Like the small kingdoms that preceded it, Ava may have been led by BamarisedShan kings who claimed descent from the kings of Pagan.[1][2] Scholars debate that the Shan ethnicity of Avan kings comes from mistranslation, particularly from a record of the Avan kings' ancestors ruling a Shan village in central Burma prior to their rise or prominence.[3]
The kingdom was founded by Thado Minbya in 1364[4] following the collapse of the Sagaing and Pinya Kingdoms due to raids by the Shan States to the north.
In its first years of existence, Ava, which viewed itself as the rightful successor to the Pagan Kingdom, tried to reassemble the former empire by waging constant wars against the MonHanthawaddy Kingdom in the south, the Shan States in the north and east, and Rakhine State in the west.[1]
While it was able to hold Taungoo and some peripheral Shan States (Kalaymyo, Mohnyin, Mogaung and Hsipaw) within its fold at the peak of its power, Ava failed to reconquer the rest. The Forty Years' War (1385–1424) with Hanthawaddy left Ava exhausted. From the 1420s to early 1480s, Ava regularly faced rebellions in its vassal regions whenever a new king came to power. In the 1480s and 1490s, the Prome Kingdom in the south and the Shan states that were under the sway of Ava in the north had broke away, and the Taungoo dynasty became as powerful as its nominal overlord Ava. In 1510, Taungoo also broke away.[1]
Ava was under intensified Shan raids for the first quarter of the 16th century. In 1527, the Confederation of Shan States, led by the state of Mohnyin in alliance with Prome, sacked Ava. The Confederation placed nominal kings on the Ava throne and ruled much of Upper Burma. As Prome was in alliance with the Confederation, only the tiny Taungoo in the southeastern corner, east of the Bago Yoma mountain range remained as the last holdout of the independent kingdom.
The Confederation's failure to snuff out Taungoo proved costly. Surrounded by hostile kingdoms, Taungoo took the initiative to consolidate its position, and defeated a much stronger Hanthawaddy in 1534–1541. When Taungoo turned against Prome, the Shans belatedly sent in their armies. Taungoo took Prome in 1542 and Bagan, just below Ava, in 1544.[5] In January 1555, King Bayinnaung of the Taungoo dynasty conquered Ava, ending the city's role as the capital of Upper Burma for nearly two centuries.
Thado Minbya founded the city of Ava (modern day Inwa) and consecrated it as Ratanapura, the City of Gems, which was to remain the capital of Myanmar more or less continuously until the mid 19th century.[6] The city was designed according to the traditional principles of Burmese city design, which had existed since at least the Pyu period. Ava was the first Burmese city to be entirely walled, with an inner citadel and an outer civilian city. Ava's citadel is probably the only barrel shaped city in the world. According to legend the outline of the city walls was intended to replicate the appearance of a mythical Burmese Lion, a Chinthe.[7][8] What is certain is that Ava, or at least its inner citadel, is designed to replicate the Buddhist universe in miniature. The palace was constructed in the very centre of the citadel, which according to traditional principles of Burmese city design, corresponds to the location of the Buddha, therefore directly associating the King with the Buddha himself. This conferred upon the King a divine status and the palace as a religious centrepiece.[7] The palace was specifically designed to emulate the highly auspicious Mount Meru in Hindu-Buddhist belief. The kingdom and its power emanated directly from the city as a mandala, encircling the entirety of the world (in theory) and therefore the city was a cosmological centre of a divinely ordained kingdom.[6]
During the reign of Swa Saw Ke, a council was convened at Ava which was attended by the King, members of the Sangha, Sinhalese monks, and Brahmins.[6] In one inscription the city was said to be as pleasant as Tavatimsa, the most important of the Buddhist heavens which also served as the model for the earthly realm of Burmese kingdoms.[6] Swa Saw Ke was known as an intellectual king who encouraged scholarly endeavours and the city was said to be full of intelligent conversation.[6]
Legacy
Ava's most notable legacy was its contribution to Burmese vernacular literature which flourished during this period. Literature moved from being written predominantly in Pali to using the vernacular Burmese language. Ava was a highly literate society with poetry being composed people from all levels of society, such as a village headman of Palaung in 1355, who inscribed verse onto stone.[9] Inscriptions in classical Burmese during both the Bagan and Ava periods written by commoners and nobles appear at a ratio of 3:1 in favour of the commoners.[9]
Elaborate use of simile, metaphor and other literary devices abound in Burmese verse, especially in the works of Shin Maharattathara.[9] One of these works rejects the comforts of marriage and secular life for that of a forest ascetic. The following is a translation by Dr. Hla Pe, John Okell, and Anna Allott:
"The maiden I marry shall be a forest dwelling, one that befits a hermit, far from the approach of men; she will tend to all my needs and will always keep me fed, with forest fruits for rice, and forest fruits for curry. I shall have Wisdom for my washing-water, for it cleanses the dirt of greed, hatred, and ignorance; and when I have neatly tied the ascetic’s knot in my hair, I shall bedeck it with Faith for a garland; the fragrance of Meditation shall be my sandalwood, and I shall anoint myself with the sweet-smelling and cooling juice of aloes. . . . I shall wear the priceless and costly garment of the Law."[9]
^ abcdeAung-Thwin, Michael (2017). Myanmar in the fifteenth century : a tale of two kingdoms. Honolulu. pp. 53–70. ISBN978-0-8248-7411-7. OCLC 990802695.
^ abHla, U Kan (1978). "Traditional Town Planning in Burma". Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 37 (2): 92–104. doi:10.2307/989177. ISSN 0037-9808.
^Cooler, Richard M. (2002). "The Post Pagan Period – 14th To 20th Centuries. Part I". Northern Illinois University.
^ abcdAung-Thwin, Michael A. (2017). Myanmar in the Fifteenth Century: A Tale of Two Kingdoms. University of Hawai'i Press. pp. 166–183. ISBN978-0-8248-6783-6.
Bibliography
Aung-Thwin, Michael (2010). "The Myth of the "Three Shan Brothers" and the Ava Period in Burmese History". The Journal of Asian Studies. Cambridge University Press. 55 (4): 881–901. doi:10.2307/2646527. JSTOR 2646527. S2CID 162150555.
Coedès, George (1968). The Indianized States of Southeast Asia (1967 ed.). University of Hawaii Press.
Harvey, G. E. (1925). History of Burma: From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd.
Htin Aung, Maung (1967). A History of Burma. New York and London: Cambridge University Press.
Phayre, Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. (1883). History of Burma (1967 ed.). London: Susil Gupta.
April 30, 2023
kingdom, kingdom, also, name, commonly, used, burma, under, konbaung, dynasty, burmese, အင, ဝခ, pronounced, ʔɪ, kʰɪʔ, dominant, kingdom, that, ruled, upper, burma, myanmar, from, 1364, 1555, founded, 1365, kingdom, successor, state, petty, kingdoms, myinsaing,. Ava Kingdom was also a name commonly used for Burma under the Konbaung Dynasty The Kingdom of Ava Burmese အင ဝခ တ pronounced ʔɪ ɰ wa kʰɪʔ was the dominant kingdom that ruled upper Burma Myanmar from 1364 to 1555 Founded in 1365 the kingdom was the successor state to the petty kingdoms of Myinsaing Pinya and Sagaing that had ruled central Burma since the collapse of the Pagan Empire in the late 13th century Kingdom of Avaအင ဝခ တ 1365 1555Ava c 1450StatusKingdomCapitalSagaingPinyaAvaCommon languagesOld BurmeseOld ShanReligionTheravada BuddhismGovernmentMonarchy 1364 1367Thado Minbya 1367 1400Swa Saw Ke 1400 1421Minkhaung I 1426 1439Mohnyin Thado 1527 1542ThohanbwaLegislatureHluttawHistory Thado Minbya seized Sagaingby 30 May 1364 Ava Kingdom founded26 February 1365 Saw Omma s rebellionSeptember 1367 Forty Years War1385 1424 Start of House of Mohnyin16 May 1426 Toungoo secession16 October 1510 Start of Shan period14 March 1527 Toungoo conquest22 January 1555CurrencykyatPreceded by Succeeded byPinya KingdomSagaing Kingdom First Toungoo EmpireProme KingdomLike the small kingdoms that preceded it Ava may have been led by Bamarised Shan kings who claimed descent from the kings of Pagan 1 2 Scholars debate that the Shan ethnicity of Avan kings comes from mistranslation particularly from a record of the Avan kings ancestors ruling a Shan village in central Burma prior to their rise or prominence 3 Contents 1 History 2 Capital 3 Legacy 4 See also 5 References 6 BibliographyHistory Edit Kingdom of Ava in 1368 The kingdom was founded by Thado Minbya in 1364 4 following the collapse of the Sagaing and Pinya Kingdoms due to raids by the Shan States to the north In its first years of existence Ava which viewed itself as the rightful successor to the Pagan Kingdom tried to reassemble the former empire by waging constant wars against the Mon Hanthawaddy Kingdom in the south the Shan States in the north and east and Rakhine State in the west 1 While it was able to hold Taungoo and some peripheral Shan States Kalaymyo Mohnyin Mogaung and Hsipaw within its fold at the peak of its power Ava failed to reconquer the rest The Forty Years War 1385 1424 with Hanthawaddy left Ava exhausted From the 1420s to early 1480s Ava regularly faced rebellions in its vassal regions whenever a new king came to power In the 1480s and 1490s the Prome Kingdom in the south and the Shan states that were under the sway of Ava in the north had broke away and the Taungoo dynasty became as powerful as its nominal overlord Ava In 1510 Taungoo also broke away 1 Ava was under intensified Shan raids for the first quarter of the 16th century In 1527 the Confederation of Shan States led by the state of Mohnyin in alliance with Prome sacked Ava The Confederation placed nominal kings on the Ava throne and ruled much of Upper Burma As Prome was in alliance with the Confederation only the tiny Taungoo in the southeastern corner east of the Bago Yoma mountain range remained as the last holdout of the independent kingdom The Confederation s failure to snuff out Taungoo proved costly Surrounded by hostile kingdoms Taungoo took the initiative to consolidate its position and defeated a much stronger Hanthawaddy in 1534 1541 When Taungoo turned against Prome the Shans belatedly sent in their armies Taungoo took Prome in 1542 and Bagan just below Ava in 1544 5 In January 1555 King Bayinnaung of the Taungoo dynasty conquered Ava ending the city s role as the capital of Upper Burma for nearly two centuries Capital EditMain article Inwa Thado Minbya founded the city of Ava modern day Inwa and consecrated it as Ratanapura the City of Gems which was to remain the capital of Myanmar more or less continuously until the mid 19th century 6 The city was designed according to the traditional principles of Burmese city design which had existed since at least the Pyu period Ava was the first Burmese city to be entirely walled with an inner citadel and an outer civilian city Ava s citadel is probably the only barrel shaped city in the world According to legend the outline of the city walls was intended to replicate the appearance of a mythical Burmese Lion a Chinthe 7 8 What is certain is that Ava or at least its inner citadel is designed to replicate the Buddhist universe in miniature The palace was constructed in the very centre of the citadel which according to traditional principles of Burmese city design corresponds to the location of the Buddha therefore directly associating the King with the Buddha himself This conferred upon the King a divine status and the palace as a religious centrepiece 7 The palace was specifically designed to emulate the highly auspicious Mount Meru in Hindu Buddhist belief The kingdom and its power emanated directly from the city as a mandala encircling the entirety of the world in theory and therefore the city was a cosmological centre of a divinely ordained kingdom 6 During the reign of Swa Saw Ke a council was convened at Ava which was attended by the King members of the Sangha Sinhalese monks and Brahmins 6 In one inscription the city was said to be as pleasant as Tavatimsa the most important of the Buddhist heavens which also served as the model for the earthly realm of Burmese kingdoms 6 Swa Saw Ke was known as an intellectual king who encouraged scholarly endeavours and the city was said to be full of intelligent conversation 6 Legacy EditAva s most notable legacy was its contribution to Burmese vernacular literature which flourished during this period Literature moved from being written predominantly in Pali to using the vernacular Burmese language Ava was a highly literate society with poetry being composed people from all levels of society such as a village headman of Palaung in 1355 who inscribed verse onto stone 9 Inscriptions in classical Burmese during both the Bagan and Ava periods written by commoners and nobles appear at a ratio of 3 1 in favour of the commoners 9 Elaborate use of simile metaphor and other literary devices abound in Burmese verse especially in the works of Shin Maharattathara 9 One of these works rejects the comforts of marriage and secular life for that of a forest ascetic The following is a translation by Dr Hla Pe John Okell and Anna Allott The maiden I marry shall be a forest dwelling one that befits a hermit far from the approach of men she will tend to all my needs and will always keep me fed with forest fruits for rice and forest fruits for curry I shall have Wisdom for my washing water for it cleanses the dirt of greed hatred and ignorance and when I have neatly tied the ascetic s knot in my hair I shall bedeck it with Faith for a garland the fragrance of Meditation shall be my sandalwood and I shall anoint myself with the sweet smelling and cooling juice of aloes I shall wear the priceless and costly garment of the Law 9 See also EditList of monarchs Ava kings family tree Kingdom of Mrauk U This article contains Burmese script Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols instead of Burmese script References Edit a b c Htin Aung 1967 84 103 Phayre 1883 63 75 Aung Thwin 2010 881 901 Coedes 1968 227 Phayre 1883 100 101 a b c d e Aung Thwin Michael 2017 Myanmar in the fifteenth century a tale of two kingdoms Honolulu pp 53 70 ISBN 978 0 8248 7411 7 OCLC 990802695 a b Hla U Kan 1978 Traditional Town Planning in Burma Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 37 2 92 104 doi 10 2307 989177 ISSN 0037 9808 Cooler Richard M 2002 The Post Pagan Period 14th To 20th Centuries Part I Northern Illinois University a b c d Aung Thwin Michael A 2017 Myanmar in the Fifteenth Century A Tale of Two Kingdoms University of Hawai i Press pp 166 183 ISBN 978 0 8248 6783 6 Bibliography EditAung Thwin Michael 2010 The Myth of the Three Shan Brothers and the Ava Period in Burmese History The Journal of Asian Studies Cambridge University Press 55 4 881 901 doi 10 2307 2646527 JSTOR 2646527 S2CID 162150555 Coedes George 1968 The Indianized States of Southeast Asia 1967 ed University of Hawaii Press Harvey G E 1925 History of Burma From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824 London Frank Cass amp Co Ltd Htin Aung Maung 1967 A History of Burma New York and London Cambridge University Press Phayre Lt Gen Sir Arthur P 1883 History of Burma 1967 ed London Susil Gupta Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kingdom of Ava amp oldid 1145896348, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
