Bagan , formerly
Pagan, is an ancient city in the
Mandalay DivisionMandalay Division is an administrative division of Myanmar. It is located in the center of the country, bordering Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the west, Shan State to the east, and Bago Division and Kayin State to the south. The regional capital is Mandalay. In the south of the division...
of Burma. Formally titled
Arimaddanapura or
Arimaddana (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as
Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or
Tassadessa (the Parched Land), it was the ancient capital of several ancient
kingdomsThe person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch. It was a common form of government in the world during the ancient and medieval times. A Monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or...
in Burma. It is located in the dry central plains of the country, on the eastern bank of the
Ayeyarwady RiverThe Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River is a river that flows from north to south of Burma . It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying via the...
, 90 miles (145 km) southwest of
MandalayMandalay is the second largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of nearly 1 million, and is the capital of Mandalay Division....
.
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945...
has unsuccessfully tried to designate Bagan as a
World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.A World Heritage Site is a...
.
Bagan , formerly
Pagan, is an ancient city in the
Mandalay DivisionMandalay Division is an administrative division of Myanmar. It is located in the center of the country, bordering Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the west, Shan State to the east, and Bago Division and Kayin State to the south. The regional capital is Mandalay. In the south of the division...
of Burma. Formally titled
Arimaddanapura or
Arimaddana (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as
Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or
Tassadessa (the Parched Land), it was the ancient capital of several ancient
kingdomsThe person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch. It was a common form of government in the world during the ancient and medieval times. A Monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or...
in Burma. It is located in the dry central plains of the country, on the eastern bank of the
Ayeyarwady RiverThe Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River is a river that flows from north to south of Burma . It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying via the...
, 90 miles (145 km) southwest of
MandalayMandalay is the second largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of nearly 1 million, and is the capital of Mandalay Division....
.
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945...
has unsuccessfully tried to designate Bagan as a
World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.A World Heritage Site is a...
. The military junta (
SPDCThe State Peace and Development Council is the official name of the military regime of Burma ,which seized power in 1988....
) has haphazardly restored ancient stupas, temples and buildings, ignoring original architectural styles and using modern materials that bear no resemblance to the original designs. Likewise, the junta has established a
golf courseA golf course consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, a paved highway, and built a 200-foot (61-m) watchtower in the southeastern suburb of Minnanthu.
Architectural styles
The religious buildings of Bagan are often reminiscent of popular architectural styles in the period of their constructions. The most common types are:
- Stupa with a relic-shaped dome
- Stupa with tomb-shaped dome
- Sinhalese
The Sinhalese are the main ethnic group of Sri Lanka, constituting 74% of the population. They speak Sinhala an Indo-Aryan language, and number approximately 14 million.-Origin:...
-styled stupa
- North Indian model
- Central Indian model
- South Indian model
- Mon
The Mon are an ethnic group from Myanmar, living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, Irrawaddy Delta of present-day Burma, and along the southern Thai-Myanmar border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in...
model
History
The ruins of Bagan cover an area of 16 square miles. The majority of its buildings were built in the 1000s to 1200s, during the time Bagan was the capital of the First Burmese Empire. It was not until King Pyinbya moved the capital to Bagan in
AD , abbreviated as AD or A.D., and Before Christ, abbreviated as BC or B.C., are designations used to number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
874 that it became a major city. However, in Burmese tradition, the capital shifted with each reign, and thus Bagan was once again abandoned until the reign of
AnawrahtaAnawrahta , also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Pagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma....
. In 1057, King
AnawrahtaAnawrahta , also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Pagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma....
conquered the Mon capital of
ThatonThaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains.-History:Thaton was a center for a Mon kingdom which stretched from the Ayeyarwady delta region to as far east as Cambodia...
, and brought back the
TripitakaThe ' is the Sanskrit term used by Westerners for a Buddhist canon of scriptures. Asian Buddhists of the Theravada Buddhist school use the term Tipitaka to refer to the Pali Canon...
Pali
scriptures, Buddhist monks and craftsmen and all of these were made good use of in order to transform Bagan into a religious and cultural centre. With the help of a monk from Lower Burma, Anawrahta made Theravada Buddhism a kind of state religion, and the king also established contacts with
Sri LankaSri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India...
. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Bagan became a truly cosmopolitan centre of Buddhist studies, attracting monks and students from as far as India, Sri Lanka as well as the Thai and
KhmerThe Khmer people; ខ្មែរ ; are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon-Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
kingdoms. Among many other works,
AggavaṃsaAggavamsa of Arimaddana was the author of the Saddanīti, a grammar of the Pali language, specifically the text of the Buddhist scriptures, the Tipiṭaka. The work was completed in 1154, CE....
's influential
Saddanīti, a
grammarIn linguistics, grammar is the set of logical and structural rules that govern the composition of sentences, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology and syntax, often complemented by phonetics, phonology,...
of the language of the Tipiṭaka, would be completed there in 1154. In 1287, the kingdom fell to the
MongolsThe name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.-Definition:...
, after refusing to pay tribute to
Kublai KhanKublai or Khubilai Khan , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty...
. Abandoned by the Burmese king and perhaps sacked by the Mongols, the city declined as a political centre, but continued to flourish as a place of Buddhist scholarship.
Rulers of Bagan
| Name |
Relationship |
Reign (AD) |
Notes |
| Thamudarit |
|
107-152 |
founder of Bagan† |
| Pyinbya |
Son of Khelu |
846-878 |
moved capital from Tampawadi (modern Pwasaw) to Bagan |
| Anawrahta Anawrahta , also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Pagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma....
|
Son of Kunsaw Kyaunghpyu |
1044-1077 |
founder of Bagan and the First Burmese Empire† |
| Sawlu King Sawlu was the son of the King Anawrahta. Anawrahta appointed an Arab as a Royal teacher for his son, Prince Sawlu. That teacher’s son name was Nga Yaman Kan. He was a friend and also could be regarded as an adopted brother because they were fed from the same breast as Nga Yaman Kan's mother...
|
Son |
1077-1084 |
|
| Kyanzittha King Kyanzittha also known as Htilein Min was king of Bagan from 1084 to 1113, known for building a large number of temples and religious monuments in Bagan, particularly the Ananda Temple.-Background:...
|
Brother |
1084-1113 |
|
| Alaungsithu Alaungsithu was King of Pagan, a former kingdom of southeast Asia. He succeeded Kyanzittha. Alaungsithu's father was Sawyun, son of King Sawlu , and his mother was a daughter of Kyanzittha.-Reign:...
|
Grandson |
1113-1167 |
1113-1160(?) |
| Narathu Narathu was King of Pagan, a former kingdom in southeast Asia, from 1167 until 1170. He murdered his father, King Alaungsithu, and seized the throne. His short reign was a time of disorder and bloodshed....
|
Son |
1167-1170 |
1160-1165(?), aka Kala-gya Min (king fallen by Indians) |
| Naratheinkha |
Son |
1170-1173 |
|
| Narapatisithu King Narapatisithu was the king of Pagan Kingdom form 1168 to 1210. After the death of King Narathu, Pagan faced three years without rulers. He succeeded to Pagan's throne in 1168. He is believed to be a relative of King Anawrahta. During his reign the Pagan's culture started to change from the...
|
Brother |
1174-1211 |
|
| Htilominlo |
Son |
1211-1234 |
aka Nandaungmya (one who often asked for the throne) |
| Kyaswa |
Son |
1234-1250 |
|
| Uzana of Pagan |
Son |
1250-1255 |
|
| Narathihapate Narathihapate or Narathihapati was king of Pagan in northern Myanmar and was the son of King Uzana and Queen Su Lae Htone.The decline of the Pagan kingdom began with the rule of King Narathihapati. In 1274-1280, he built a lavish pagoda, the Mingalazedi Pagoda, which caused the decline and...
|
Son |
1255-1287 |
lost the kingdom to the Mongols and known as Tayoke Pyay Min (king who fled from the Chinese) to posterity |
| Kyawswa |
Son |
1287-1298 |
|
| Sawhnit |
Son |
1298-1325 |
|
| Sawmunnit |
Son |
1325-1369 |
|
† Although
AnawrahtaAnawrahta , also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Pagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma....
is accounted for the founding of Bagan, Thamudarit is listed as the "traditional" founder of Bagan in The
Glass Palace ChronicleThe Glass Palace Chronicle of the kings of Burma is a historical work written in Burmese commissioned by King Bagyidaw in 1829, and compiled by scholars to consolidate and compile all works of the history of Burmese rulers...
(
Hmannan Yazawin).
Cultural sites
- Ananda Temple
Ananda Temple is a Buddhist temple built in 1105 during the reign of King Kyanzittha. It is located in Bagan, Myanmar. The name Ananda comes from the name of Buddha's cousin and personal secretary Venerable Ananda, although it was once known as Ananta Temple, coming from the phrase ananta pinya,...
, c.1090, built by KyanzitthaKing Kyanzittha also known as Htilein Min was king of Bagan from 1084 to 1113, known for building a large number of temples and religious monuments in Bagan, particularly the Ananda Temple.-Background:...
- Bupaya Pagoda
Bupaya Pagoda is a famous pagoda located in Bagan , along the banks of the Ayeyarwady River. The pagoda is small in size, and is widely believed to have been built in the 200s by King Pyusawhti. However, its architectural style indicates that Bupaya Pagoda may have been built in the 1000s. Bupaya...
, c.850, demolished by the 1975 earthquake and completely rebuilt
- Dhammayangyi Temple
]]Dhammayangyi Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Burma and was built in the 1100s. There is dispute as to the date of its construction; it may have been built by either King Narathu or King Alaungsithu. Dhammayangyi Temple is the widest temple in Bagan, and is built in a plan similar to...
, c.1165, the biggest temple in Bagan, built by Alaungsithu but never finished
- Dhammayazika Pagoda
The Dhammayazika Pagoda is a Buddhist temple located in the village of Pwasaw in Burma. It was built in 1196 during the reign of King Narapatisithu. The pagoda is circular in esign, and is made of brick. Its three terraces contain terra cotta tiles illustrating scenes from the Jataka....
, 1196-98, built by Narapatisithu (Sithu II)
- Gawdawpalin Temple
Gawdawpalin Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Burma. Construction of the pagoda began during the reign of Narapatisithu and completed during the reign of Htilominlo . Gawdawpalin Temple is the second tallest temple in Bagan. The temple is similar in layout to Thatbyinnyu Temple...
, started by Narapatisithu and finished by Nandaungmya, the superstructure destroyed by the 1975 quake and rebuilt
- Htilominlo Temple
Htilominlo Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan , in Burma/Myanmar, built during the reign of King Htilominlo in 1211. The temple is three stories tall, with a height of 46 metres , and built with red brick. It is also known for its elaborate plaster moldings...
, 1218, built by Htilominlo
- Lawkananda Pagoda
Lawkananda Pagoda is a Buddhist zedi located in Bagan . It was built during the reign of King Anawrahta, and contains a replica of a Buddha tooth relic. On 24 May 2003, a bejewelled umbrella was hoisted to the top of the pagoda....
, built by AnawrahtaAnawrahta , also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Pagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma....
- Mahabodhi Temple, Bagan
The Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Burma. It was built in the mid-1200s during the reign of King Htilominlo, and is modelled after the Mahabodhi Temple, which is located in Bihar, India. The temple is built in an architectural style typical during the Gupta period, and...
, c. 1218, a smaller replica of the temple in Bodh Gaya, India
- Manuha Temple
Manuha Temple is a Buddhist temple built in Myinkaba , by captive Mon King Manuha in 1067, according to King Manuha's inscriptions. It is a rectangular building of two storeys. The building contains three images of seated Buddhas and an image of Buddha entering Nirvana. Manuha Temple is one of the...
, built by the captive Mon king Manuha
- Mingalazedi Pagoda
The Mingalazedi Pagoda is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Burma. It was built in 1284 during the reign of King Narathihapate. The pagoda is one of few temples in Bagan with a full set of glazed terra cotta tiles depicting the Jataka...
, 1268-74, built by NarathihapateNarathihapate or Narathihapati was king of Pagan in northern Myanmar and was the son of King Uzana and Queen Su Lae Htone.The decline of the Pagan kingdom began with the rule of King Narathihapati. In 1274-1280, he built a lavish pagoda, the Mingalazedi Pagoda, which caused the decline and...
- Myazedi inscription
Myazedi inscription , inscribed in 1113, is the oldest surviving stone inscription in Burma...
, c. 1113, described as the "Rosetta Stone of Burma" with inscriptions in four languages: PyuPyu refers to a collection of city-states and their language found in the central and northern regions of modern-day Burma from about 100 BCE to 840 CE...
, MonThe Mon language is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Mon, who live in Burma and Thailand. Mon, unlike most languages in the Southeast Asian region, is not tonal. Mon is spoken by less than a million people today. In recent years, usage of Mon has declined rapidly, especially among the...
, Old Burmese and Pali
, dedicated to Gubyaukgyi Temple by Prince Rajakumar, son of KyanzitthaKing Kyanzittha also known as Htilein Min was king of Bagan from 1084 to 1113, known for building a large number of temples and religious monuments in Bagan, particularly the Ananda Temple.-Background:...
- Nanpaya Temple
The Nanpaya Temple is a Hindu temple located in Myinkaba in Burma. The temple is adjacent to the Manuha Temple and was built by captive Mon King Manuha. It was built using mud mortar, stone, and brick, and was used as the residence of Manuha...
, c.1060-70, Mon style, believed to be either Manuha's old residence or built on the site
- Nathlaung Kyaung Temple
The Nathlaung Kyaung Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, located in Bagan, Burma. It is located west of the Thatbyinnyu Temple, and is the only remaining Hindu temple in Bagan. The temple is one of the oldest temples in Bagan, and was built in the 1000s, during the reign of King Anawratha...
, mid 11th.C., HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
deities "confined" to this temple
- Payathonzu Temple
The Payathonzu Temple is a Buddhist temple located in the village of Minnanthu in Burma. It is unique in the sense that the temple consists of three temples conjoined through narrow passages. The interior of the temple contains frescoes, believed to be Mahayana and Tantric in style. However, the...
, probably around 1200
- Sein-nyet Ama & Nyima (temple and pagoda, 13th century)
- Shwegugyi Temple
Shwegugyi Temple is a Buddhist temple built during the reign of King Alaungsithu in 1131. The temple itself is built on an expansive brick foundation 3 metres tall. The temple is known for its arched windows, and its history, which is inscribed in two stone slabs in Pali. According to its...
, 1131, built by Alaungsithu and where he died
- Shwesandaw Pagoda
The Shwesandaw Pagoda is a Buddhist pagoda located in Bagan, Burma. The pagoda contains a series of five terraces, topped with a cylindrical stupa, which has a bejewelled umbrella . The pagoda was built by King Anawrahta in 1057, and once contained terra cotta tiles depicting scenes from the Jataka...
, c.1070, built by AnawrahtaAnawrahta , also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Pagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma....
- Shwezigon Pagoda
The Shwezigon Pagoda is a famous Buddhist temple located in Nyaung Oo, a town near Bagan, in Burma. It is a prototype of Burmese stupas, and consists of a circular gold leaf-gilded stupa surrounded by smaller temples and shrines...
, 1102, built by AnawrahtaAnawrahta , also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Pagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma....
, finished by KyanzitthaKing Kyanzittha also known as Htilein Min was king of Bagan from 1084 to 1113, known for building a large number of temples and religious monuments in Bagan, particularly the Ananda Temple.-Background:...
- Sulamani Temple
The Sulamani Temple is a Buddhist temple located in the village of Minnanthu in Burma. The temple is one of the most-frequently visited in Bagan. It was built in 1183 by King Narapatisithu, and is similar to the Thatbyinnyu Temple in design. The Sulamani Temple also shows influence from the...
, 1183, built by Narapatisithu
- Tan-chi-daung Paya, on the west bank, built by Anawrahta
Anawrahta , also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Pagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma....
- Tharabha Gate
Tharabha Gate is the primary gateway to Bagan , located to the east. It is one of the few remaining gates to the ancient city boundaries of Bagan. It consists of two brick-walled shrines, each opposing one another, of two guardian nats, named Mahagiri and Shwemyitna, who were executed by order of...
, c.850, built by King Pyinbya
- Thatbyinnyu Temple
Thatbyinnyu Temple is a famous temple located in Bagan , built in the mid-1100s during the reign of King Alaungsithu. It is adjacent to Ananda Temple. Thatbyinnyu Temple is shaped like a cross, but is not symmetrical. The temple has two primary storeys, with the seated Buddha image located on the...
, the tallest temple at 200 feet (61 m), 12th century, built by Alaungsithu
- Tu-ywin-daung Paya, on the eastern boundary of Bagan, built by Anawrahta
Anawrahta , also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Pagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma....
Neighbours
- Thaton
Thaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains.-History:Thaton was a center for a Mon kingdom which stretched from the Ayeyarwady delta region to as far east as Cambodia...
(to the south, in modern-day Burma) until subdued in 1057
- Nanzhao
Nanzhao, alternate spellings Nanchao and Nan Chao was a polity that flourished in what is now southern China and Southeast Asia during the 8th and 9th centuries...
(to the north, in modern-day Yunnan Province, ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
)
Sister cities
Luang PrabangLuang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , Xieng Dong Xieng Thong, is a city located in north central Laos, on the Mekong River about 425 km north of Vientiane, and the capital of Louangphrabang Province. The current population of the city is about 103,000.The city was formerly the capital of a...
Siem ReapSiem Reap City is the capital of Siem Reap Province, Cambodia.Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market. In town, there are Apsara dance performances, craft shops, silk farms, rice-paddy countryside, fishing villages and a bird...
,
CambodiaThe Kingdom of Cambodia , formerly known as Kampuchea , is a country in South East Asia with a population of over 14 million people. The kingdom's capital and largest city is Phnom Penh...
http://www.myanmar.gov.mm/myanmartimes/no192/MyanmarTimes10-192/19202.htm
See also
- Buddhism in Burma
- Culture of Burma
- History of Buddhism
The History of Buddhism spans the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini, Nepal. This makes it one of the oldest religions practiced today. Starting in Nepal, the religion evolved as it spread through Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast...
- Nyaung U Airport
Nyaung U Airport is the primary air gateway to Bagan and surrounding areas.-Airlines and destinations:*Air Bagan *Air Mandalay...
External links
- The Life of the Buddha in 80 Scenes, Ananda Temple Charles Duroiselle, Archaeological Survey of India, Annual Report, Delhi, 1913-14
- The Art and Culture of Burma - the Pagan Period Dr. Richard M. Cooler, Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a public university located in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as a satellite campus for what is now Illinois State University. The DeKalb campus was originally called Northern Illinois State...
- Asian Historical Architecture: Bagan Prof. Robert D. Fiala, Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive public university located in Montreal, Canada, one of the city's two universities whose primary language of instruction is English...
, Nebraska
- Buddhist Architecture at Bagan Bob Hudson, University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is the oldest university in Australia. It was established in Sydney in 1850. It is a member of Australia's "Group of Eight" universities that are highly ranked in terms of their research performance...
, Australia
- Images from Bagan and Myanmar
- Temples of Bagan Photo Gallery Alan Ingram
- Old Bagan Photo Gallery
- Bagan from Air. More info on Balloons over Bagan.