Hsinbyushin was king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) from 1763 to 1776. The second son of the dynasty founder Alaungpaya is best known for his wars with Qing China and Siam, and is considered the most militaristic king of the dynasty. His successful defense against four Qing invasions preserved Burmese independence. His 1765 invasion of Ayutthaya brought an end to the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The near simultaneous victories over Qing and Siam has been referred to as testimony "to a truly astonishing elan unmatched since Bayinnaung." He also raised the Shwedagon Pagoda to its current height in April 1775.
Ava army in a 19th-century painting
Ruins of Ayutthaya
Manipuri horseman incorporated into the Burmese cavalry from its northwestern campaigns
Ayutthaya, today
The Konbaung dynasty, also known as the Third Burmese Empire (တတိယမြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်), was the last dynasty that ruled Burma/Myanmar from 1752 to 1885. It created the second-largest empire in Burmese history and continued the administrative reforms begun by the Toungoo dynasty, laying the foundations of the modern state of Burma. The reforms, however, proved insufficient to stem the advance of the British, who defeated the Burmese in all three Anglo-Burmese Wars over a six-decade span (1824–1885) and ended the millennium-old Burmese monarchy in 1885. Pretenders to the dynasty claim descent from Myat Phaya Lat, one of Thibaw's daughters.
The Lion Throne of Burma in the throne hall of the Amarapura Palace (painting by Colesworthey Grant, 1855)
The Shwedagon Pagoda during the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–26)
The last king, Thibaw Min (right), here with Queen Supayalat and her sister Junior Queen Supayalay, was forcibly deposed by the British following the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885.
A royal scribe, 1855