Taungdwingyi

Taungdwingyi stands in the dry plains of central Burma, east of the Irrawaddy. Nearby lies Beikthano, an ancient Pyu city whose brick walls and religious remains bear witness to a much older society. Taungdwin itself became a seat of local rulers under Pinya and Ava. Its position between the northern kingdom and Prome made it a prize in the struggles of the sixteenth century.

As Ava weakened, its southern neighbours competed for control of the town. In 1524 or 1525 Thado Minsaw of Prome drove out the local ruler, and Taungdwin came under Prome's authority. It later passed into the expanding Toungoo kingdom. Subsequent Burmese kings granted Taungdwin as a fief to members of the royal family, while local officials managed the town's affairs.