KING KYAN SIT THA'S PALACE

KING KYAN SIT THA'S PALACE

Bagan was born on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River in the central part of present day Myanmar. The powerful City-State rose on the east bank of the Ayeyarwady River in the 9th century and was the birthplace of modern day Myanmar State and Theravada Buddhism.

A traditional verse says "Kya Oh An Bagan Ti(which if transposed into numerals corresponds to the date of the establishment of the Bagan Empire).There were many kings that reigned there. Legends tell us that there were 55 Kings who ruled in Bagan but recorded history began only after the reign of King Anawrahta(1044-1077 A.D) who consolidated his kingdom into one of the most powerful city-states of that time. Bagan retreated into history after King Narathihapati (Tayoke Pye Min) fled the capital with the onslaught of the Mongols in 1287 A.D.

In the Niddesa Parabeik (a loosely binded book made of palm leaves on which the ancients record significant occasions) it was recorded that Arimaddanapura or Pauk kan Pyi gyi(the traditional name of Bagan) was established by King Pyinbya in 849 A.D, and referred to two palace sites inside the walled city. The palace of Pinbya Min was located at 144 Ta(a traditional Myanmar measure of distance) to the west of the Tharaba Gate. The Parabeik also recorded that King Kyan Sit Tha(1084-1112 A.D), who assumed the crown afterAnawrahta, also started a palace for himself in 1101 A.D and it took a year to finish it. On completion of his palace the King set up four stone inscription pillars to record his deed but with the passage of time the inscriptions were broken into pieces. Miraculously, however, all the pieces were recovered from near the Tharaba Gate and are now housed inside the Bagan Museum.

Starting from 2003, the Myanmar Archaeological Department had began excavations at the Bagan Palace site. Altogether 16 squares have been unearthed. The excavations also unearthed large systematically built structures made of brick and one small brick structure of 85 metres aligned north to south. One 40 metres long brick wall stretching from east to west two brick walls, brick floor, brick gutter and brick circles were also unearthed. There were many rows of such brick circles, each circle with smaller circles adjacent to it. Regrettably nothing was found of the Palace itself except for numerous earthen bowls,potsherds,glazed potsherds, earthen pots, terracotta discs, iron swords, brass rings and other assorted artefacts.

Architects have been able to reconstruct the layout of the Palace and construct a prototype based on the excavated physical evidence. The reconstructed Palace is now open to visitors.

Acknowledgement: Thanks are due to U Khin Aung Htun, and the G.M of Tharaba Gate Hotel for the basic information and photos.

THE KAMBAWZATHADI PALACE

It was the time of powerful Kings and valiant heroes, epic battles and marvelous palaces. In the late 15th century Myanmar was in turmoil. The Bamars were concentrated around Innwa in the central regions of the country and the Mons were in the lower part. A series of bitter fighting that lasted for 40 years wrecked the countryside. Many fled to Taungoo, at that time a Bamar outpost not far from the Mon capital of Bago(Pegu). Taungoo became strong and contested the Mons'rule and after the defeat of the Mons, the Bamar Kings from Taungoo had founded the Hanthawaddy Dynasty(first it was called the Taungoo Dynasty) by 1491. King Mingyi Nyo was the patriarch of this line of kings but the two most powerful monarchs of this period were King Tabin Shwe Hti(1515-1551) and King Ba Yint Naung(1551-1582).

Tabin Shwe Hti, named because he had one strand of golden hair on his head, came down often from his Royal Capital of Taungoo to fight with the Mon armies of Bago. But one tale that went into history was his daring challenge to have a Royal Ear-Piercing Ceremony on the platform of the Shwemawdaw Pagoda at Bago, right under the nose of his enemy.

But the King that really made history and established the 2nd Myanmar Empire was the brother-in-law of King Tabin Shwe Hti. His name was Bayint Naung or the King's elder brother. He became King of the Hanthawaddy Dynasty after King Tabin Shwe Hti. He fought to expand his Empire. At its height the 2nd Myanmar Empire included almost all areas of present day Myanmar as well as parts of Manipur in present day India, Chiang mai and Ayudhaya in Thailand. His Empire also went as far away as Vientien in Loas(known at that time as Linzin). But what he is more remembered is his grand Kambawzathadi Palace in Bago.

After the consolidation of his Kingdom King Bayint Naung(also referred to as Ba Yint Naung Kyaw Htin Nawrahta in some history text books) decided to build a palace for himself. Construction was said to have started in 1553. The plan called for construction of the palace on the south of the Shwemawdaw Pagoda with two courtyards. The Inner Courtyard would have 6 main buildings plus other smaller complexes, about 70 of them in total. Then there would also be an outer courtyard to house the other members of the royal retinue.

The Main Audience Hall, where he would receive his subordinate lords on their annual homage paying ceremonies and to be use for all official ceremonies, the Treasury, Sleeping Quarters for his Chief Queen and other royal consorts and concubines would be in the inner court. His favourite daughter Princess Raja Datu Kalaya was to have her own accommodations also. Even the Royal White Elephant would have his own stable as well as pens for the other fighting war elephants. The Palace was finished in 1553.

The various lords and governors of the provinces were commanded by the Court to contribute building materials for the palace. According to ancient records discovered there were 222 Teak pillars used in the construction of the Main Audience Hall, all contributions from the lords and other courtiers of the court. Some of these pillars can be seen inside a shed by the side of the reconstructed Main Audience Hall. Some stumps even have names scratched on the bases, presumably of the lord who had sent it to the palace construction. These pillars were unearthed not very long ago during excavations for recontruction of the Palace by the government in1990 and are supposed to be from the gutted Royal Palace which fell victims to its enemies in 1599.

Caesar Frediricke, a Venetian merchant who visited Bago during its glorious days, said, " The King's Palace is in the middle of the Citie, made in the form of a walled Castle, with ditches full of water around about it, the Lodgings within are made of wood all over gilded, with fine pinnacles, and very costly worke, covered with plates of gold". Another Portuguese merchant named Souza also described the palace as" even the lowliest room was covered with gold and murals. There were roofs made of gold sheets on some of the buildings and in some rooms there were life-size gold statues of the King and his Queens studded with gemstones".

But all that glitters had come to an end in 1599. The magnificent Kambawzathadi Palace, with its shimmering gilded roofs was torched and the mighty Hanthawaddy Empire was destroyed by invading armies.

Now only the re-constructed Main Audience Hall and the Kings's Sleeping Quarters, the Bamayathana Hall (Bee Throne Hall), stands as mute tribute to the powerful old days.

COLONIAL YANGON

Yangon(or Rangoon, as the British colonials would say) is now a busy cosmopolitan city. But before that it was just a small fisher village on the banks of the swift flowing Yangon River.

It was the time of open warfare between the two powers in what is now known as Myanmar. The Bamar Kingdom in the north and the Mon Kingdom in the south. Each was fighting for hegemony over the alluvial lands of the Ayeyarwady delta.

In 1755 King Alaungpaya, the founder of the Myanmar Konbaung Dynasty defeated his Mon enemies and to honour this victory he named this small, lazy fisher village :YANGON", meaning the "End of Animosity". It became one of the outposts of the Myanmar Empire in the south. Yangon also witnessed many other tragedies occasioned by many skirmishes between the Mons and the Bamars but still it endured.

The British, during their 1st Anglo-Myanmar War of 1824 briefly occupied this small town as their base and logistic terminal but later returned it to the Myanmar Court. Even at that time there were already many foreigners calling the town their home. Ships from many nations across the globe call at Yangon port to conduct business.

There was another war between the British Empire and the Myanmar Kingdom in the mid 1800s. It was the 2nd Anglo-Myanmar War and it heralded the new re-birth of Yangon. The British , this time were here to stay. At the end of the hostilities, Myanmar was partitioned into two parts. The North was under the Myanmar Crown but Lower Myanmar now belonged to the British. Commerce grew and the city prospered. It became a multi-cultural centre with Chinamen, Indians, Englishmen etc. Yangon became the Administrative and the Commercial Capital of what is now known as British Burma.

Another Anglo-Myanmar War in 1885, known in history as the 3rd Anglo-Myanmar War marked the end of the Myanmar Konbaung Dynasty and the whole country was annexed to the British Empire by January of 1886. The British commercial interests exploded. Yangon was the place for such renowed British commercial houses as the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, the Bombay Burma commercial network, the Steel brother company, Rowe & Co, where the best of Myanmar society do their shopping and of course the grande dame of all, the Strand Hotel.. British banks, like Grindley's also began to appear in the city. There was a branch of the Hong Kong and Shanghai bank in Yangon.But whatever the different commercial activities these organizations persue, the one thread that they have in common was to construct impressive buildings in what is described as "colonial architecture style", imitating the structures found in their home country.

Take a walk around today's Yangon CBD and one can still see these magnificent buildings in all their faded glories. Start your walk from the Sule Pagoda in downtown Yangon, right in front of the Yangon City Development Committee offices(the municipality) and go east. Take a right turn at Pansodan Street (previously called Phayre Street) towards the river. Take another right turn along the Strand Road until the corner of the Strand and the Sule Pagoda Road and get back to your starting point. And you will be surprised to see how many of these colonial style structures had survived through the years.

photos: Sonny Nyein(Swiftwinds)

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