The first kingdom in Myanmar’s history was the Bagan Kingdom, which flourished from the 11th century to the 13th century. It was a turning point in the development of Myanmar’s culture. Buddhism was spread to the coastal areas, and the people diligently built and donated stupas to gain merit.
Even in later times, Bagan prospered as a maritime key. Successive kings were able to build and maintain many pagodas. To this day, many local and foreign people love Bagan as the birthplace of Burmese culture and because they are making efforts to preserve and preserve the ancient culture.
It is said that King Anoratha was the founder of the Pagan era in the 11th century.
The center of this kingdom was the palace which is now known as the old city of Bagan. Located on the banks of the Irrawaddy River, a part of the palace was damaged due to river erosion, but in the past, the palace was surrounded by city walls and a moat.
The royal palace is in the center. Inside and outside the palace there is a huge pagoda built by the king himself. Along the Irrawaddy River, which is used for maritime transportation, the kingdom’s power spreads in all directions, and the kingdom’s strong granary also supports the state power.
The influence of Bagan reached the coastal areas, and the Mons adopted the culture of the Mon people as well as the advanced culture of India, which they came into contact with while traveling by sea.
The fact that he interrogated Arahman and made him memorize Buddhism and Buddhist literature is a clear proof.The ancient pagodas were inscribed in the Mon religion early on, and the Manuha Pagoda was built by Nangye Mon Min, and the pagodas built before Bagan were dominated by Puyu culture works.
The development of god culture
In the 12th century AD, the kingdom made further progress. Buddhism has been adopted by most of the people, from the king to Mugyi, to the generals, officers and servants, and they have actively participated in the construction of pagodas. As a result, the area where the gods were located spread far and wide from the palace.
The use of Burmese characters spread. The founders of the pagoda inscribed their good deeds on stone inscriptions for future generations to know. The builder’s name and social status; Detailed information of Wattaka land Lists of donated items are signed at the donating temple. These stone inscriptions are valuable evidence for understanding Pagan society.
