Wisutthithewi ( th, พระนางวิสุทธิเทวี) was queen regnant of

Lan Na The Lan Na Kingdom ( nod, , , "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; th, อาณาจักรล้านนา, , ), also known as Lannathai, and most commonly called Lanna or Lanna Kingdom, was an Indianized state centered in present-day ...

from 1564 to 1578.

Names

Wisutthithewi's name is variously romanized Visuddhidevi, Wisutthi Thewi, and Wisuthithewi. While the Chiang Mai Chronicle consistently records her name as Wisutthathewi, the Yonok Chronicle prefers Wisutthithewi. She also has a number of names across extant historical sources: in the Burmese and

Chiang Saen Chiang Saen may refer to: * Chiang Saen District, in Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand * Chiang Saen, a capital of the ancient Lanna The Lan Na Kingdom ( nod, , , "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; th, อาณาจักรล้� ...

chronicles, she is referred to as Lady Wisutthathewi, and is also called Maha Dewi (မဟာဒေဝီ, ) in

U Kala U Kala ( my, ဦးကုလား) is a Burmese historian and chronicler best known for compiling the ''Maha Yazawin'' (lit. 'Great Royal Chronicle'), the first extensive national chronicle of Burma. U Kala single-handedly revolutionized secular ...

's chronicle, '' Maha Yazawin'', and as Ratcha Thewi () and Nang Thewi in other sources.

Early life

Wisutthithewi's origins are unclear; she may have been a daughter of Ket Chettharat, a ruler of Chiang Mai, or Princess Ton Kham, the youngest daughter of Chettharat. She may have been the queen consort of her predecessor Mekuti.

Reign

The reign of her predecessor, Mekuti, saw

transition into a

vassal state A vassal state is any state that has a mutual obligation to a superior state or empire, in a status similar to that of a vassal in the feudal system in medieval Europe. Vassal states were common among the empires of the Near East, dating back to ...

of the Toungoo empire. In 1564, she was installed as queen regent by Bayinnaung, in response to Mekuti's refusal to join Bayinnaung's military campaign against Ayutthaya, which was seen by Bayinnaung as an act of rebellion. Throughout her fourteen-year reign, Lan Na enjoyed political stability, and Wisutthithewi offered tribute to the Toungoo empire, in exchange for political stability in her dominion, which had seen recurrent instability from raids and conflicts with neighboring territories. Wisutthithewi is portrayed in a contemporaneous Thai epic poem ''Khlong mangthra rop Chiang Mai'' (โคลงมังทรารบเชียงใหม่, ), written by an anonymous Lan Na author. The poem mentions a queen, Mae Mintaya Sri, which implies that she may have been wed to Bayinnaung. However, no other Burmese or Lan Na sources corroborate any marriage between Bayinnaung and Wisutthithewi; moreover, no Chiang Mai princess is listed among Bayinnaung's queens and concubines in these sources.

Death

Wisutthithewi died in October 1578, and news of her death reached Pegu in January 1579. Following her death, Bayinnaung appointed his son Nawrahta Minsaw as her successor. The ashes of Wisutthithewi are interred in a chedi at

Wat Lok Moli Wat Lok Moli ( th, วัดโลกโมฬี, sometimes also seen written as ''Wat Lok Molee'') is a Buddhist temple (Thai: Wat) in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. The temple is situated on the north side of the north moat surrounding the old ...

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...

References

{{Rulers of Lan Na under Burmese rule Rulers of Chiang Mai Toungoo dynasty Queens regnant 16th-century women rulers

Names

Early life

Reign

Death

See also

References