▁father ' s ▁side , ▁he ▁was ▁desc ended ▁from ▁a ▁line ▁of ▁her edit ary ▁r ul ers ▁of ▁T aga ung ▁from ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Th ado . ▁According ▁to ▁British ▁colonial ▁period ▁scholar ship , ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁an ▁eth nic ▁Sh an ▁and ▁his ▁mother ▁was ▁mostly ▁Sh an ; ▁however ▁some ▁have ▁argued ▁that ▁no ▁ext ant ▁chron icle ▁or ▁arch ae ological ▁evidence ▁supports ▁the ▁conject ure . ▁The ▁prince ▁had ▁two ▁younger ▁sister s : ▁Shin ▁S aw ▁Gy i ▁and ▁S aw ▁Om ma . ▁His ▁father ▁died ▁soon ▁after ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁S aw ▁Om ma . ▁His ▁mother ▁rem ar ried ▁to ▁Th ih ap ate , ▁a ▁grand ne p hew ▁of ▁Queen ▁P wa ▁S aw ▁of ▁P agan . ▁In ▁ 1 3 5 2 , ▁Th ih ap ate ▁became ▁king ▁of ▁S aga ing . ▁ ▁Prince ▁Rah ula ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁S aga ing ▁during ▁the ▁small ▁kingdom s ▁period ▁of ▁My an mar ▁( B ur ma ). ▁The ▁country ▁had ▁dis integr ated ▁into ▁several ▁small ▁kingdom s ▁since ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁P agan ▁Empire ▁in ▁ 1 2 8 7 . ▁Central ▁Bur ma ▁itself ▁had ▁been ▁split ▁into ▁two ▁rival ▁kingdom s , ▁S aga ing ▁and ▁Pin ya , ▁and ▁ruled ▁by ▁two ▁rival ▁branches ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁My ins a ing ▁since ▁ 1 3 1 5 . ▁S aga ing ▁ruled ▁north ▁and ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁Ir raw addy