.
In 1151/1152, the king first sent Minister Shin Saw to prison but at the intervention of his mother Queen Yadanabon, reduced the sentence and sent him to exile. The prince dammed the Aung Pinle Lake, and another lake nearby.
He built three canals, creating additional cultivated land. Because the land was fertile, three crops a year were raised.
Minister Shin Saw"s enlightened policies raised funds for his treasury, and attracted a host of followers.
He invited scholars and monks to write many books and teach them. Despite his success in exile, the prince remained loyal to his father. At Pagan, however, Alaungsithu had chosen Narathu as the heir-apparent.
In 1167, Alaungsithu fell ill and was assassinated by Narathu who could not wait to be king.
Minister Shin Saw was at once consecrated king. But later that night, Narathu poisoned Minister Shin Saw, and claimed the throne for himself.