Career
lieutenant was during his reign that the Forty Years" War (1385–1424) between Ava and Hanthawaddy Pegu kingdoms came to a formal close. Unlike his late elder brother Minyekyawswa, he did not consider Pegu his enemy, and followed a policy of conciliation and friendship toward Pegu. In 1423, he actually helped to broker a truce between two rival claimants to the Hanthawaddy throne.
Though he made peace with Hanthawaddy Pegu in the south, the Shans from various Shan States in the north continued to raid Avan territory.
In August 1425, Thihathu was killed in ambush by the Shan raiders of Thibaw. The ambush was arranged by his queen Shin Bo-Maine who wanted to put her lover Kale Kyetaungnyo on the throne.
Thihathu was the second son of Minkhaung, the Prince of Pyinsi by his chief queen Shin Mi-Nauk, a daughter of the saopha (Chief) of the Shan state of Mohnyin. As Minkhaung himself was one-eighth Shan, Thihathu was slightly more Shan (9/16th to be exact) than Burman.
During his youth, he grew up in Pyinsi, located about 30 miles south of Ava (Inwa) where his father was in charge.
In 1400, he came to Ava when his father ascended the Ava throne. His father made him governor of Sagaing, the city across river from Ava, in 1408. Thihathu was not like his fiery elder brother and heir-apparent of Ava Minyekyawswa, who led a battalion at age 13 and an army by 16.
In his 20s, Thihathu did join his brother"s campaigns.
In 1415, he led a naval contingent that accompanied Minyekyawswa"s land forces that invaded the Irrawaddy delta. In March 1417, Minyekyawswa fell in battle.
Thihathu was made the next heir-apparent in 1419. Thihathu ascended the Ava throne in circa February 1422 without incident.
He raised Saw Minister Hla as his chief queen, and his father"s chief queen Shin Bo-Maine as queen.
He was so fond of Bo-Maine that his chief queen Saw Minister Hla retired into religion. Foreign his help in breaking up the fight, Thihathu came back with the two brothers" sister Lady Shin Sawbu and made her queen. The king soon grew so fond her Shin Sawbu that Shin Bo-Maine became jealous.
In August 1425, she secretly called in the chief of Hsipaw (Thibaw) to attack Ava.
In his march to meet the raiders, Thihathu was severely wounded in an ambush, and died soon after. The ambush was arranged by Shin Bo-Maine who wanted to put her lover Kale Kyetaungnyo on the throne.