 The play is generally attributed to Padethayaza, a minister during the Nyaungyan period, who composed a "pyo" (a lyrical poem) in 1714.Other historians note that Manikhet may have originated during the reign of Bodawpaya, whose crown prince appointed a literary committee in December 1789 to translate songs and plays acquired from Thailand after Burmese conquest.Manikhet is the name of a celestial horse with a precious stone eye.