Career
The general was one of the first Sixty Eight Commanders that Alaungpaya selected to fight in his resistance movement against the southern occupation forces of the Hanthawaddy in 1752. The future general was born Shwe Yi (ရွှေရည်) in a small village of Khin Latt (ခင်လတ်) in the Mu valley in present-day Sagaing Region. He was appointed mayor of Yangon by Alaungpaya on 24 May 1757 (2nd waning of Waso 1119 Master of Engineering).
The king had just enlarged the former village of Dagon which he captured two years earlier to make it the main port city of his kingdom.