Kingdom of Ava
The Kingdom of Ava was a state in what is now Myanmar (Burma), named after its capital, today's Inwa . Within the framework of the mandala model in premodern Southeast Asia, the importance and extent of the area ruled by Ava varied greatly throughout history. From its founding in 1364 to 1527, Ava was the dominant empire of Upper Burma, while Pegu dominated Lower Burma. Later the Taungu dynasty (1599–1613 and 1635–1752) and finally the Konbaung dynasty (1765–1783 and 1821–1842) ruled large parts of Burma from Ava.
First Ava Dynasty (1364-1527)
After the collapse of the Bagan Kingdom , which comprised large parts of what is now Myanmar in the 13th century, the kingdoms of Myinsaing , Pinya and Sagaing existed in central Burma . The latter was hit by frequent Shan attacks in the 1350s and early 1360s . Thadominbya (1345-1367) was the son of a princess of Sagaing and governor of the northern city of Tagaung . In 1364 he moved the capital from Sagaing to the other bank of the Irawaddy River, thereby establishing the Kingdom of Ava. The new capital was located at the confluence of the Irawaddy and Myitnge rivers, so that it was naturally surrounded by water on three sides. For defense reasons, Thadominbya had a canal dug on the fourth side, so that the city became an artificial island.
According to British colonial officer Arthur P. Phayre , who studied the history of Burma in the 19th century, the founder Thadominbya was descended from Shan princes. The Ava dynasty is therefore sometimes described as a Shan dynasty. The Burmese-American historian Michael Aung-Thwin, on the other hand, doubts the theory of Thadominbya's Shan origin. In any case, the predominant culture and language in Ava was that of the Bamar , not a single document from the Ava period was discovered that was written in the Shan language. Ava's political, social, religious, economic, and legal system was largely a continuation of the Bagan Empire. Thadominbya died of smallpox four years after Ava's founding, but had a number of capable successors.
At first Ava coexisted peacefully with the Mon kingdom of Pegu, which had a supremacy in sub-company. That changed when Yazadarit von Pegu (r. 1385-1423) tried to expand his dominion to the north. The rule of Narapati I , who ruled from 1443 to 1469, is considered Ava's heyday . During this time, the first literature in Burmese was created. Ava traded china and rubies and had diplomatic relations with Ming Dynasty China . Towards the end of the 15th century, Taungu , one of the city-states ruled by Ava, grew in strength. Its governor Mingyinyo founded the later Taungu dynasty in 1486 , while Ava's influence declined.
Ava under the Taungu Dynasty (1527–1752)
The capital was taken by Shan in 1527, and King Shwenankyawshin died in battle. Subsequently, many subjects, including capable administrative experts, military, clergy and intellectuals, moved to Taungu, which took over the supremacy in Central and Upper Burma and also took sub-company during the reign of King Tabinshwehti (r. 1530-1550). The balance of power was reversed: Ava was transformed from a predominant center into a subordinate center. The Taungu kings resided in Pegu from 1539. King Bayinnaung subjugated large parts of the Southeast Asian mainland during his reign from 1550–1581. His empire fell apart again soon after his death.
Shin Thissa, a son of Bayinnaung with one of his concubines, became governor of Nyaungyan in 1581 (therefore he went down in history as Nyaungyan Min) and took control of Ava in 1597. As the power of his half-brother Nandabayin in Pegu waned, Ava became de facto independent. After the fall of Pegus and the death of Nandabayin, Nyaungyan Min was crowned the new king of Burma. He kept his residence in Ava, so it became the capital of Burma again. Therefore, this phase is also referred to as the "second Ava dynasty", even if their rulers belonged genealogically to the Taungu dynasty. Nyaungyan's son Anaukpetlun moved the residence back to Pegu in 1617. Under King Thalun (r. 1629-1648) Ava was made the capital again in 1635. The Mon of Pegu became independent in 1740 and took Ava in 1752. They kidnapped and killed the last king of this dynasty, Mahadhammayazadi (r. 1733–1752).
Ava under the Konbaung dynasty (1752-1839)
In this situation, the charismatic and militarily successful village chief of Shwebo , Alaungpaya , rose to be the new ruler of Upper Burma and, between 1755 and 1759, also subjugated Lower Burma and the Shan states. Thus Burma was reunited under the Konbaung dynasty . Alaungpaya's son Hsinbyushin made Ava the capital again in 1765. His younger brother Bodawpaya came to power in 1782 after a series of bloody intrigues. He found that the palace was stained with blood and therefore profaned and moved the residence from the well-developed Ava to the swampy Amarapura, a few kilometers to the northeast . He also forced the population to relocate and the old capital was destroyed. Even after the capital was moved to Amarapura, Western sources continued to write about the Kingdom of Ava. After Bodawpaya's death, his son Bagyidaw had the old capital Ava rebuilt in 1821. In 1839, Ava was almost completely destroyed in a major earthquake. The residence was again relocated to nearby Amarapura.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Michael Aung-Thwin, Maitrii Aung-Thwin: A History of Myanmar since Ancient Times. Traditions and Transformations Reaction Books, London 2012, p. 110.
- ↑ Michael A. Aung-Thwin: Myth and History in the Historiography of Early Burma. Paradigms, Primary Sources, and Prejudices. Ohio University Center for International Studies, 1998, pp. 126-127.
- ↑ Michael Aung-Thwin, Maitrii Aung-Thwin: A History of Myanmar since Ancient Times. Traditions and Transformations Reaction Books, London 2012, p. 109.
- ↑ Michael Aung-Thwin, Maitrii Aung-Thwin: A History of Myanmar since Ancient Times. Traditions and Transformations Reaction Books, London 2012, p. 111.
- ↑ Michael Aung-Thwin, Maitrii Aung-Thwin: A History of Myanmar since Ancient Times. Traditions and Transformations Reaction Books, London 2012, pp. 111–112.
- ↑ Michael Aung-Thwin, Maitrii Aung-Thwin: A History of Myanmar since Ancient Times. Traditions and Transformations Reaction Books, London 2012, pp. 112–115.
- ↑ Michael Aung-Thwin, Maitrii Aung-Thwin: A History of Myanmar since Ancient Times. Traditions and Transformations Reaction Books, London 2012, pp. 115–116.
- ↑ Michael Aung-Thwin, Maitrii Aung-Thwin: A History of Myanmar since Ancient Times. Traditions and Transformations Reaction Books, London 2012, pp. 143–147.
- ↑ Carl Ritter: The geography of Asia. Volume IV, Berlin 1835, pp. 236-237.
- ↑ z. B. Michael Symes: An Account of an Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava, Sent by the Governor-General of India in the Year 1795. London 1800.