TIL about the 1879 Mandalay Palace massacre, in which over forty royals were executed by co-conspirators to secure King Thibaw’s claim to the throne. - Lemmy.World

The “co-conspirators” were largely led by Queen Hsinbyumashin, who was determined to see her daughter (Supayalat) and son-in-law (Thibaw) take power. To muffle the sounds of the executions, they reportedly kept a troupe of performers playing music and beat large drums throughout the palace grounds. “On 13 February 1879, five royal relatives were killed. On 15 February 1879, Maung Maung Toke and six other confidants, accompanied by 400 soldiers, removed the royal prisoners who had been confined prior to King Mindon Min’s death. They claimed that the Kyedaik (Bronze Hall) was located in front of the King Mother’s palace and that suitable apartments for the prisoners had not yet been completed. Nineteen members of the royal family were executed that day. On the following night, another nineteen were killed, some by having their throats crushed with bamboo poles and others by the sword. The decision to kill them by crushing their throats with bamboo poles was made to prevent royal blood from falling on the ground. The bodies of the princes and princesses, enclosed in red velvet bags, were interred in a pit. To compact the burial ground, elephants were used to trample the earth. During the time of the massacre, the king and queen were watching a traditional court troupe perform a drama in the palace, and they did not notice what was happening because of the noise from the performance.”