Ancient Kingdoms & Bagan
Myanmar's history is marked by powerful kingdoms that shaped the fate of Southeast Asia for centuries and brought about a cultural flourishing, the evidence of which continues to overwhelm travelers today.
Pyu Cities (2nd century BC – 11th century)
The Pyu were the first known city-state dwellers of central Myanmar. Their cities — Sri Ksetra, Beikthano, and Halin — have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2014. The Pyu brought Buddhism from India to the country and laid the cultural foundations for all subsequent Burmese empires. Their water supply systems, city walls, and astronomical knowledge testify to a highly developed civilization.
The Kingdom of Bagan (1044–1287)
King Anawrahta founded the first unified Burmese empire in 1044 with the capital Bagan. He converted to Theravada Buddhism, defeated the Mon kingdom in the south, and established the religion as the state ideology. What followed was a 250-year explosion of religious architecture: Over 10,000 temples, pagodas, and monasteries were built in the Bagan plain — financed by kings, nobles, and wealthy citizens who sought to accumulate religious merit for future lives through construction.
The Kingdom of Bagan was a cultural center of the first rank: Pali scholarship, medicine, astronomy, and art flourished. The architecture evolved from Mon-inspired forms to a distinct Burmese style. The empire ended in 1287 when the Mongols under Kublai Khan invaded. This was followed by centuries of fragmented small states and rivalries.
Konbaung Dynasty (1752–1885)
The last great Burmese kingdom reunited the country, conquered Siam (Thailand), destroyed Ayutthaya (1767), and expanded in all directions. King Mindon founded Mandalay as the new capital in 1857 and convened the Fifth Buddhist Council, during which the entire Pali Canon was engraved on 729 marble slabs — the "world's largest book" of the Kuthodaw Pagoda in Mandalay.
