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Myanmar
In Brief |
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Statistical Act |
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Selected Monthly Economic Indicators |
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| Home >> Myanmar in Brief |
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HISTORY
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| HISTORICAL BACKGROUND |
| Early History |
Paleolithic and Neolithic cultures flourished in many parts of Myanmar
from about 20,000 years ago leaving behind much material evidence
as well as the wall painting of Padalin Cave in the Shan foothills
near Myittha. A bronze culture later developed, well represented by
the Nyaunggan archeological site near Monywa.
Transition to an urban civilization was made in the 2nd century BC.
A number of cities flourished, among them Wethali(Vaisali) of the
Rakhines,Thuwannabhumi (Suvannabhumi,
"Land of Gold")of the Mons, and Beikthano
(Vishnu City), Hanlin and Thayekhittaya (Sriksetra, "Field of
Splendour")of the Pyus, a people whose language has become extinct
but whose architectural monuments-the Bawbawgyi, Payagyi and Payama
pagoda of Thayekhittaya-remain. |
| The Greatness of Bagan |
| Myanmar civilization achieved a high level of
development at Bagan from the middle of the 11th century to the end
of the 13th century. According to the chronicles, Bagan was founded
in AD 107 by the Thamoddarit and ruled by a line of 55 kings, but
written evidences are available only from Anawrahta (1044-1077) onwards.
Anawrahta, the first unifier of Myanmar, established Theravada Buddhism
with the help of Buddist Missionary Shin Arahan and laid the foundation
of Bagan's greatness. A thriving economy and the inspiration of Buddhism
resulted in the great monuments of Shwezigon, Ananda, Thatbinnyu,
Gawdapalin and a host of other pagodas, several of them decorated
with mural paintings on religious themes. |
| The Period of Division |
| The decline of Bagan, brought about by a Mongol invasion in 1287
,was followed
by political confusion and the emergence of two kingdoms: Inwa, founded
by Thadominbya in 1365, and Hanthawady (Bago) founded by Banya U in
1369. Nineteen kings ruled in Inwa from 1365 to 1552 and 11 kings in
Hanthawady from 1369 to 1538. From 1386 to 1422, there was war between Inwa and Hanthawady.
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| The Hanthawady Empire |
Myanmar entered a new phase of greatness when the kings of Toungoo
moved their capital from Toungoo to Bago and three of its kings ruled
there from 1538 to 1599.
Bayintnaung (1552-1581) ,known also as Lord
of the White Elephants and Conqueror of the Ten Directions, reunited
the kingdom ,created the vast Hanthawady Empire and rebuilt Bago on
a magnificent scale. |
| The Inwa Kingdom |
| Following the break-up of the Hanthawady Empire,
Nungyan (1598-1606) established a new Myanmar kingdom, and ten kings
reigned in Inwa from 1598 to 1752. The most famous of the Inwa kings,
Thalun (1629-1648) built the Kaunghmudaw Pagoda near Sagaing. A rebellion
which started in Bago led to the downfall of the kingdom in 1752. |
| The Konbaung Kingdom |
In the tradition of Anawrahta and Bayintnaung, Alaungpaya (1752-1760)
reunited Myanmar and established the last Myanmar dynasty of 11 kings
who ruled from 1752 to 1885. The kingdom had a number of capitals, including
Shwebo, Inwa and Amarapura , with the last capital, Mandalay, being
founded by Mindon (1852-1878) in 1859.
In 1785, the Rakhine kingdom whose capital was Mrauk-U,
founded by Minsawmun (1430-1433) in 1430, and which had a line of
49 kings reigning from 1430 to 1785, was made part of the Konbaung
kingdom.
Myanmar fought three wars against the British and lost Rakhine and
Taninthayi in 1826, Lower Myanmar in1852 and its independence on 1
January 1886.
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| British Colonial Rule |
The British started to rule parts of Myanmar in 1826 and the whole
country in 1886. Myanmar was first placed under a Chief Commissioner,
then a Lieutenant Governor in 1897,and then a Governor in 1923, and
ruled as part of British India until separation in 1937. In Myanmar
itself, the Shan States, the Kayah (Karenni) States and the hill areas
were administered separately from Myanmar Proper.
An appointed advisory Council was established in 1897, a partially
elected legislative Council in 1923,and a bicameral legislature with
an elected House of Representatives in 1937.
Under British rule, an economic transformation took place with the
commercial production of rice and the development of Myanmar as a
major rice exporting country. British firms such as the Burmah Oil
Company, Steel Brothers, and the Bombay Burmah Trading Company, dominated
the economy.
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