Pagan Kingdom

Quick Facts: Who was Pagan Kingdom?

Subject:

Pagan Kingdom

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The first major Burmese kingdom, laying the foundation for Bamar culture and Theravada Buddhism.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Pagan Kingdom (Burmese: ပုဂံပြည် Băgam pyi [bəɡàɰ̃ pji]; lit. 'Bagan state'), also called Bagan Empire (ပုဂံဧကရာဇ်နိုင်ငံတော်) or the First Burmese Empire, was the first Burmese kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern-day Myanmar. Its classical names are Arimaddanapura and Tampadīpa. Pagan's 250-year rule over the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery laid the foundation for the ascent of Burmese language and culture, the spread of Bamar ethnicity in Upper Myanmar, and the growth of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar and in mainland Southeast Asia. The kingdom grew out of a small 9th-century settlement at Pagan by the Mranma people, the predecessor to the modern Bamar ethnicity.

Career & Major Achievements

Over the next two hundred years, the small principality gradually grew to absorb its surrounding regions until the 1050s and 1060s when King Anawrahta founded the Pagan Empire, presumably for the first time unifying under one polity the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery. By the late 12th century, Anawrahta's successors had extended their influence farther to the south into the upper Malay Peninsula, to the east at least to the Salween River, in the farther north to below the current China border, and to the west, in northern Arakan and the Chin Hills. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Pagan, alongside the Khmer Empire, was one of two main empires in mainland Southeast Asia. The Burmese language and culture gradually became dominant in the upper Irrawaddy valley, eclipsing the Pyu, Mon and Pali norms by the late 12th century. Theravada Buddhism slowly began to spread to the village level although Vajrayana, Mahayana, Brahmanic, and animist practices remained heavily entrenched at all social strata.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Pagan's rulers built over 10,000 Buddhist temples in the Bagan Archaeological Zone of which over 2,000 remain. The wealthy donated tax-free land to religious authorities. The kingdom went into decline in the mid-13th century as the continuous growth of tax-free religious wealth by the 1280s had severely affected the crown's ability to retain the loyalty of courtiers and military servicemen. This ushered in a vicious circle of internal disorders and external challenges by the Arakanese, Mons, Mongols and Shans. Repeated Mongol invasions (1277–1301) toppled the four-century-old kingdom in 1287.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1277: 1277 Milestone — Repeated Mongol invasions (1277–1301) toppled the four-century-old kingdom in 1287.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Pagan Kingdom

True or False: “Did the Pagan Kingdom's initial growth rely solely on indigenous Pyu traditions without external influence?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Modern scholarship suggests that while it incorporated Pyu histories, the dynasty was founded by the Mranma people from the Nanzhao kingdom.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Baybars — Historical peer (Died in 1277) (1277): Mamluk Sultan who defeated the Mongols at Ain Jalut and crushed the Crusaders.
• Ibn Kathir — Historical peer (Born in 1301) (1301): Leading Sunni scholar, renowned for Quranic exegesis and universal history.
• Muhammad Shah of Brunei — Historical peer (Born in 1301) (1301): Founder of the Sultanate of Brunei, reigning from the mid-14th century to 1402.
• William of Ockham — Historical peer (Born in 1287) (1287): Major Franciscan theologian and nominalist philosopher of the 14th century.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pagan Kingdom