Min Sanay

Min Sanay also called Man Cane, was a king of the Mrauk-U Dynasty of Arakan who reigned for less than one month in 1638. He is last king of royal bloodline of Mrauk-U through house of Saw Mon.

Crown Prince

During his father, Thiri Thudhamma's reign the Laungkrakca ; governor of Launggyet) became an important position in the Mrauk U royal court after a rebellion in 1628. In the waning years of his father's reign, various court ministers became aggressive vying for power based on a prophecy in the Arakanese chronicle tradition that the Mrauk U lineage of kings would end in 1638 CE.

Reign and succession

When Thiri Thudhamma died on 31 May 1638, Min Sanay succeeded the throne and was crowned 15 days later on 16 June. After ascending the throne, Min Sanay suffered from smallpox and his mother Nat Shin Mae advised him to move to "Winzama", northeast of Mrauk U, for a short period of time to cure his disease. Min Sanay followed the advice of his mother and moved to Winzama. There, he was poisoned to death by his own mother Nat Shin Mae. He ruled the kingdom only 20 days. According to Dutch factory chief Adam van der Mandere, Sanay died on 26 June one day after he congratulated the new king in Mrauk U. The court blamed it on sorcery that Thiri Thudhamma had cast on his son.
After the death of Min Sanay, Nat Shin Mae enthroned her secret lover Ngakuthala. Many nobles who disagreed her were murdered and some escaped. Narapati was the Laungkrakca at the time of Thiri Thudhamma's death and, therefore, had significant power within the court. Historian Jacques Leider ascribes this chain of events as a coup d'état by the Laungkrakca.