Enemy of the Ming — Burmese Toungoo Empire

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 20, 2022

Statue of Bayinnaung, legendary warrior king of the Toungoo Empire.

Rise of the Burmese

The Burmese Toungoo Dynasty, also known as the First Toungoo Empire, was the largest and most powerful empire in the history of Southeast Asia, perhaps second only to the Ming Empire itself. Under its early kings Tabinshwehti and Bayinnaung, the Toungoo Empire was vigorously expansionist, annexing Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Ava Kingdom, Prome Kingdom, Manipur, Lan Na Kingdom, Lan Xang Kingdom, Ayutthaya Kingdom, and large portions of Shan States through military conquest.

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