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Golden Mrauk-U, The: an Ancient Capital of Rakhine by U Shwe

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Golden Mrauk-U, The: an Ancient Capital of Rakhine by U Shwe A GUIDE TO MRAUK - U An Ancient City of Rakhine, Myanmar By Tun Shwe Khine (M.A) First Edition 1992 Historical Sites in Mrauk-U Aerial view of Mrauk-U I <i H Published by U Tun Shwe, Registrar (1) Sittway Degree College, Sittway. Registration No. 450/92 (10) 1992 Nov. 13. Art Adviser and Make-up U Kyaw Hla, Editor, University Translation & Publications Dept., Yangon. Photographs by Ko Tun Shaung, University Translation & Publications Dept., Yangon. Typeset by Shwe Min-Tha-Mee Computer, No. 9 (E), Thalawady Road, 7th mile, Yangon. Printed by U Tha Tun (03333), Nine Nines Press, 25, Razadirat Road, Botahtaung, Yangon. Tha Tun (03333) Cover Registration No. (413/92) (12), printed by U First Edition Jan: 1993, 2000 Copies. Cover - Dukkhanthein Shrine at Sun'set THE GOLDEN CITY OF MRAUK-U The Author Tun Shwe Khine was born in Rambyae, Rakhine State in 1949; graduated from Yangon University in 1972 and obtained master degree in Geography in 1976. He has served as a tutor in Yangon Worker's College; assistant lecturer and registrar (2) in Sittway Degree College. Now he is the Registrar (1) of Sittway Degree College. He has written several research articles and books, and edited some books, magazines and journals. "*,r. Some of his works excluding articles are as follows: (1) Rakhine State Regional Geography (in Myanmar), (2) Ancient Cities ofRakhine (in Myanmar), (3) The History of Rakhine Dynasty (in Myanmar), (4) The Thet Tribe in Northern Rakhine (in Myanmar), (5) Rakhine Buddhist Art in Vesali Period (in Myanmar), (6) Rakhine Folk-Tales (in Myan- mar), (7) Earlier Writers in Rakhine (in Myanmar), (8).4 Study ofRakhine Minthami Aye-gyin (in Myanmar), (9)The History of Rakhine Mahamuni (in Myanmar and English) and (10) Historical Sites in Rakhine (in English). 4 — CONTENTS Preface Pagoda 62, Anoma Pagoda 62, Minpaung Pagoda 62, Mahabodhi General Information ... 13 Shwegu, 62, Ratanasanraway Pagoda 63, Ratanamhan- The Land, the People and the Name... 17 kin Pagoda 63, RatanathinkhaPagoda 63, The Old Capitals of Rakhine ... 20 Ratanamanaung 63, Mingalamanaung The Golden City of Mrauk-U ... ?" Pagoda64, Nan-Oo Image 64, Tapan- Manrique's Description of Mrauk-U ..37 taing Palace-site 64. The Historical Sites in Mrauk-U... 42-87 Eastern Side ... 67-76 Northern Side ... 42-68 Sakyamanaung Pagoda 67, Wuntinat- Shitthaung Pillar42,Shitthaung Pagoda 45, taung69,Winmana Paddy-store-house 69, Andaw Shrine 5 1 , Ratanahon Pagoda 54. Neikbuzar Pagodas h9, Paraoke Pa- Dukkhanthein 54, Laymyetnha Pagoda57, goda^), Minkhaungshwetu Pagoda70, Myatazaung Pagoda 57, Mokseiktaw Pisei Pagoda 70, Koethaung Pagoda73, Pagoda 57, Laungbanpyauk Pagoda 58, Udawsaykan74,Myinmoenan74,Kyaung- Htuparyon Pagoda 59, Tharapavata laidon Fortress 74, Taung Myinmoe- Pagoda 59, Pitakataik 60, Pyisoegyi nan 75, Hlaingsaya Training Camp 76, CONT Mahahti Pagoda92, Thein- Art on the Rock 90, Santikan Mosque76,Mintayapyin76, Paungdawdat 93, Kyauknyo Image 93. gyishwegu 76, Nyimadaw Pagoda 76. Historical Sites in Vesali ... 95-97 Southern Side 77-78 The 95, Palace-site 95, Vesali ShwetaungPagoda77, Wathaie Image 78, The Old Vesali 78. Paragyi95, Letkettaung96, Shwedaung- Pankonthein 78, Jinamanaung Pagoda gyi 96, Sanghayana Hill 96, Thingyaing- Western Side .... 79-85 taung 97. Shwekyathein 79, Lokamanaung Pa- goda 79, Parabaw Pagoda 80, Daingri- The Historical Sites in Dhanyawaddy ... 98-105 pet 83. Dhanyawaddy 98, Mahamuni Shrine 99, Visit to the South-West of the City Venerations A Sight around the Shrine 100, ... 84-85 of of Buddhist World 102, Evidence Laytankhar Pagoda 84, Mingalashwegu Architecture and Sculpture 103, Salagiri Mahavizaya 86, KoenawinPagoda 86, Hill 104. yanthi Pagoda 85, Naretsa Pagoda 85. References 86-94 The Historical Sites in Launggret... Kadothein Shrine 86, Pataw Pagoda 90, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to express my sincere thanks to Minister for Cooperatives Maj-Gen Mya Thinn and to Commander of the Western Command Brig-Gen Win Myint, Chairman of the Rakhine State Law and Order Restoration Council for their invaluable guidance and advice on the writing of this tour guide of Mrauk- U in English. I also wish to express my gratitude to U Kyaw Mya Thein Principal of Sittway Degree College, for his constructive suggestions -and encouragement during the writing of this book. This book could not have been written without the help of Professor Dr. HIa Wai of Chemistry Department for his very useful comments on the earlier drafts. My thanks are also due to the following; The late U San Tha Aung (former Director-General Higher Education Department), U Oo Tha Tun (Archaeological Survey), the late Dr. Daw Thinn Kyi (retd:Professor of Geography Yangon University), TJ Tin Oo (retd:Chief Editor, University Translation and Publications Department) and U Thaw Kaung (Librarian Universit.es Central Library) for their kind helps at different times and in different ways. My special thanks go to Dr. Pamela Gutman (Australian National University), Professor Bernot (Sorbonne University, Paris), Dr. Pichard (Architect, UNESCO) and Paul Strachan (South East Asian Department, London University) for their very useful discussions during their visit to the site with the author. Finally, I have to thank my wife, Than Than Myint, who, in spite of all inconveniences due to delay in publication, hai shown eagerness and courtesy, and U Mya Than (Director Agricultural Mechanization Department), his wife Daw Myint Myint and his daughters Sayama Mar Lar Than (Chem. Dept Sittway Degree College) and Cherry Than, who have been of immense helps to me in getting the book through the publication PREFACE Ril rauk-U, a fine last royal capital of Rakhine has scenic '" beauty and historical remains which are inextricable and remarkable. Innumerable pagodas belonging to all ages can be found throughout the city. Everywhere one looks within Mrauk-U city wall on every mound, every field and every hill are Buddha images, temples, sima(Thein) and pagodas. It is no wonder that Mrauk-U is popularly known as the 'Land of Pagodas' and Europeans remarked Mrauk-U as 'The Golden City'. The Rakhine of those days were proud of Mrauk-U. They were entirely satisfied to be the inhabitants of Mrauk- U. The history shows what happened in the city in early times. Mrauk-U was founded in 1430 A.D. and became the seat of the Rakhine dynasty of that name. It had attained its highest prosperity for 355 years til! 1785 A.D. Before Mrauk-U, several other former royal cities, Dhanyawaddy, Vesali, Sambawet, Pyinsa, Parein, Launggret , Hkirt and Nayyinzaya-taungngoo had flour- ished from generation to generation for many years (see chapter 2). Geographically, Mrauk-U lies at the head of a tributary, Kaladan River, about 45 miles from the sea coast, but the largest sea-going ships of that period could reach it through a network of deep creeks by which it was surrounded. Mrauk-U's unique 02 routes to position in the Bay of Bengal, with both land and sea the east and west, resulted in the development of its commercial and cultural centre which later emerged as a highly flourishing country because of its strategic location between India and South Indianized East Asia. It also received Buddhist religion and civilization from the west. A visitor, Schouten, a Dutchman who visited the area that the city was comparable in 16th century A.D , remarked and in size and wealth to such western cities as Amsterdam London. He also mentioned that it was the richest city among the ports of Asia. The city was called by the Europeans as 'Golden City'. That term applies very fittingly to Mrauk-U whose wealth depended mainly on its extensive regions of riceland which surrounded the city. The crops never failed because of an annual 200 inches of rainfall. The export of rice increased from year to year. Moreover, the goods were allowed to enter the city duty-free in order to encourage trade. Thus the city was crowded with a large number of foreign merchants from the neighbouring countries and western countries as well, such as the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Various kinds of goods were on sale in the markets of Mrauk-U. The export of elephants was most popular in the Mrauk- U period. An elephant cost 1300 silver coins in those days. The Portuguese and the Dutch were permitted to build a factory at Aungdat port in Mrauk-U. Since a ship after leaving Bengal on a voyage to Java or any city on the eastern coast, and did not sail straight across the bay had to keep to the coast. Hence, trading ships naturally put. in at Mrauk-U to replenish food, water and other necessities. In this way Mrauk-U became usual focus for trade on the eastern shore of the Bay of Bengal. Mrauk-U, therefore, was very prosperous during those days. At the beginning of the 16 century the sea-faring- nature of Rakhine was even more accentuated. The King Minbin (1531-1553 A.D.) was able to build a large naval tleet with modern cannon to guard the long coastal territory of about one thousand miles. According to the Magh Raider in Bengal it had ten thousand warboats and their cannon were so numerous 10 that flotilla exceeded the waves of the sea. Now, several types of old cannon can be seen in Mrauk-U 'Museum. Mrauk-U was built as a defence city by the kings of those days. Taking advantage of the ridges surrounding the city, the citywalls have been built by joining the higher points of the ridge. The walls were built with local sandstone and earth. Inside the wail some portions of the mountain had to be levelled at the appropriate points to make ramparts. Some secret paths were constructed from top to bottom and stone gates had been erected for going in and out.
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