Anawrahta
Anawrahta the Great အနော်ရထာ | |
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Theravada Buddhism converted from Ari Buddhism |
Anawrahta Minsaw (
Anawrahta unified the entire
A strict disciplinarian, Anawrahta implemented a series of key social, religious and economic reforms that would have a lasting impact in Burmese history. His social and religious reforms later developed into the modern-day
Anawrahta's legacy went far beyond the borders of modern Burma. His embrace of
Anawrahta is one of the most famous kings in Burmese history. His life stories (legends) are a staple of Burmese folklore and retold in popular literature and theater.
Early life
Prior to Anawrahta, of all the early Pagan kings, only Nyaung-u Sawrahan's reign can be verified independently by stone inscriptions. Anawrahta is the first historical king in that the events during his reign can be verified by stone inscriptions. However, Anawrahta's youth, like much of early Pagan history, is still shrouded in legend, and should be treated as such.[5][6]
Anawrahta was born
Chronicles | Birth–Death | Age | Reign | Length of reign |
---|---|---|---|---|
Zatadawbon Yazawin | 1014/15–1077/78[note 3] | 62 | 1044/45–1077/78 | 33 |
Maha Yazawin | 970/71–1035/36 | 65 | 1002/03–1035/36 | 33 |
Yazawin Thit and Hmannan Yazawin | 985/86–March 1060 | 74 | 13 January 1018 – March 1060[note 4] | 42 |
Scholarship | 11 May 1014 – 11 April 1077 | 62 | 11 August 1044 – 11 April 1077 | 32 |
In 1021, when Min Saw was about six years old, his father was deposed by his step-brothers Kyiso and Sokkate.[note 5] His father had been a usurper of the Pagan throne, who overthrew King Nyaung-u Sawrahan two decades earlier.[note 6] Kunhsaw then married three of Nyaung-u's chief queens, two of whom were pregnant at the time, and subsequently gave birth to Kyiso and Sokkate. Kunhsaw had raised Sokkate and Kyiso as his own sons. After the putsch, Kyiso became king and Sokkate became heir-apparent. They forced their step-father to a local monastery, where Kunhsaw would live as a monk for the remainder of his life.[8]
Min Saw grew up in the shadow of his two step-brothers, who viewed Min Saw as their youngest brother and allowed him to retain his princely status at the court. Min Saw and his mother attended Kunhsaw, and lived nearby the monastery.[8] In 1038, Kyiso died, and was succeeded by Sokkate.[note 7] Min Saw was loyal to the new king. He took wives, and had at least two sons (Saw Lu and Kyansittha) by the early 1040s.
Accession
In 1044 however, Min Saw raised a rebellion at nearby Mount Popa, and challenged Sokkate to single combat. According to the chronicles, the reason for his uprising was that Sokkate had just raised Min Saw's mother as queen. Sokkate is said to have addressed Min Saw as brother-son, which the latter took great offense. Sokkate accepted the challenge to single combat on horseback. On 11 August 1044, Min Saw slew Sokkate at Myinkaba, near Pagan.[note 8] The king and his horse both fell into the river nearby.[9]
Min Saw first offered the throne to his father. The former king, who had long been a monk, refused. On 16 December 1044, Min Saw ascended the throne with the title of Anawrahta, a Burmanized form of
Early reign: Consolidation of Central Burma
In the beginning, Anawrahta's principality was a small area—barely 200 miles north to south and about 80 miles from east to west, comprising roughly the present districts of
Economic reforms
Anawrahta's first acts as king were to organize his kingdom. He graded every town and village according to the levy it could raise. He made great efforts to turn the arid parched lands of central Burma into a rice granary. He constructed the irrigation system,
Military organization
Anawrahta organized Pagan's military. His key men—known as the Four Great Paladins in Burmese history—were:[14]
- Kyansittha, his son and lead general
- Nyaung-U Hpi, known as the great swimmer from Nyaung-U
- Nga Htwe Yu, former toddy tree climber from Myinmu (near Sagaing)
- Nga Lon Letpe, former farmer from near Mount Popa
Also at his service were
Founding of Pagan Empire
By the mid-1050s, Anawrahta's reforms had turned Pagan into a regional power, and he looked to expand. Over the next ten years, he founded the Pagan Empire, the Irrawaddy valley at the core, surrounded by tributary kingdoms.[15]
Estimates of the extent of his empire vary greatly. The Burmese and Thai chronicles report an empire which covered present-day Myanmar and northern Thailand. The Thai chronicles assert that Anawrahta conquered the entire
Shan Hills
His first efforts were in then lightly inhabited Shan Hills in the east and the north. He acquired allegiance of Shan Hills in two waves. In the early to mid-1050s, Anawrahta first visited the nearer Shan Hills in the east, and received tribute. He founded the Bawrithat Pagoda in
Bhamo | Katha | Kyaukse | Meiktila | Mogok | Mandalay | Toungoo | Yamethin |
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The 43 forts were established per the royal order issued 7 February 1061 (12th waxing of Tabaung 422 ME).[18]
Lower Burma
After his first Shan campaign, Anawrahta turned to the
According to Burmese and Mon traditions, Anawrahta's main reason for the invasion was Thaton king
The conquest of Thaton is seen as the turning point in Burmese history. Still according to traditional reconstruction, Anawrahta brought back over 30,000 people, many of them artisans and craftsmen to Pagan. These captives formed a community that later helped build thousands of monuments at Pagan, the remains of which today rival the splendors of Angkor Wat.[23]
More recent research by historian Michael Aung-Thwin[24] has argued forcefully that Thaton's contributions to the cultural transformation of Upper Burma are a post-Pagan legend without contemporary evidence, that Lower Burma in fact lacked a substantial independent polity prior to Pagan's expansion, and that Mon influence on the interior is greatly exaggerated. Possibly in this period, the delta sedimentation—which now extends the coastline by three miles a century—remained insufficient, and the sea still reached too far inland, to support a population even as large as the modest population of the late precolonial era.[21]
At any rate, during the 11th century, Pagan established its Lower Burma and this conquest facilitated growing cultural exchange, if not with local Mons, then with India and with Theravada stronghold
Arakan
Anawrahta's next conquest was north Arakan (Rakhine). He marched over the pass from Ngape near
There is no single unified Arakanese account to corroborate the event. Surviving Arakanese chronicles (from the 18th and 19th centuries) mention at least two separate raids from the east, as well as "visits" by Anawrahta and Kyansittha. According to the Arakanese accounts, the attacks from the east ousted kings Pe Byu and Nga Ton in succession. However, the dates are off by centuries with the ousted kings having reigned in the late 8th to early 9th centuries, 10th to 11th, or 11th to 12th centuries.[note 10]
At any rate, as was the case with the Shan Hills, Anawrahta's suzerainty over north Arakan (separated by the
Pateikkaya
Anawrahta also received tribute from the Buddhist kingdom of Pateikkaya (ပဋိက္ခယား, IPA: [bədeiʔ kʰəjá]). The location of the small kingdom remains in dispute. The Burmese chronicles report the location as northwest of Arakan and its kings Indian.[28] But British historian GE Harvey reckoned that it was more likely nearer to the eastern Chin Hills.[29]The Tripura State was described as "Patikara" in Maharajoang, an ancient historical book of Bramhadesh.[30]
External relations
As his kingdom expanded, Anawrahta came into contact with the
Khmer Empire
Pagan's conquest of Thaton shook the Mon world. Anawrahta also demanded tribute from other neighboring Mon Kingdoms,
Dali Kingdom
After the Khmer advance was checked, Anawrahta turned his attention toward Dali. Anawrahta led a campaign against the kingdom in the northeast. (According to a mid-17th century source, he began the march on 16 December 1057.)
Ceylon
In 1069,
Administration
Nation-building
The greatest achievement of Anawrahta was his consolidation of various ethnic groups into a single nation. He was careful that his own people, the Burmans, not flaunt themselves before other peoples. He continued to show regard for the Pyus, who had recently fallen from greatness. He retained the name Pyu for his kingdom although it was under the leadership of the Burmans. He showed regard for the Mons, and encouraged his people to learn from the Mons.[28]
Anawrahta replaced the kings of
Religious reforms
In 1056, a
From 1056 onwards, Anawrahta implemented a series of religious reforms throughout his kingdom. His reforms gained steam after his conquest of Thaton, which brought much needed scriptures and clergy from the vanquished kingdom.[35] He broke the power of the Ari monks first by declaring that his court would no longer heed if people ceased to yield their children to the priests. Those who were in bondage of the priests gained freedom. Some of the monks simply disrobed or followed the new way. However, the majority of the monks who had wielded power for so long would not go away easily.
Anawrahta banished them in numbers; many of them fled to Popa Hill and the Shan Hills.
Urged on by Shin Arahan, Anawrahta tried to reform the very Theravada Buddhism he received from Thaton, which by most accounts, was in a state of decay, and increasingly influenced by Hinduism. (The Mon chronicles hint that Manuha was reprehensible for making a compromise with Hinduism. Shin Arahan left Thaton because he was unhappy with the decaying of Buddhism there.) He made Pagan a center of Theravada learning by inviting scholars from the Mon lands, Ceylon as well as from India where a dying Buddhism was being given a
To be sure, his reforms could not and did not achieve everything overnight. The spread of Theravada Buddhism in Upper Burma was gradual; it took over three centuries. Its monastic system did not achieve widespread village level penetration in more remote areas until as late as the 19th century. Nor did the Aris die out. Their descendants, known as forest dwelling monks, remained a powerful force patronized by the royalty down to the
He was the first of the "Temple Builders" of Pagan. His chief monument was the Shwezigon Pagoda. The work began in 1059 but was still unfinished at his death 18 years later. He also built the Shwesandaw Pagoda south of Pagan to house the hair relics presented by Pegu. Farther afield, he built other pagodas such as Shweyinhmyaw, Shwegu and Shwezigon near Meiktila.[36]
Invention of Burmese alphabet
Scholarship believed until recently that Anawrahta commissioned the invention of the
Governing style
Anawrahta was an energetic king who implemented many profound enduring political, socioeconomic and cultural changes. He was admired and feared but not loved by his subjects.[40]
Historian Htin Aung writes:
Anawrahta was ruthless and stern not to any particular ethnic group but to all his subjects, for he felt that harsh measures were needed in building up a new nation. He never accepted the cult of the god-king, and he was impatient even with gods that his people worshipped; men came to say that he beat up gods with the flat of his lance. He achieved his aims but only at the price of his own popularity. His subjects admired and feared him, but did not love him. His execution of two young heroes for a trifling breach of discipline after the conclusion of his Nanzhao campaign angered people, and to appease them he declared that the two dead heroes were now gods who could be worshipped. His forcing of Kyansittha to become fugitive increased his popularity although this action at least was justified for the great paladin, like the Lancelot of the Round Table, was in love with one of his queens.[41]
(The queen in love with Kyansittha was
But people admired and feared him, and he was able to implement many of his ambitious multifaceted reforms.
Death
Anawrahta died on 11 April 1077 in the outskirts of Pagan.
Legacy
Anawrahta is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, king of Burmese history for he founded first "charter polity" of what would later become modern Burma. Not only did he greatly expand the Pagan Kingdom but he also implemented a series of political and administrative reforms that enabled his empire to dominate the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery for another 250 years.
Anawrahta's legacy went far beyond the borders of modern Burma. The success and longevity of Pagan's dominance over the Irrawaddy valley laid the foundation for the ascent of Burmese language and culture, the spread of Burman ethnicity in Upper Burma. His embrace of Theravada Buddhism and his success in stopping the advance of Khmer Empire, a Hindu kingdom, provided the Buddhist school, which had been in retreat elsewhere in South and Southeast Asia, a much-needed reprieve and a safe shelter. He helped restart Theravada Buddhism in Ceylon, the Buddhist school's original home.[42] The success of Pagan dynasty made Theravada Buddhism's later growth in Lan Na, Siam, Lan Xang, and Cambodia, also due in a large part to Ceylon's interactions with those lands, in the 13th and 14th centuries possible.[note 13]
In popular culture
Anawrahta's life stories and legends remain a popular subject of Burmese folklore. The love triangle involving Anawrahta, Kyansittha and Manisanda as well as the sad story of Saw Mon Hla, one of his queens, are a staple of Burmese theater. Due to his reputation as a stern father figure, he is not the central character in these stories where the main protagonist invariably is the romantic soldier-king Kyansittha.[note 14]
Commemorations
- Anawrahta Road, a main avenue in Yangon
- UMS Anawrahta, Myanmar Navy Corvette
- Team Anawrahta, one of the five student teams in Burmese schools
Notes
- ^ (Yazawin Thit 2012: 95, footnote #2) which cites (Bo Lay 1990: 25–28) states that Anawrahta was born on 11 May 1014.
- ^ (Maha Yazawin 2006: 346–349): Among the four major chronicles, only Zatadawbon Yazawin's dates line up with Anawrahta's inscriptionally verified accession date of 1044 CE. (Aung-Thwin 2005: 121–123): In general, Zata is considered "the most accurate of all Burmese chronicles, particularly with regard to the best-known Pagan and Ava kings, many of whose dates have been corroborated by epigraphy."
- ^ The Burmese calendar straddles the Western calendar year. In Anawrahta's time, each Burmese year began and ended in late March of the Julian calendar. For example, the Burmese year 376 spanned from 25 March 1014 to 25 March 1015. Scholarship usually simplifies by reporting just the leading year, e.g., 376 ME as 1014.
- ^ (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 230) on Monday, 8th waning of Pyatho, 379 ME (13 January 1018). (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 274) says Anawrahta died in 421 ME (1059–1060 CE) right before the Burmese new year (March 1060).
- ^ (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 347): The overthrow of Kunhsaw took place in 1021 per Zata, 971 per Maha Yazawin and 986 per Hmannan and Yazawin Thit.
- ^ (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 347): The overthrow of Nyaung-u Sawrahan took place in 1001 per Zata, 950 per Maha Yazawin and 964 per Hmannan and Yazawin Thit.
- ^ (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 347): Kyiso died in 1038 per Zata, 977 per Maha Yazawin and 992 per Hmannan and Yazawin Thit.
- ^ Per Zata's horoscope section (Zata 1960: 83) as translated by the editors of (Yazawin Thit 2012: 95, footnote #1).
- ^ (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 230) says he came to power on Monday, 8th waning of Pyatho, 379 ME (13 January 1018). But the Myazedi inscription and Zatadawbon Yazawin both say Anawrahta came to power in 406 ME (1044/1045 CE). Assuming that 8th waning of Pyatho is correct, he ascended the throne on 16 December 1044 (8th waning of Pyatho 406 ME).
- Pyus" in 976 CE per Saya Mi's Razawin, 1076 per Razawin Haung, or 776 per Razawin Thit. Razawin Linka also mentions the raid. Rakhine Razawin Thit, the last Arakanese chronicle written in 1931, rejects the Anawrahta's "visit", and says the raid that ousted Pe Byu took place in 776 CE, three centuries before Anawrahta.
The second raid occurred in 828, 1018 or 1103, either overthrowing King Nga Ton or installing King Letya Minnan. - ^ (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 166 footnote #2): The date was given by the monk Taunghpila Sayadaw as part of his answers to a set questions posed by King Pindale (r. 1648–1661).
- ^ According to Dr. Bo Lay per (Bo Lay 1990: 24–28) as cited in (Yazawin Thit 2012: 108, footnote #1). Chronicles say he died right before the Burmese new year, which means March 1078. According to Maha Yazawin (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 180) and Hmannan (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 274), he died right before the Burmese new year's day, on the day of a particular astrological event called "Dein-Net" that occurs five to six times a year. In the footnotes of (Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 180), the editors note that the Dein-Net event occurred on the Thingyan Akya day that year. Since the Burmese New Year's Day fell on 26 March 1078 per (Eade 1989: 81), he died on 23 March 1078.
- ^ (Ricklefs et al 2010: 45–48): The spread of Theravada Buddhism in Siam, Lan Xang, and Cambodia was also aided by the interaction with Ceylon. However, the Ceylonese interaction was possible only because the Theravada monk order was restarted in 1071–1072 by the monks from Pagan per (Harvey 1925: 32–33) and (Htin Aung 1967: 35).
- ^ For Anawrahta's life as portrayed in popular fiction in English, see (Khin Myo Chit 1970). The work has also been translated into Burmese by Thawda Swe, and reprinted several times; see (Thawda Swe 2001, 4th printing). Subdued versions of chronicle stories about Anawrahta, Kyansittha, Manisanda and Saw Mon Hla can also be seen in scholarly works such as (Harvey 1925: 30–32) and (Htin Aung 1967: 32, 37–38).
References
- ^ Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 108, footnote #2
- ^ Harvey 1925: 34
- ^ Htin Aung 1967: 38
- ^ Coedès 1968: 133, 148–149, 155
- ^ Kyaw Thet 1962: 40
- ^ Aung-Thwin 1985: 21–22
- ^ Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 347
- ^ a b Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 227–228
- ^ Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 228–229
- ^ Harvey 1925: 19
- ^ Htin Aung 1967: 31
- ^ a b Harvey 1925: 24–25
- ^ Coedès 1968: 149
- ^ Harvey 1925: 24
- ^ a b Htin Aung 1967: 34
- ^ Kyaw Thet 1962: 41–42
- ^ a b Harvey 1925: 26–31
- ^ Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 269–270
- ^ Kyaw Thet 1962: 45
- ^ a b Htin Aung 1967: 33
- ^ a b c Lieberman 2003: 91
- ^ a b Tarling 1999: 165
- ^ South 2003: 419
- ^ Aung-Thwin 2005: 433
- ^ a b Harvey 1925: 29
- ^ Lieberman 2003: 92
- ^ Myint-U 2006: 72–73
- ^ a b c d e f Htin Aung 1967: 35
- ^ Harvey 1925: 326
- ^ Bibhas Kanti Kiliadar (March 1995). Tripura of Eighteenth Century with Saivisher Gazi Against Feudalism. Chhapa Kuthi, Agartala: Tripura State Tribal Cultural Research Institute & Museum, Govt. of Tripura. p. 3.
- ^ Kyaw Thet 1962: 46–47
- ^ Harvey 1925: 32
- ^ a b Lieberman 2003: 115–116
- ^ Htin Aung 1967: 32
- ^ Coedès 1968: 149–150
- ^ a b Harvey 1925: 33
- ^ Htin Aung 1967: 36–37
- ^ Harvey 1925: 307
- ^ Aung-Thwin (2005): 167–178, 197–200
- ^ Htin Aung 1967: 37
- ^ a b Htin Aung 1967: 37–38
- ^ Ricklefs et al 2010: 43–45
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