Bagan ( from the 9th century to

the end of the 13th century )

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 Geography
• The settlement of Bagan is likely started
in the halfway of the 9th century.

• After two centuries, the settled area was

gradually extended and 'King Anawrahta'
(Son of Kunsaw KyaungPhyu) founded
the Bagan Empire in '1044' (In the 11th
century) .
• Bagan is situated in the eastern bank of
the Ayeyarwady and about 120 miles to
the south of Mandalay.

• It is the dry zone of Central Burma.

• As it was located in the dry zone, the
area receives little rain and is dependant
on irrigation for farming.

• The Bagan people managed to develop

and improve water management systems
to irrigate the land.
• They build the system of dams and waterways
so that the dry land became cultivated and
turned to a farmland.

• This ability of expanding the dry desert like

area into the farmland attracted more
people.

• And thus it expanded the Kingdom.

 How did the Kingdom start?
• According to the Burmese chronicles,
early Bagan was founded in the second
century AD by 'Thamudarit' and was
fortified by the 'King Pyinbya'(the 34th
successor of the founder of early Bagan)
in 849 AD.
• A long dynasty of 55 kings ruled over the
Bagan Kingdom from AD 108 to AD 1287.
 King Anawrahta

• Bagan became empire only at the time of

‘Anawrahta’ ( AD 1044 - 1077) .

• He greatly expanded the Bagan Kingdom

and also implemented a series of political
and administrative reforms.
• It enabled his empire to dominate the
Ayeyarwady valley and its periphery for
another 250 years.

• Anawrahta is considered one of the

greatest kings of Burmese history.
 Buddhism
• At that time, Buddhism didn't yet play an
important role in the country.

• King Anawrahta was converted to

Theravada Buddhism by a monk named
‘Shin Arahan’ from Thahton Kingdom(sent
by Manuha, the Mon king of Thahton).
• Inspired by his new faith, King Anawrahta
decided to spread Buddhism and started
a massive campaign to build thousands
of Buddhist temples, pagodas and other
monuments.
 Architecture
• Over the next centuries thousands of
temples and pagoda were built by Royals
as well as prosperous inhabitants of the
city in order to gain religious merit.

• Bagan became an important canter for

Theravada Buddhism and study and
attracted monks from far away countries.
• King Anawrahta’s successors, particularly
Kyansittha (AD 1084 - 1113), Alaungsithu
(AD 1113 - 60) and Narapatisithu (AD
1165 - 1211), continued their incredible
architectural output, although the
construction work must have been
nonstop throughout the period of
Bagan’s glory.
• More than 10,000 temples and monuments
were built at the height of the Kingdom’s
power between the 11th and 13th century.
Tharabar Door
 Glory

• King Anawrahta’s successors further

expanded the Kingdom. According to
several sources the empire reached as far
as parts of present day Thailand.
• During the Kingdom’s most powerful
period from the end of the 12th century
until mid 13th century, Bagan had up to 2
million inhabitants.

• At that time Bagan and the Khmer

empire of present day Cambodia were
the most powerful empires in South East
Asia.
 King Kyansittha
• After King Anawrahta, King Kyansittha
the leading role and fought gallantly for
victory.
• Kyansittha was a popular and successful
general who led Anawrahta's major
military campaigns that founded the
Bagan Empire.
• He was exiled twice in the 1070s and
1080s for his affair with Queen
Manisanda. He was exiled twice in the
1070s and 1080s for his affair with
Queen Manisanda.

• Kyansittha ascended to the Pagan throne

in 1084 after suppressing a major Mon
rebellion that killed King Saw Lu.
• King Kyansittha is also known as 'Hti
Hlaing Shin' and is considered as one of
the greatest Burmese monarchs.

• Bagan became an internationally

recognized power during his 28 year
reign. His reign was largely peaceful.

• He wisely united the two kingdoms of

Mon and Myanmar into one Empire and
adopted Mon culture to enrich in Bagan.
Ananda
 King Alaungsithu
• Alaungsithu, the grandson son of King
Kyansittha was known in Burmese history
as the traveller King.

• During his reign, he travelled within and

outside of his kingdom extensively.
• He introduced the standardized weights
and measures throughout the country
to assist administration and trading.

• Bagan was an integral part of inland

and maritime trading networks.

• He was regarded as a good model of a

benevolent monarch in Myanmar
history.
 King Narathihapate
• Narathihapate was the last king of the
Bagan Empire who reigned from 1256 to
1287.

• He is known in Burmese history as the

"Taruk-Pyay Min" 'the King who fled from
the Taruk (Mongols)' .
• Because he fled from Bagan to Lower
Burma in 1285 during the first Mongol
invasion (1277–87) of the kingdom.

• He eventually submitted to Kublai

Khan( founder of the Yuan dynasty) in
January 1287 in exchange for a Mongol
withdrawal from northern Burma.
• But when the king was assassinated six
months later by his son Thihathu, the
Viceroy of Prome, the 250-year-old Pagan
Empire broke apart into multiple petty
states.

• The king is unkindly remembered in the

royal chronicles, which in addition to calling
a cowardly king who fled from the invaders.
 Fall of the Empire
• Much of the empire's wealth was used
towards construction of Buddhist
monuments.

• As so much fertile land was used towards

construction of temples and pagodas,
farm land was becoming scarce during
the 13th century, which posed a threat to
the Kingdom’s wealth.
• At the end of the 13th century, Bagan
was invaded several times by the Mongol
armies led by 'Kublai Khan', the Great
Khan of the Mongol empire who reigned
from 1260 until 1294.

• After the death of Narathihapate, three

kings in succession ruled Bagan. But they
could not restore the Greatness of
Bagan.
• Another invasion in 1297 finally led to
'the end of the Bagan empire'. After the
15th century, Bagan was mostly deserted
and most temples fell into disrepair.

• Since then Bagan faded into past and the

kingdom of Bagan never recovered.
References list

https://www.lonelyplanet.com
bagan.travelmyanmar.net
aspects of Myanmar textbook
http://www.reown-travel.com
http://en.m.wikipedia.org
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