MYANMAR BURMA

Myanmar or Burma remained in isolation throughout the longest period of her history.

One result of this was that her type grew more and more distinct. The isolation of Myanmar Burma was due to her geographical position.

Myanmar Burma is shut away in a corner of the earth between mountain wastes and the ocean. The kindred nations settled within the same natural confines, one after another came under the sway of Burma. They fought among themselves and they traded among themselves ; the wars and the commerce of the greater world beyond affected them little. No base of attack was near enough to Myanmar Burma for the ancient conditions of warfare. On the west the seas were too wide for the transport of armies ; on the east serried ranges of hills blocked the efforts of China to push her way to the coast. Myanmar Burma possessed no staples of trade to encourage enterprise of the peaceable sort.

Left entirely to her own resources, she developed her character in independence. It preserves a large measure of its original freshness and charm.

Detached though Myanmar Burma lay from the contact of other civilization, the seed-corn of a spiritual influence was brought to her shore from afar, and took root and spread until it pervaded her whole life. The one extraneous influence under which she fell proved of a paramount order.

But the inspiration of Buddhism was broadly human, not racial.

Every people might take its message to heart in their own individual way. The restraints it enjoined and the ideals it held up

became the occasions for Myanmar Burma to unfold her own inmost nature.

The abounding treasury of Buddhist legend furnished the subjects to exercise her poetic fancy. In the fifth century, Am., long after Buddhism had declined at its source in India, and when it only prevailed in Ceylon, its real progress beg-an among the people who were to give it an enduring home. Buddhism is popularly credited with five hundred millions of adherents. But the seven millions of Myanmar Burma and perhaps twentieth of that number in Ceylon, together with the half million Jains of India, are the practical Buddhists of the world. With the rest the profession has sunk to an empty name, as in China and Japan, or it is lax, as in Slain, or it is utterly transformed, as in Tibet.

The phrase Further India gives point to a wide misconception. The surprise of so many persons on finding that the Myanmar's or Burmans have no caste to take the commonest instance—betrays the notion that Myanmar Burma is part of India as it was during English colonial times . The phrase Indo-China is also misleading unless in respect of geography. In respect of climate, flora and fauna, Further India is not inapplicable. A probable Indo-Aryan admixture exists in the north-coast (Arakan - Rakhine). But Myanmar Burma Proper and Pegu - Bago are as distinct from India as Tibet itself.

The original Myanmar Burman tribes

are conjectured to have pushed their way south from the mountains of Tibet. They divided into three principal branches, Arakan (Rakhaing, Yakaing) on the west, Shan on the east, and Myanmar Burma (Bama), which attained to the chief position, in the middle, on the northern Irrawaddy (E-ya wadi). Nothing is known of the early history of these nations. But it is certain that in 1000 A.D. Myanmar Burma was a large and powerful kingdom, with its seat at Pagan - Bagan. About that time





the first historical conquest of the lower Irrawaddy was effected. From the fact that the country was not permanently subdued it may be inferred that the power of the Mon or Peguan race (later called Talaing) was not greatly inferior to that of the Burman. The Mons, from the affinities of their language, are conjectured to be of Annamitic origin. There is mention of the Bagan Pagan kingdom independently of


the Burman chronicles, and there is above all the evidence of the ruins of Pagan, probably the mightiest of their kind. They testify to the power of the kingdom and the influence of the religion which actuated the kings to build temples on such a scale.

In 300 A.D. the power of the Pagan - Bagan kingdom had spent itself,

in a great degree owing, as the Burmans believe, to the drain of the temple-building. But the force of the religion was unabated. Burma fell a prey to Shan invaders, who snatched the dominion for nearly two hundred years but failed to consolidate it, splitting up into principalities like those of their native hills. The
weakness of Burma allowed the Mon power to develop. The sixteenth century saw the rise of Pegu - Bago and the establishment of a shifting empire over Burma. Exhausted.. by wars, Pegu - Bago in turn declined and lay at the mercy of Siam ( Yodaya) when Paung (Taung - ngu) came to the rescue. In the seventeenth century the Peguan dynasty brought the Mutt umpire to its zenith, from which it waned in the eighteenth. Towards the middle of the latter century the Emmaus under Alaiung Paya rose against the Mum garrisons, overthrew Pegu and finally established the empire of Myanmar Burma. Arakan - Rakhine was incorporated, Siam was subjugated and made tributary for a time. The empire directed its ambition to the west. Manipur was overrun and the Arakanese pretensions inn 1571 the country was in a state of chaos. High officials plotted against King Mong Phaloung. Astrologers advised the king to build the  Htukkant Thein Temple with the help of the plotters as well as governors, land-lords and common people. They acted according to a saying common at that time, “when the city is worn, support its ceiling.” The temple was built on a 70 metre by 80 metre platform. The structure is built of stone blocks with brick pagodas on top of the hall and on the four corners. Inside the temple there are two pavements with many images and carvings picturing the various donors. It is a very interesting collection of different costumes and ornaments. Sixty four varieties of coiffure, forty different head-dresses, twenty different bracelets, eighty-one rings, sixteen types of pendant and various other body decorations are a creative showcase.

The Shitethaung Temple
at Mraug-Oo or Myohaung in Arakan or Rakhine, also called the Temple of Eighty Thousand Images, was erected in 1536. The building was funded by a donation from King Mong Ba Gree to commemorate the victory over the twelve provinces of Bengal and the Portuguese marauders who came to assault the capital. The basic structure is a hall topped by a main stupa surrounded by 26 smaller stupas. The temple is 53 metres long, 41 metres wide and 29 metres high. There are several passage ways with galleries throughout the inner temple. The temple is richly decorated with statues of Buddha as well as images of the animals or persons which Gautama Buddha occupied in his 550 previous lives. People in native costumes with faded colours are shown wrestling, boxing and dancing.

This beautiful landscape with the Sakyamanaung pagoda in the centre is typical of the Mraunk Oo area. The hills
and valleys are dotted with dozens of pagodas, temples and lakes.

Chittagong were revived, which produced friction with the British power in India. Burman dominion had been a march of unbroken conquest in the memory of the then generation ; the nation believed itself invincible.

In the elation of their prowess at home they failed to form a conception of the power of nations beyond the sea.

The Bumans had no intelligence branch in the shape of a sea-borne trade of their own. So they provoked a trial of strength. and after a struggle, which they made a long and well-nigh desperate one for their well-equipped opponents, succumbed. Myanmar or Burman empire vas over, the ancient kingdom only remained. The people had learned the lesson, but not so their rulers, who suffered affairs to come to a thrice-repeated crisis.

The Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy)

is the lifeline of the Burmese people. It springs forth from the Himalayas coming down to two rivulets, Mae Kha and Mali Kha (Myitsone) in the Kachin State, in the far north. It runs from north to south and eventually emptying out into the Andaman Sea.

Ayeyarwady’s name has been curved in stone inscriptions in the days of yore just as the name Myanmar is mentioned in the same. Ayeyarwady has fed Myanmar's with food and sustenance and has witnessed the water -

sheds and landmarks of Myanmar history all along its colorful course.

The road from Yangon to Mandalay is 693 km long and is shorter than 935 km long river way; and is longer than 617 km long railway. The passage passes through cultivated plains, green groves of trees and glistening array of pagodas and stupas.

Bago

The first stretch is from Yangon to Bago, formerly called Pegu and Hanthawaddy, which produces basic crops. In Indakaw, there are rubber plantations. The Kingdom of Hanthawaddy - Bago was founded by two brothers, Thamala and Wimala in the 9th century. In the 15th century, only Myanmar Queen, Shin Saw Pu reigned there. She was noted for her renovation of the Shwedagon pagoda of Yangon. In the following century, King Bayinnaung, founder of the Second Myanmar Empire and

Conqueror of Ten Directions held his court and unified the whole Myanmar nation. Famous pagodas here are Shwemawdaw, Shwethalyaung (Reclining Buddha) Mahazedi, Kyaikpun and Kalyani Sima. The most imposing palace built by the great King Bayinnaung was Kanbawzathadi Palace, which is now rebuilt as before.

Taungoo

This is another old city, 200 km from Bago. It bestirred nostalgic memories of Natshinnaung, warrior poet whose love for lovely Princess Yazadatukalyar knew no bounds. A notable spot nearby is Thandaung, a hill resort. Nearby is the Mawchi Mines which produces tin and wolfram. Famous products here are bananas, tea and coffee.

Pyinmana

Beyond is the Yezin dam and a complex of teaching institutes on agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry.

Meikhtila
The rain is scarce here less than 125 cm a year. There are no more paddy and rice fields but crops as groundnuts, sesamum, beans and pulses are thriving products. Meikhtila Lake is well-known and prominent. There are songs eulogizing peace and beauty of the lake.
There is a nursey rhyme which runs:
“ Please pick up a small frog from
Lake Meikhtila,
If you have caught one,
Kindly offer me a small creature
with pouting small eyes and thin body.”
Meikhtila’s location is strategic. It is the point of access to the Shan State in the east, with Taungyi, its capital, 170 km away. To the west lies Kyaukpadaung, where there are oilfields and the Ayeyawady valley.

Mandalay
From Meikhtila to Mandalay it stretches 152 km. Before reach in Mandalay, one will come across Kyaukse, the ancient home and granary of Myanmar agriculture, the rice bowl of successive Myanmar Kingdoms. Here, famous Bagan King Anawrahta started to build his First MyanmarEmpire that lasted more than two centuries.
It is too well known to dwell at length about Mandalay, the royal capital of the last two Myanmar Kings of Konbaung dynasty. It is the hub and heartland of Myanmar culture, arts and crafts and the seat of Theravada Buddhism. These culture heritage still lingers.

Bagan
Bagan is also highly reputed for Myanmar art and architecture, sculpture and painting, archaeological findings and artifacts and is world-famous for thousand and one pagodas, stupas, cetis, religious edifices and buildings. Suffice it to say that, these cultural values can only be appreciated by a personal visit there. The Road to Mandalay or the river cruise is in fact, a window to the beauty and wealth of Myanmar Naingngan.