Myanmar – from Bagan's kingdoms to the struggle for its future
The land along the Irrawaddy River has been home to early civilisations for thousands of years. The Pyu built city-states in the first millennium, while the Mon flourished in the south. In the eleventh century King Anawrahta unified much of the region from Bagan, whose thousands of temples still testify to a golden age of Theravada Buddhism. Later dynasties, notably the Toungoo and the Konbaung, built powerful kingdoms that at times expanded far into neighbouring lands.
In the nineteenth century three Anglo-Burmese wars brought the country under British rule step by step; after the fall of the royal capital Mandalay in 1885, Burma became part of British India and was later administered as a separate colony. During the Second World War, Japan occupied the country. Independence leader Aung San negotiated the end of colonial rule but was assassinated in 1947, shortly before Burma became independent on 4 January 1948.
The young state soon faced armed conflicts with ethnic groups seeking autonomy. In 1962 the military seized power and ruled for decades. The 1988 democracy protests were violently suppressed, and Aung San Suu Kyi became a symbol of peaceful resistance. A partial political opening began in 2011, but in 2017 violence against the Rohingya drove hundreds of thousands to flee to Bangladesh. In 2021 the military again took power, and the country has since been in deep conflict.
Today Myanmar is shaped by its Buddhist heritage, great ethnic diversity and its people's long hope for peace.
Do you have memories or family stories from your town or village in Myanmar? Share them with other members in the Local History section.