Page 4 - Myanmar Destination Guide - Alluring Asia

THE KINGDOM OF PAGAN (1044-1287) Burma's first and greatest empire was centered along conquered the Shans and captured Pegu from the the banks of the Irrawaddy in the dry and dusty plains Mons. The capital was moved around the country of central Burma. Pagan blossomed under the until a powerful Burmese king named Alaungpaya leadership of King Anawrahta, an ambitious leader (Future Buddha) reorganized Burmese forces and who conquered the Mons at Thaton and transported destroyed the Mons at Pegu. During his brief but the entire Mon court of artists, philosophers, and important eight-year rein (1752-1760), Alaungpaya PAGE 3 Population | Time | Visas religious leaders back to his isolated capital. The Mons founded the powerful Konbaung dynasty which Insurance | History made profound contributions to Burmese culture. ruled Burma from Arakan to Tenasserim until the Their craftsmen and architects taught the Burmese British completed their takeover in 1885. PAGE 4-5 their refined skills in which Mon Buddhist leaders History | Language spread along with theravadism and the Pali language. BRITISH OCCUPATION PAGE 6 Mon architects helped erect thousands of temples and Territorial conflicts between the British in India and Climate stupas which stand today as the greatest archaeological local Burmese armies led to the first British-Burmese PAGE 7 wonder in Southeast Asia. Pagan remained the war of 1824. The Burmese provinces of Assam, The Land region's major cultural and military power until an Rakhine (Arakan), and Tenasserim were annexed by envious Kublai Khan demanded the tribute and the British, while Burmese-British relations PAGE 8 threatened to march his armies on Pagan. Rather than continued to deteriorate under the cruel reign of People | Safety & Crime face the wrath of Khan, the city was abandoned. Pagan Min (1846-1853). After European traders PAGE 9 protested the extortionate behavior of Burmese Currency | Credit Cards OTHER KINGDOMS officials in Rangoon, a British force was sent up the Changing Money | Tipping With the decline of Pagan, Burma split into three Irrawaddy River to depose the religious-minded but PAGE 10 different kingdoms whose histories are a dizzying temperamental Mindon Min (1853-1878). This led to Religion | Etiquette kaleidoscope of constant warfare. The Shans ruled the expansionist governor-general Lord Dalhouse upper Burma from their capital at Ava in the vicinity of annexing all of lower Burma, including Rangoon, in PAGE 11 Communications Mandalay. The Burmas to the south founded the 1852. Under British rule, the rich Irrawaddy delta Health & Vaccinations kingdom of Toungoo in the foothills of central Burma. was cleared of its mangrove forests and carved into The Mons established their kingdom at Pegu near extensive rice plantations which became one of the PAGE 12 modern-day Yangon where they conducted world's most productive rice-growing regions. But Food| Shopping | Customs international trade with the Muslim empire at Malacca as in much of colonial Asia, the wealth was absorbed PAGE 13-14 and constructed impressive temples which still stand by British business firms and Indian moneylenders Culture & The Arts | Religion today. During the 16th century, the Burmese while the indigenous people descended into abject poverty. Though King Mindon of Ava attempted to modernize what little remained of his medieval country, upper Burma fell to superior British forces on January 1, 1886. Burma now belonged to the British. Japanese forced entered Burma in December 1941, accompanied by the Thakins who were given token control of the country. Though initially welcomed by the Burmese, the Japanese quickly alienated the local population with their insulating behavior and sadistic treatment. Political leaders were manipulated and thousands of innocent civilians were murdered by the dreaded kempatai. Casualites were enormous; the Rangoon Cemetery holds over 27,000 soldiers and civilians killed by the Japanese through forced labor, torture, and starvation.