Ko Ko Lay - History of Yangon

:: Click on Buy it now to download the ebook . After placing your free order, the download link will be sent to the reader's email address used to log in to the mgyoe.com website.

:: The Ebook (Free) books on mgyoe.com are books that have been circulating on the internet for a long time.

:: It is just a compilation so that readers can easily find it when they want to read it.

:: If reprinted by libraries, the download links for these e-books will be removed.

------------------------------------

Dagon ( DAGON)

In the middle of the 11th century, many warriors appeared under the command of King Anawrahta of Bagan, who fought all the nearby regions and became known as a great army that conquered all the surrounding areas. As a result, Anawrahta began to expand his empire into Lower Burma.

In 1054 or 1057, King Anawrahta's army invaded and conquered Thaton. They also conquered Dagon. At that time, they captured the Buddha's hair that was enshrined in the pagoda (Shwedagon Pagoda) in Dagon. When they reached Bagan, they buried it in the relic-chamber.

During the reign of King Narathi Min Saw, when the Buddha's hair was taken out of its burial place, a strong wind blew it so violently that the king and all the soldiers were terrified. Therefore, the hair was placed in a ruby ​​​​box and given as a gold and silver amulet.

However, the historical record of the Yangon Dynasty is completely different from the historical record of the Burmese Dynasty. During the Bagan period, the Mons, Hanthawaddy, and Thaton were rival kingdoms of the Mons. At that time, Dagon had not yet emerged, only Dala. Dala was a fortified city near the Twantey ridge.

Therefore, the claim that King Anawrahta took the Buddha's hair enshrined in the Shwedagon Pagoda cannot be true. At that time, there was no specific name for Dagon. The Mon chronicle states that Anawrahta could only have attacked and captured the fort of Dala.

When studying the histories of the Bagan period, we do not find the existence of Dagon, but only Dala. However, in a record from 1198, it is mentioned in ancient records that a small village east of Dala was called 'Dagon'.

The Cingalese from Sri Lanka in AD 1180

It is mentioned in Sri Lankan history that the invaders attacked and destroyed the city of Dagon when they invaded the delta region. However, the possible city is not Dagon but rather Bassein (Pusim). Some also call it Kusin.

According to Burmese chronicles, many of King Anawrahta's Bagan soldiers died of plague and were buried at the site of the present-day Yangon bridge. Therefore, Dagon did not yet have the status of a city. Historians say that King Anawrahta himself may have visited the Shwedagon Pagoda.

After the fall of Bagan, the Mons regained control of Lower Burma in the 13th century AD. The capital of Thaton and Hanthawaddy were destroyed, and a new city called Muttama emerged.

In the 14th century, the cities of Bago and Dagon, which were more prosperous than the Mon capital, began to emerge.

Mon history states that Shwedagon Pagoda was renovated during the reign of Mon King Banya Oo from AD 1353 to AD 1385.

The Mon king, Banya Oo, did not restore the city of Dala, which had been destroyed by the king of Bagan, but gave priority to Dagon. Banya Oo's sister, Minthiha Devi, became the ruler of Dagon.

Then, Banya Nwe was appointed as the Duke of Dagon. Banya Nwe later became a very prominent monarch in Burmese and Mon history.

Banya Nue stole his cousin, Talameedaw.

The King of Bago, Banya Oo, was not satisfied and sent an army to attack Dagon. Banya Nwe's brother, the Duke of Dala, sent reinforcements. When reinforcements arrived, Banya Nwe, who was very skilled in battle, pursued the enemy all the way to Bago.

Mahadevi also sent Thamain Maru to attack Banya Nwe. Thamain Maru had married Banya Nwe's sister. If he could kill Banya Nwe, then when the Mon king Banya U died, his daughter would have the right to inherit the throne when he had no son. Therefore, he tried many times to kill Banya Nwe, but failed.

On one occasion, Mahadevi herself sent her best warriors to assassinate her, but Banyarwe managed to kill all the assassins.

Banya Nwe and his brother, the Duke of Dala, were loyal to each other. When the Duke of Dala built the A Thok Pagoda, Banya Nwe repaired and worshipped the Shwedagon Pagoda.

Banya Nwe built strong walls and towers. However, Laukpya, the ruler of Myaungmya, said, “When I went to Dagon, I found it only fortified with logs. There was no strong brick wall built.” “Because of the flood, there is no place to live or food, so we cannot hold it for long.”

The fever said.

Lauk-eul joined forces with Maha Devi to attack Banyar-eul, and the Duke of Dala sent reinforcements. When reinforcements arrived, Banyar-eul's fighting power was much greater than Lauk-eul's, so Lauk-eul and his men fled. They fled to Bago, where Banyar-eul captured Bago.

At that time, the Mon king Banya Oo passed away, so Banya Nwe took over the Mon throne under the name of 'Raza Dhiraj'.

When Banya Nwe became the Mon king, his enemy, Thamain Maru, fled to Muttama. However, Raja Dhiraj pursued him, captured him, and killed him.

Although his aunt Maha Devi was an enemy who had repeatedly tried to kill him, Banyar Nwe forgave him out of gratitude and the bond he had shown to her during her childhood. He also restored her to the position of duke of Dagon.

During the campaigns against the enemies of Banyarwada, Arab traders and Indian Muslims helped them, so during the reign of Raja Dhiraj, Arab traders and Indian Muslims were given great priority. Moreover, foreign sailors were allowed to trade freely. At that time, Portuguese merchant ships came to Pathein Port, Dala Port, and Mottama Port to trade continuously. At that time, Dagon Port did not exist. Bago was a port city.

The time of Raja Dhiraj's accession to the throne was AD 1385. The author writes in the book The History of Kings that Raja Dhiraj was a man who was particularly fond of war, and therefore did not maintain any of the pagodas, including the Shwedagon Pagoda, to a high standard.

During the reign of King Raja Thirazh, Inwa was the capital of Upper Burma. At that time, King Min Kyi Saawke was the king of Inwa.

After invading and conquering Bago, King Saw Kae invaded and conquered the defenseless city of Dagon. His aim was to obtain the hair of the Buddha enshrined in the Shwedagon Pagoda.

According to ancient texts, King Anawrahta took it, but according to Mon chronicles, King Anawrahta was too far from Shwedagon Pagoda to take the amulet, and he did not even know the exact location of Shwedagon Pagoda, so King Saw Saw Kae came to claim the sacred hair.

However, the area now called Kyi Myint Daing District was once a high hill covered with forests. From that hill, the Shwedagon Pagoda could be seen clearly. The king, who was a noble-minded king, said, “If you look from here, you can see it, but if you look from here, you don’t need to go now.” This is why the area was named Kyi Myint Daing District, according to oral history told by the people of Yangon.

During the reign of King Raja Dhiraj's son Banyadhammaraja (AD 1423-1426), two younger brothers, the Duke of Dagon and the Duke of Dala, rebelled against each other. According to the records, they made peace in Dagon and visited the Shwedagon Pagoda together.

Successive Mon kings constantly expanded, renovated, and repaired the Shwedagon Pagoda, which enshrines a relic of the Buddha. As a result, the design of the Shwedagon Pagoda also changed frequently.

During the reign of King Banyar Kyan (AD 1450-1453), the Shwedagon Pagoda was rebuilt to a shape that most closely resembles the one seen today.

When Banyar Kyaw died, there was no heir to the throne. Therefore, his cousin Maudaw became king.

King Mordor was a cruel man. He was very cruel. He indulged in sensual pleasures. His reign lasted only (7) months.

Shwedagon Pagoda was renovated by each Mon king, but during the reign of the King of Bago, it was considered a place of religious significance. The cruel King Maudaw was succeeded by the Mon Queen "Shin Saw Pu".

Queen Shin Saw Pu was born in 1395. She was the daughter of the Mon King Raja Dhiyar. In 1415, she married Raja Dhiyar's nephew, Sinna Phue.

While living in Bago, King Thihatu of Inwa conquered Bago.

She was captured by King Thiha Thu of Inwa. At the time of her marriage to Thiha Thu, Shin Saw Pu was a widow. She had one son and two daughters.

When King Thiha Thu passed away, Shin Saw Pu was forced to marry the Duke of Bagan. In 1430, she was rescued by two Mon monks, who risked their lives to escape from the capital of Inwa.

Her boat arrived safely in Bago. She had been away from her hometown for a total of 7 years.

Banyar Yan allowed her to live in Dagon. In 1446, her son became a Mon king in Bago under the name Banyar Waru.

When King Maudaw died, there was no longer any male heir in the royal family, so Shin Saw Pu was appointed Queen.

During the reign of Queen Saw Pu, the Shwedagon Pagoda was the best preserved. She built and donated many monasteries, and systematically taught religious literature and scriptures to the monks.

After the Queen had reigned for (7) years, she had the younger of the two Mon monks who had risked their lives to rescue her from Inwa and Nay Pyi Taw, and had the throne handed over to him after marrying one of her daughters. He reigned under the name of Dhammazedi Min.

In honor of the Queen, the hill northwest of Shwedagon Pagoda was named Shin Saw Pukone in 1936-35 during the colonial era. At that time, Thit Thin Kan was renamed Thingan Kyun Ward, and the Thit Thin Kan River surrounded Thit Thingan.

King Dhammazedi was a good king who worked for the advancement of Buddhism, but during the reign of King Binnyaram (1492-1526), ​​who succeeded King Dhammazedi, his father's good deeds were not fulfilled.

He directly opposed the processes and committed many vile and evil deeds.

Then the Nats swore from the sky, causing a great storm. The umbrella from the pagoda was blown away to the ground and was nowhere to be seen. The umbrella was recovered from the Shwedagon Pagoda. In 1430, she was rescued by two Mon monks, who were her mentors, and she fled from the capital of Inwa.

Her boat arrived safely in Bago. She had been away from her hometown for a total of 7 years.

Banyar Yan allowed her to live in Dagon. In 1446, her son became a Mon king in Bago under the name Banyar Waru.

When King Maudaw died, there was no longer any male heir in the royal family, so Shin Saw Pu was appointed Queen.

During the reign of Queen Saw Pu, the Shwedagon Pagoda was the best preserved. She built and donated many monasteries, and systematically taught religious literature and scriptures to the monks.

After the Queen had reigned for seven years, she was taken to Inwa, Nay Pyi Taw. Of the two Mon monks who were rescued, the younger one was converted to human form. After marrying off one of her daughters, he handed over the throne. That king reigned under the name of Dhammazedi Min.

In honor of the Queen, the hill northwest of Shwedagon Pagoda was named Shin Saw Pukone in 1936-35 during the colonial era. At that time, Thit Thin Kan was renamed Thingan Kyun Ward, and the Thit Thin Kan River surrounded Thit Thingan.

King Dhammazedi was a good king who worked for the advancement of Buddhism, but during the reign of King Dhammazedi's successor, Binnyaram (1492-1526), ​​his father's good deeds were not fulfilled.

He directly opposed the processes and committed many vile and evil deeds.

Then the Nats swore from the sky, and a great storm of wind and rain fell. The umbrella fell from the pagoda and was blown away to a place where it could not be seen. The umbrella falling from the Shwedagon Pagoda was not a good omen. It was a sign of very bad times to come, so the king increased his good deeds and repaired the Shwedagon Pagoda to its best.

At that time, the king was only 48 years old.

The king repaired the city of Dagon, which had been destroyed by a storm, but because many people died during the epidemic, the Buddhists did not return to Dagon.

To commemorate his 48th birthday, King Ming built a total of 48 small pagodas around the Shwedagon Pagoda. Then, he held a grand celebration and made the people happy.

That year, the king passed away and his son, Takayutp, succeeded to the throne.

In 1535, King Tabin Shwe Htee of Taungoo invaded the Mon people of Lower Burma and captured Bago in 1939.

Then the Mon king Takrut Pi fled to Pyay. He died a few months later. From that time on, Bago was

It was transformed from a separate capital city to a subordinate city.

Moreover, Lower Burma, the homeland of the Mon, is part of Upper Burma.

I will have to stand as a subordinate forever.

From that time on, Mon history came to an end and Burmese history began to dominate everything.

During the reign of Tabin Shwe Htee, the Mon friends, the Portuguese, became Tabin Shwe Htee's servants. The first European trader to come to Burma was the Venetian merchant Nicolo di Conti . He arrived in 1435. He traveled as far as the Tanintharyi region, Rakhine, and the capital of Inwa. However, he did not mention Dagon at all.

At that time, Dagon was just a small town, like a village in the countryside. It had no features of a big city.

“In 1496, the Italian conquistador Hieronimo de Santo Stephano arrived. Nine years later, Ludovico di var theme arrived.

Portuguese traders began arriving in the mid-16th century. Many settled in Mottama with the permission of the Mon king.

At that time, Bago was a major center of foreign trade. According to ancient records, the Bago River flowed into the Gulf of Mottama at that time. When Portuguese traders arrived in the 16th century, Dagon was only a village and was difficult to navigate, so they were only interested in Dala.

According to ancient literary records written by wise Mon monks during the reign of King Dhammazedi, Dagon was not a seaport. It is written that one had to take boats to reach the sea from Dagon.

However, in the account of Ramoso, who arrived in Burma in 1563, the largest port at that time was Bago. He wrote that there was a small town called Dagon Seikkan, as well as Dala Seikkan and other large port towns. From the point of view of trade, it was not important, but it could become an important port town in the future.

A man named Gaspari Balbi, who arrived in 1583, described the location of ancient Agon more fully than the Burmese and Mon records.

“There is a large camp in Dalatwante where the King of Bago keeps his elephants. There are 10 very large enclosures for the elephants. They travel from Dala to Dagon overnight. There are only bamboo bridges in Dagon. There are teak bridges at key points. Since it is a country with abundant teak, teak is used for making bridges.

In front of the pagodas are large teak lion statues (Ger Chinthe). When I asked the locals, they explained that they were guarding the pagoda. When you come up from the port, you will see large teak houses on the left side of Lethe Road, which is a very long and wide road. However, there are only thatched huts at the far end. Some of the teak houses on the left side of the main road are covered with gold. Beautiful colorful flowers and trees are planted in the large courtyards. The large bamboo trees are misty and peaceful. It is a beautiful place to sit. In the 16th century, European cities had a city water supply system because civil engineering was already developed in big cities, but Yangon did not yet have a water supply system.

Large wells are dug in large houses with large courtyards. In the residential areas on the outskirts of the city, there are large wells and ponds that are used collectively by the people.

On the right side of the main road are residential buildings and on the left are large shops. In my mind, I felt like I was in Venice.

In the large pagodas in the city, the lions in front of the pagoda are carved from stone. They are large in size. They are exquisite. The palace is round in shape and tall. The tower is flat at the bottom and tapers at the top, so it looks a bit like a bell.

The conference hall on the left side of the palace is also covered in gold. Dagon is not a very crowded city. People come here by boat and cart,” etc., etc., are described quite comprehensively.

The Englishman Rawaphap's travelogue also describes Dagon in more detail.

“We traveled from Bago to Dagon for two nights. Not only were their homes decorated with gold, but the wealthy men and women, the wealthy, wore gold chains, rings, and bracelets. The women wore everything from gold hairpins and brooches to gold anklets. They were very fond of gold.

There are plenty of fruits, vegetables, and grains. The Thadingyut festival in October is very busy. The Thibaung full moon day in March is also very busy, with people crowding the pagodas. The Burmese and Mon people are not very rich, but the poor are seen celebrating the pagoda festivals happily without any worries.

"The Shwedagon Pagoda Festival is the most crowded of the Tabaung Festivals. I have been to the Thi Tingyut Festival many times, but it never reaches the grandeur of the Tabaung Festival," he recorded.

By the 16th century, the pagoda fairs in Dagon were so crowded that they even attracted foreigners who traded overseas, and the Thanbago pagoda fairs, which foreign travelers often described in their accounts, were not as big as the large pagoda fairs in the small town of Dagon.

Until the 16th century, Arab merchants from Mecca would stop at Dala to trade, but they did not know that Dagon existed.

During the reign of King Bayintnaung (1564), an earthquake damaged the Shwedagon Pagoda. King Bayintnaung repaired the Shwedagon Pagoda to its best condition and then re-plated it with new gold. At that time, the ruler of Dagon was Aukhya Setki, a prince of the Yaodaya kingdom. He had betrayed the Yaodaya kingdom and pledged allegiance to King Bayintnaung when he captured Ayutthaya.

Centuries passed. In the Ayeyarwady Delta, the fertile soil that the Great River had been carrying year after year was transformed into a hard, slippery land mass. The course of the river changed. Dagon gradually moved closer to the sea, while Bago gradually moved further away from the sea. Until the 16th century, the Bago River flowed into the Gulf of Mottama, but after the 6th century, the river changed course to the position we see today.

When the Bago River no longer flowed into the sea, it was no longer possible for merchant ships to reach Bago. If they wanted to reach Bago, they could still do so by traveling for three days through small canals. However, large ocean-going ships could no longer enter or leave. Thanlyin became a major seaport.

When European scholars studied the records of 1791, they found that the Bago River and the Sittaung River were contiguous and in many places

According to Rota's Boke of ydro grahie, Dagon was not found on the map of Burma until the middle of the 15th century. This means that Dagon was not a large city but a small village.

However, the small town of Dagon is clearly visible on D'Abbeville's map, drawn by European scholars in 1643. In maps published in the mid-18th century, the small town of Dagon is clearly visible because the Yangon River connects it to the sea.

At that time, Dagon and Thanlyin became very important. At that time, Thanlyin became the most important seaport in Lower Burma. Dagon was only four times the size of the port. During the reign of King Nanda, the kingdoms of Yodhya and Rakhine were divided.

In 1600, the Portuguese adventurer Felipe de Britoy Nicote invaded and fortified the port city of Thanlyin. He became a separate king. He was recognized by the Portuguese government in India as a sovereign king. In Burmese history, de Britoy Nicote is called 'Nga Zinka'.

The one who brought Nga Zin Ka was the King of Rakhine. The King of Rakhine had brought Nga Zin Ka and the Portuguese army to invade the Mon delta, which had become the territory of the Burmese king.

Since Nga Zin Ka was a European, Thanlyin Fort was fortified with brick walls. Large cannons were installed around the walls.

All merchant ships arriving on the Burmese coast were forced to enter the port of Thanlyin. Portuguese warships patrolled the sea and controlled the merchant ships, thus making it the property of the Burmese king.

The ports are no longer able to receive goods. They are facing great difficulties because they have to purchase through Thanlyin.

Nga Zin Ka melted down the bells from the pagodas in Thanlyin and Dagon and cast them into large cannons. He also took the large bronze bell of the Mon king Dhammazedi and cast them into bronze cannons. Some say that the large bell of Dhammazedi fell into the river while being carried. It is also said that it could not be recovered.

When King Phalang succeeded Nga Zin Ka, who was a powerful ruler in Burma, in 1613, he launched a fierce battle against Nga Zin Ka, who had been defeated and defeated during his father's reign, and recaptured Thanlyin, killing Nga Zin Ka and all the Portuguese.

Later, the British East India Company built a factory at Thanlyin Port. The French also built factories. As a result, Thanlyin continued to grow rapidly.

During the reign of King Phatthana, an earthquake caused the Shwedagon Pagoda to crack and collapse. Therefore, King Phatthana tried his best to repair it.

In 628 AD, King Lon of the West died after being assassinated by his son. His son, King Yediyva, succeeded to the throne. He only reigned for a few months before his uncle, King Thalun, usurped the throne.

In 1649, the Shwedagon Pagoda's roof was damaged by the earthquake, and the king repaired it. In 1661, a strong storm and earthquake caused the diamond crown to fall off. The king repaired it again.

It was damaged by an earthquake in 1664, and efforts were made to repair it to withstand future weather conditions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(1) CO Blagden Epigrapbia Birmanica. A. Dalrymple: Oriental (2) Repertory (3) E. Forchhammer, The First Buddhist Mission to Suvarnab bumi (4) JS Furnival (trans) Razadanit Ayebon (5) Halliday (trans), History of kings (6) Pe Maung Tin The Shwe Dagon Pagoda.