Alaungpaya Konbaung

King Alaungpaya was the first king and founder of the Konbaung dynasty of early Burmese times. King Alaungpaya was known for his diplomatic and genuine leadership. Under his rule, the Konbaung dynasty expanded conquering neighboring lands and regions. The Konbaung dynasty he founded lasted more than one hundred years after his death.

King Alaungpaya also known by his birth name, Aung Zeya meaning "The Victorious" was born to a commoner family on March 21, 1752 in a small village northwest of Ava. Alaungpaya worked hard to achieve the title as the chief of his native village. Hence, during the Mon kingdom's invasion in 1752, Alaungpaya seized the opportunity, formed a resistance movement and led the other village chiefs in overthrowing the Mon forces.

Alaungpaya together with his forces was able to defeat Mon and Pegu troops. With his genuine leadership and successive victories, Alaungpaya was ascended by the village chiefs to the throne as the king of Burma in April 1752.

King Alaungpaya immediately built the framework of a unified Burma, thus creating the mighty Konbaung dynasty. He also established a new Burmese capital in Moksobomyo.

In 1753, King Alaungpaya recaptured Inwa, previously the capital of Burma which was invaded by Binya Dala, the Mon king of Bago. King Alaungpaya went on a military expedition on the southern parts of Burma in an effort to completely throw the Mons out of the country. King Alaungpaya assembled thousands of men, mostly villagers and peasants to form the Konbaung dynasty's armed forces.

Hence, for several years, the Konbaung dynasty underwent various military expeditions across the Southeast Asian region. The Konbaung dynasty under King Alaungpaya's rule was one of the greatest and most prosperous dynasties of those early times.

In 1754, the Peguan forces captured and killed the king of Ngaungyan dynasty of Burma, thus the heir apparent to the throne claims the leadership over Ngaunyan but King Alaungpaya contested it.

King Alaungpaya showed his grit and the reason as to why he is rightful to rule over Ngaungyan by invading foreign territories such as Dagon. Eventually he renamed Dagon as Yangon.

In 1757, King Alaungpaya established himself as one of the most powerful rulers in the eastern hemisphere.

King Alaungpaya had seven consorts including his first queen, Me Yun San. He had a total of ten sons and seven daughters including future kings, Naungdawgyi, Hsinbyushin and Bodawpaya. While invading the Ayutthaya kingdom in 1760, King Alaungpaya died of wounds he suffered from the battle. source http://www.helium.com/items/1854049-biography-king-alaungpaya