Tabayin: History
The settlement of Depayin has been in existence for over 700 years and it was called 'Dhipaesyin' ( ဓိပေအ်သျင်) during the Bagan Dynasty.
Located a few kilometers west of Shwebo, the birthplace of Konbaung dynasty, Tabayin was a major source of many Konbaung soldiers and officials, including the country's most famous general Maha Bandula. Having Tabayin as fief was a powerful symbol before one became king. King Naungdawgyi was Prince of Tabayin before he became the second king of Konbaung dynasty in 1760. Crown Prince Thado Minsaw was another famous Prince of Tabayin, who conquered Arakan (now Rakhine State) in 1784. In 1808, Thado Minsaw's son Prince of Sagaing (later King Bagyidaw) inherited the title Prince of Tabayin.
On 30 May 2003, pro-military mobs perpetrated the Tabayin Massacre, which occurred during a stop in Depayin by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's nationwide tour. The last stanzas of a recent poem titled "Diparinga" (ဒီပရင်္ဂ), which refers to the classical name of Debayin and extols the past glories of the place, by Khin Maung Than, raised the ire of the authorities as they read like a thinly veiled reference to the massacre.
In October 2022, the nearby village of Let Yet Kone became the site of the Let Yet Kone massacre, during which the Myanmar Armed Forces killed 13 civilians, including 6 schoolchildren.