Zatadawbon Yazawin
Author | Court historians |
---|---|
Original title | ဇာတာတော်ပုံ ရာဇဝင် |
Language | Burmese |
Series | Burmese chronicles |
Genre | Chronicle, History |
Publication date | 13th to 19th centuries |
Zatadawbon Yazawin (
History
The chronicle was continuously updated and handed down by court historians from generation to generation.
Over the following centuries, however, the original, simple chronicle of regnal lists came to be layered upon (and bookended) by religious history (and mythology). By King Minye Kyawhtin's reign (1673–98), much of the current form of the chronicle had come into existence,[5] although later historians continued to update the regnal dates of following kings down to the last Burmese monarch Thibaw.[4]
Organization
Zatadawbon is only one of two extant Burmese chronicles (along with Yazawin Thit) to organize itself by dynasties and periods whereas all others had been organized strictly along with the linear order of kings.[6] Its criterion for "periodization" is the rise and fall of dynasties, and its criterion for their labeling is the capital city. Thus the Tagaung, Sri Ksetra, Pagan, Pinya, Sagaing and Ava dynasties are named after the capital cities of the dynasties.[7]
The chronicle consists of five general sections.[4]
- The beginning of the world system according to many dispensations of the Buddha
- From the first king of the world Buddhavamsa.
- Legendary and historical origins of Burma (Myanmar), beginning with the Toungoo Dynasty, ending with King Narawarain 1671.
- This section covers the horoscopes, like diagrams and numerals, of 36 select kings of Pagan, Sagaing, and Ava kingdoms. Some of the kings in the list of 36 are minor/less well-known kings such as Sokkate. Konbaung historians later added the horoscopes of Konbaung kings down to the last Burmese monarch Thibaw to the original list of 36. The section also includes the astrological calculations of the founding of major cities, palaces, exemplary temples and important events such as the first time the Mongols sent an embassy to Pagan (Bagan).
- Section five has various statistical charts and data such as "the great Buddhist cities of Jambudipa", "the 16 great countries", "the 19 great capitals". It also includes a list of cities in Burma (probably in the Ava Kingdom (1364–1555)) that were required to supply fighting men and cavalrymen, lists of governors of major cities, the taxation levels of various regions, etc.
Significance
In terms of regnal years, the chronicle 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."[4] This can be seen in the following comparison of the regnal dates of the early Pagan kings (from Pyinbya, the fortifier of Pagan, according to the chronicles) as reported in the three chronicles.[8] (Note that although Zata had been available to later chroniclers, including those of the two standard chronicles, Maha Yazawin (1724) and Hmannan Yazawin (1832), the later chroniclers did not follow Zata's dates. Maha Yazawin's dates are off by at least a decade for the most part, and Hmannan's are also similarly off until at the end of Sithu I's reign (1167) at which the chroniclers of Hmannan tried to synchronize with Zata's. The Myazedi inscription, inscribed in 1112 and rediscovered in 1887, has corroborated the accuracy of Zata and disproves the dates reported in Maha Yazawin and Hmannan for kings Anawrahta to Kyansittha.)
Name | Reign per Zatadawbon Yazawin | Reign per Maha Yazawin | Reign per Yazawin Thit | Reign per Hmannan Yazawin | Reign per scholarship |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pyinbya | 846/47–876/77 | 846/47–858/59 | 846/47–878/79 | 846/47–878/79 | |
Tannet | 876/77–904/05 | 858/59–876/77 | 878/79–906/07 | 878/79–906/07 | |
Sale Ngahkwe | 904/05–934/35 | 876/77–901/02 | 906/07–915/16 | 906/07–915/16 | |
Theinhko | 934/35–956/57 | 901/02–917/18 | 915/16–931/32 | 915/16–931/32 | |
Nyaung-u Sawrahan | 956/57–1001/02 | 917/18–950/51 | 931/32–964/65 | 931/32–964/65 | |
Kunhsaw Kyaunghpyu | 1001/02–1021/22 | 950/51–971/72 | 964/65–986/87 | 964/65–986/87 | |
Kyiso | 1021/22–1038/39 | 971/72–977/78 | 986/87–992/93 | 986/87–992/93 | |
Sokkate | 1038/39–1044/45 | 977/78–1002/03 | 992/93–1017/18 | 992/93–1017/18 | |
Anawrahta | 1044–1077 | 1002–1035 | 1017–1059 | 1017–1059 | 1044–1077 |
Saw Lu | 1077–1084 | 1035–1061 | 1059–1064 | 1059–1064 | 1077–1084 |
Kyansittha | 1084–1111 | 1063–1088[note 1] | 1064–1093 | 1064–1092 | 1084–1112/1113 |
Sithu I | 1111–1167 | 1088–1158 | 1093–1168 | 1092–1167 | 1112/1113–1167 |
Narathu | 1167–1170 | 1158–1161 | 1168–1171 | 1167–1171 | 1167–1170 |
Naratheinkha | 1170–1173 | 1161–1164 | 1171–1174 | 1171–1174 | 1170–1174 |
Sithu II | 1173–1210 | 1164–1197 | 1174–1211 | 1174–1211 | 1174–1211 |
Htilominlo | 1210–1234 | 1197–1219 | 1211–1234 | 1211–1234 | 1211–1235 |
Kyaswa | 1234–1249 | 1219–1234 | 1234–1250 | 1234–1250 | 1235–1249 |
Uzana | 1249–1254 | 1234–1240 | 1250–1255 | 1250–1255 | 1249–1256 |
Narathihapate | 1254–1287 | 1240–1284 | 1255–1286 | 1255–1286 | 1256–1287 |
Kyawswa Vassal of Mongols (1297) |
1287–1300 | 1286–1300[note 2] | 1286–1298 | 1286–1298 | 1289–1297 |
Saw Hnit Vassal of Myingsaing/Pinya |
1300–1331 | 1300–1322 | 1298–1330 | 1298–1325 | ? |
Uzana II Vassal of Pinya and Ava |
1331–1368 | 1322–1365 | 1330–1368 | 1325–1368 | ? |
Notes
References
Bibliography
- Aung-Thwin, Michael A.; Maitrii Aung-Thwin (2012). A History of Myanmar Since Ancient Times (illustrated ed.). Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-1-86189-901-9.
- Charney, Michael W. (2006). Powerful Learning: Buddhist Literati and the Throne in Burma's Last Dynasty, 1752–1885. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.
- Htin Aung, Maung (1970). Burmese History before 1287: A Defence of the Chronicles. Oxford: The Asoka Society.
- Kala, U (1724). Maha Yazawin Gyi (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (2006, 4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
- Royal Historians of Burma (c. 1680). U Hla Tin (Hla Thamein) (ed.). Zatadawbon Yazawin (1960 ed.). Historical Research Directorate of the Union of Burma.