Career
In this Burmese name, Saw is an honorific. He was crown prince prior to his regency. He is regarded by some historians G.H. Luce and Than Tun as king between 1231 and 1235 but others Htin Aung and Michael Aung-Thwin do not accept him as king.
One contemporary stone inscription identifies him as the crown prince, and another identifies him as the king.
Neither inscription provides any regnal dates but they were conjecturally dated c. 1230 or c. 1231 by Luce.
Luce and Than Tun accept that he was king. lieutenant is not universally accepted.
Htin Aung does not accept Luce"s proposed regnal dates.
He argues that the fact that none of the chronicles identifies him as king shows that "his succession was disputed or officially unrecognized." According to Htin Aung, he may have been a pretender to the throne for a few months. Aung-Thwin does not identify Naratheinga as king either.