Anawrahta
Anawrahta was a 11th-century king of Pagan who expanded his rule across much of present-day Myanmar and strengthened Theravada Buddhism there.
Pagan Empire: A kingdom centered on Pagan that flourished in Burma from the ninth to thirteenth centuries. Anawrahta’s conquests laid the foundations for this first major Burmese empire.
Kyanzittha: A Pagan king who ruled from 1084 to 1112 and continued the consolidation of the kingdom. He succeeded Anawrahta’s immediate successor and extended the court’s religious and political legacy.
Pyu people: An ancient Tibeto-Burman-speaking people who established urban settlements in present-day Myanmar. Pyu societies preceded Pagan and contributed to the region’s political and cultural history.
Ananda Temple: A major Buddhist temple at Pagan, built during the reign of Kyanzittha. Its construction illustrates the temple-building culture that developed after Anawrahta’s reign.
Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar: The Theravada Buddhist tradition practiced in Myanmar, shaped by monastic lineages, royal patronage, and local customs. His sponsorship helped make this tradition central to Burmese religious life.
Alaungsithu: A Pagan king who ruled from 1112 to 1167 and presided over a period of expansion and temple building. His reign shows how the royal system established under Anawrahta endured.
Nanzhao: A kingdom in what is now Yunnan, China, that flourished from the eighth to ninth centuries. Nanzhao’s expansion is associated with migrations and political changes preceding Pagan’s rise.
Myazedi inscription: A twelfth-century inscription at Pagan written in four languages, including Burmese, Mon, Pyu, and Pali. It offers direct evidence of Pagan’s multilingual religious and political environment.
Pagan: A historic city in central Myanmar, famed for its medieval Buddhist temples and monuments. Anawrahta made Pagan the political and religious center of his expanding kingdom.
Shwezigon Pagoda: A Buddhist stupa at Nyaung-U, Myanmar, completed under Kyanzittha after construction began under Anawrahta. Its construction links Anawrahta’s patronage with the later royal completion of major sacred monuments.