Nga Tet Pya

Nga Tet Pya (Burmese: ငတက်ပြား, [ŋə tɛʔ pjá], also [ŋə dɛʔ bjá]; also spelled Ngatetpya or Nga Tat Pya) was a 14th-century Burmese outlaw who later became a commander in the royal army during the reign of King Thado Minbya of Ava. A well-known folkloric figure in Burmese culture, he is remembered as a Robin Hood-like character, who robbed the rich, and shared his loot with the poor. He is also known as the husband of Chantha, who is venerated by believers as the Amay Gyan nat spirit.

Brief

While Nga Tet Pya appears only briefly in the royal chronicles, several folkloric versions of his alleged exploits have been retold in popular Burmese culture.

Chronicle narrative

According to the chronicles, Tet Pya first gained notoriety in the interregnum period of the mid-1360s in what is now central Myanmar. The rival kingdoms of Sagaing and Pinya had fallen, and a Sagaing prince named Thado Minbya had founded a new polity called Ava, proclaiming it as the successor state of the two kingdoms. Because several southern vassals of Pinya had refused to submit to the new regime, the new king was constantly on the road with his army to suppress the rebellions.

It was during the chaotic times that Tet Pya reportedly committed a series of burglaries along the Irrawaddy in Sagaing, across the river from Thado Minbya's newly built capital of Ava (Inwa). While the chronicles do not explicitly say whose homes were robbed, his victims were apparently high profile enough for the court to take action. He evaded capture for awhile but was eventually caught in a sting operation in early 1366.