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States and Divisions
There are seven states and seven divisions, namely, Kachin,
Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan, Tanintharri, Bago, Magway,
Mandalay, Sagaing, Yangon and Ayeyarwaddy.
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Myanmar Chronology
Because of the untiring efforts of historians, excavators, archaeologists,
linguists, scholars and so on through out the history, quite
a large number of exploration objects and excavation finds have
already been collected and shed ample light on Myanmar chronological
sequences of the stone age, bronze age in prehistory and iron
age in proto-history, Bagan, Pinya, Sagaing, Innwa, Taungnyu,
Nyaungyan and Konbaung periods in historic period.
During the iron age (about 2000-1000 B.P) of proto Myanmar history,
there were Pyu city-states flourished in central Myanmar
and Shan State while Mon people founded their city-states
in lower Myanmar known as Ramanya region and Tanintharri coastal
area, Rakhine people had organized their respective kingdoms
in western part of Myanmar contemporarily (at the same time).
The Pyu, surprising extinct now for unknown reason, had serially
founded their respective kingdoms in the 1st – the 9th century
A.D and they could be mentioned like that Visnu near Taungtwingyi
Township, Halin in Wetlet Township of Shwebo District, Sriksetra
near Pyay, Maingmaw to the east of Kume and south of Kyaukse
District, Wadi in Nwarhtoegyi Township of Myingyan District,
Thibaw in Northern Shan State, Kvaikkatha, Thargara near Dawei
and so on. Among the Pyu city-states, Visnu is the earliest
and Sriksetra is the last and biggest in size. The Pyu became
Buddhist in about the 4th century A.D and got their writing
a little earlier than that. In the 7th century A.D, they became
stronger and ran over Mon region assuming the earliest empire
of Myanmar. They were destroyed in the first half of the 9th
century A.D by the invasion of Nancho from northern China. To
scope the Pyu culture on concrete evidences, Sriksetra flourished
from the 4th to the 9th century A.D, near Pyay should be internationally
visited where the largest and fullest finds are systematically
exhibited at Sriksetra museum, popularly known as the "Hmawza
Museum".
Mon people first settled in Menam valley and later spread to
Cambodia, Malaysia, and even to India. In about the 2nd -3rd
century A.D, they migrated into Myanmar, especially the valley
between Thanlwin and Sittaung Rivers like Pyu. They were Buddhists
and adopted Indian alphabet for their own writings, in about
the 4th -5th century A.D. Mon kingdom was also destroyed in
825-835 A D by Nancho, similar to Pyu. But Mon people are still
surviving into lower Myanmar, especially, in Bago Division and
Mon State. The impressive architecture, laterite civilization,
glazed-wares are seen at Twante, Pathein. Dala, Thanlyin Kyauktan,
Yangon, Bago, Waw, Zokethoke, Kyaikhto, Thaton, Mawlamyine,
Thanbyuzayat and so on. Bagan also have many admirable features
of Mon architecture and culture, and Thai and Cambodia do either.
The excellent laterite carvings and architecture of ancient
Mon could be enjoyed at Shwesaryan in Thaton, Ayetthama village,
Kyontu pagoda at Waw. Rakhine people had already been in Rakhine
region and in about the 4th -5th century A.D, they founded their
kingdom. The remains of ancient architectures and cities of
Rakhine should be enjoyed at Myohaung (Mrauk U) Vesali and their
respective environs.
We can safely assert to the fact that King Anawrahta (A.D 1044-1077)
had successfully shaped Bagan dynasty as the isolated Myanmar
Empire. Various structures or religious buildings and monuments
were erected in about 300 years from the 11th to 13th century
A.D. In Bagan, architecture, carvings and mural paintings should
be enjoyed as one composition. Ananda for softness, Dhammayangyi
for massiveness, Thatbyinnyu for height, and Shwezigon for beauty
should be surely appreciated. For those who are interested in
fantastic figures and striking mural paintings, should drop
to Minnanthu village and environ. But, it should be mindful
that each and every monument in Bagan has its own peculiarity
and attraction.
In 1364 A.D, King Thadominbyu founded Innwa capital and dynasty,
but King Bayintnaung of Taungngu defined Bago as his Hanthawaddy
capital and in a 30-year period (1551-1581 A.D) successfully
unified a greater area as Second Myanmar Empire. Finally, King
Alaungmintayargyi founded Konbaung dynasty in 1752-60 at Shwebo
as capital and the third and last Myanmar Empire. Later, the
capital was repeatedly shifted from one place to another, for
example, Innwa, Sagaing, Amarapura and so on, until Yatanabon
Mandalay was erected in 1857 A.D. It was the last capital of
Myanmar monarches and lasted 26 years only up to 1881 A.D.
As a whole, there are many ancient cities in Myanmar reflecting
their own cultural characteristics and unique remains. Bagan
style is largely influenced by Indian, Pyu and Mon characters
in Innwa period produced complete Myanmar style and characters
while Mandalay period is obviously indicating the inclusion
of European themes and characters in Myanmar culture.
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