Taungoo Dynasty တောင်ငူခေတ်
Kingdom
↓ 1486–1752 →   →
Taungoo empire at its highest extent (1580)
Capital	Toungoo (1486–1539) Pegu (1539–1599) Ava (1599–1752)
Language(s)	Burmese
Religion	Theravada Buddhism
Government	Monarchy
King
- 1530–1550	Tabinshwehti
- 1551–1581	Bayinnaung
- 1606–1628	Anaukpetlun
- 1629–1648	Thalun
- 1733–1752	Mahadhammaraza Dipadi
Legislature	Hluttaw
History
- Founding of dynasty	January 1486
- Independence from Ava	16 October 1510
- Conquest of Hanthawaddy	January 1539
- Bayinnaung's Empire	1551–1581
- Nyaungyan Restoration	1599–1615
- Fall of Ava	23 March 1752
Area
- 1550[1]	317,000 km2 (122,394 sq mi)
- 1581[1][2]	1,300,000 km2 (501,933 sq mi)
- 1635	675,000 km2 (260,619 sq mi)
- 1725	595,000 km2 (229,731 sq mi)
Population
- 1581[1][2] est.	3,000,000
Density	2.3 /km2  (6 /sq mi)
- 1635 est.	2,000,000
Density	3 /km2  (7.7 /sq mi)
Preceded by Succeeded by Ava Kingdom Hanthawaddy Kingdom Shan States Lan Na Prome Kingdom Konbaung Dynasty Restored Hanthawaddy

History of Burma
Prehistory 11,000–200 BCE Pyu city-states 200 BCE–1050 CE Mon kingdoms 825?–1057 Arakanese kingdoms 788?–1406
Pagan Dynasty 849–1298 Pagan Empire 1044–1287 Mongol invasions 1277–1301 Warring states period Upper Burma 1298–1555 Myinsaing 1298–1313 Pinya 1313–1364 Sagaing 1315–1364 Ava 1364–1555 Prome 1482–1542 Ramanya 1287–1539 Shan states 1215–1557 Arakan 1430–1785 Toungoo Dynasty 1510–1752 Toungoo Empire 1530–1599 Nyaungyan period 1599–1752 Restored Hanthawaddy 1740–1757 Konbaung Dynasty 1752–1885 Anglo-Burmese wars 1824–1885
British colonial period 1824–1948 Nationalist movement 1900–1948 Japanese occupation 1942–1945 State of Burma 1943–1945
Modern era 1948–present Union of Burma 1948–1962 Socialist Republic 1962–1988 Union of Myanmar 1988–2010 Republic of the Union of Myanmar 2010–present
Timeline List of capitals List of leaders Military history
v t e

The Toungoo Dynasty (Burmese: တောင်ငူခေတ် [tàʊɴŋù kʰɪʔ]; also spelled Taungoo Dynasty) was the ruling dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) from the mid-16th century to 1752. Its early kings Tabinshwehti and Bayinnaung succeeded in reunifying the Pagan Empire for the first time since 1287, and in incorporating the Shan States for the first time. At its peak, the First Toungoo Empire also included Manipur, Chinese Shan States, Siam, and Lan Xang, but the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia collapsed in 1599, 18 years after Bayinnaung's death.

The dynasty quickly regrouped under the leadership of Nyaungyan and his son Anaukpetlun who succeeded in restoring a smaller, more manageable kingdom, encompassing Lower Burma, Upper Burma, Shan States and Lan Na by 1616. The Restored Toungoo kings, now based in Ava (Inwa), and created a legal and political system whose basic features would continue under the Konbaung dynasty well into 19th century. The crown completely replaced the hereditary chieftainships with appointed governorships in the entire Irrawaddy valley, and greatly reduced the hereditary rights of Shan chiefs. Its trade and secular administrative reforms built a prosperous economy for more than 80 years.

The kingdom entered a gradual decline due to the "palace rule" of its kings. Starting from the 1720s, the kingdom was beset with pesky raids by the Manipuris of the Chindwin valley and a nagging rebellion in Chiang Mai. The Manipuri raids intensified in the 1730s, reaching increasingly deeper parts of central Burma. In 1740, the Mon in Lower Burma began a rebellion, and founded the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom. The Hanthawaddy armies captured Ava in 1752, and ended the 266-year-old Toungoo dynasty.

History[link]

King Mingyinyo founded the First Taungoo Dynasty (1486–1599) at Taungoo, far up the Sittang River south of Ava, towards the end of the Ava dynasty in 1510 AD. After the conquest of Ava by the Shan invaders in 1527 many Burmans migrated to Taungoo which became a new center for Burmese rule. The dynasty conquered the Mohnyin Shan peoples in northern Burma.

Mingyinyo's son King Tabinshwehti unified most of Burma, consolidating his power and pushing southward, overrunning the Irrawaddy Delta region and crushing the Mon capital of Bago (Pegu). In 1544, Tabinshwehti was crowned as king of all Burma at the ancient capital of Bagan. By this time, the geopolitical situation in Southeast Asia had changed dramatically. The Shan gained power in a new kingdom in the North, Ayutthaya (Siam), while the Portuguese had arrived in the south and conquered Malacca. With the coming of European traders, Burma was once again an important trading centre, and Tabinshwehti moved his capital to Pegu due to its strategic position for commerce. He then began assembling an army for an attack on coastal Arakan to the west. Tabinshwehti's forces were defeated at Arakan but he was able to gain control of Lower Burma up to Prome. He led his retreating army eastward to Ayutthaya where he was defeated again by Siamese forces, and his campaign to Ava in Upper Burma was likewise unsuccessful. A period of unrest and rebellions among other conquered peoples followed and Tabinshwehti was assassinated in 1551.

Tabinshwehti's brother-in-law, Bayinnaung, succeeded to the throne in 1551 and reigned 30 years, launching a campaign of conquest invading several states, including Manipur (1560) and Ayutthaya (1569). An energetic leader and effective military commander, he made Taungoo the most powerful state in Southeast Asia, and extended his borders from Laos to Ayutthaya, near Bangkok. His wars stretched Myanmar to the limits of its resources, however, and both Manipur and Ayutthaya, which had remained under Myanmar domination for 15 years, were soon independent once again. Bayinnaung was poised to deliver a final, decisive assault on the kingdom of Arakan when he died in 1581. His son Nanda Bayin and his successors were forced to quell rebellions in other parts of the kingdom, and the victory over Arakan was never achieved.

Faced with rebellion by several cities and renewed Portuguese incursions, the Taungoo rulers withdrew from southern Myanmar and founded a second dynasty at Ava, the Nyaungyan Dynasty or Restored Taungoo Dynasty (1597–1752). Bayinnaung's grandson, Anaukpetlun (1605–1628), once again reunited Myanmar in 1613 and decisively defeated Portuguese attempts to take over Myanmar, but the empire gradually disintegrated. Anaukpetlun's successor Thalun (1629–1648) rebuilt the war torn country. Based on Thalun's revenue inquest in 1635, the kingdom's population was estimated to be around 2 million.^[3]

The Taungoo dynasty survived for another century and a half, until the death of Mahadammayaza in 1752. Encouraged by the French in India, Pegu finally rebelled against Ava, further weakening the state, which fell in 1752.

Family tree[link]

Notes

1. ^ Nephew of Narawara.

References[link]

• Victor B. Lieberman, "Burmese Administrative Cycles: Anarchy and Conquest, c. 1580–1760", Princeton University Press, 1984.

Taungoo တောင်ငူမြို့
Taungoo Location in Burma
Coordinates: 18°56′N 96°26′E / 18.933°N 96.433°E / 18.933; 96.433
Country	Burma
Division	Bago Region
Government
• Type	District Peace and Development Council and Township Peace and Development Council
• Mayor
Population (2010)[1]
• Total	121,000 (est.)
• Ethnicities	Burman, Karen
• Religions	Theravada Buddhism, Christianity
Time zone	MST (UTC+6:30)

Taungoo. Old postcard (Ahuja)

Taungoo (Burmese: တောင်ငူမြို့; MLCTS: taung ngu mrui., pronounced: [tàʊɴŋù mjo̰]; also spelled Toungoo) is a city in the Bago Region of Myanmar, located 220 km from Yangon, towards the northeastern end of the division, with mountain ranges to both east and west. The main industry is in forestry products, with teak and other hardwoods extracted from the mountains. The city is also known for its areca palms, to the extent that a Burmese proverb for unexpected good fortune is equated to a "betel lover winning a trip to Taungoo".

The city is famous in Burmese history for the Toungoo Dynasty which ruled the country for over two centuries between the 16th and 18th centuries.

History[link]

Taungoo was founded in 1280 in the waning days of Pagan as part of frontier expansion southwards. After the fall of Pagan Empire in 1287, Taungoo came under the rule of Myinsaing Kingdom, and later Pinya Kingdom. In 1313, Uzana (later King Uzana of Pinya) was appointed governor of Taungoo.^[2] In the late 14th century, Taungoo became a nominal part of the Ava Kingdom but its rulers retained a large degree of autonomy, playing larger Ava and Hanthawaddy kingdoms against each other. In 1470, Ava put down another rebellion, and made Sithu Kyawhtin, the general who defeated the rebellion, governor. Sithu Kyawhtin's grandson Mingyinyo became governor of Toungoo in 1486. Under Mingyinyo's leadership, the principality grew powerful. In October 1510, Mingyinyo formally broke away from Ava and founded the Taungoo Kingdom.^[3]

Mingyinyo's successors Tabinshwehti and Bayinnaung went on to found the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia.^[4] Taungoo's stint as capital was short-lived, however. Tabinshwehti moved the kingdom's capital to Pegu (Bago) in 1539. The city briefly again became capital of a rebellion in 1599 when viceroy Minye Thihathu of Taungoo declared himself king. In December 1599, Taungoo's forces in collaboration with the Arakanese armies aided by Portuguese mercenaries, sacked Pegu. The rebellious city state remained independent for another 10 years when Natshinnaung ascended the Taungoo throne in 1609. In the following year, King Anaukpetlun captured Taungoo, and ended the city's long line of rulers.^[5] Although few visible historic remains survive, all four sides of the brick city wall remain from the dynastic period, with the exception of the part of the southern wall. The 9.6 m wide moat has largely dried up, except for a section on the eastern side, which is still maintained.

By the mid-19th century, Taungoo was governed by a local governor appointed by the Konbaung kings. The Taungoo District consisted of 52 wards, including today's Pyinmana (and Naypyidaw) regions. The Taungoo District was cut in half after the Second Anglo-Burmese War. The British annexed the southern half, including the city of Taungoo while the northern portion, including Pyinmana and Ela, remained Burmese.^[6]

In 1940, the British Royal Air Force built an airfield north of the town, which from August 1941 through February 1942 served as a training and support base for the 1st American Volunteer Group, popularly known as the Flying Tigers.

Taungoo is preparing to celebrate its 500th birthday on 16 October 2010, by reconstructing and renovating many city attractions.^[3]

Climate[link]

Administration[link]

• Taungoo District Peace and Development Council - List of Six Townships
• Taungoo Township Peace and Development Council
• Taungoo Ward Peace and Development Council - 22 Wards
• Taungoo Municipal
• District and Township Immigration Dept
• Myanmar Timber Enterprise
• Finance and Tax Dept
• Civil Engineering Dept
• District and Township Education Dept
• Health Dept
• District and Township Forestry Dept
• MPPE
• Taungoo Correctional Dept. Taungoo Prison
• Taungoo Quarry Camp
• Taungoo Post Office
• Taungoo TeleCom station
• Myanmar Television Sub-station
• Myawady Television Sub-station
• Union Solidarity and Development Association
• Myanmar Maternal Children’s Welfare Association
• Myanmar Women Affair Federation
• Division 5 Railways Office
• Taungoo Township and District Courts
• Taungoo Weather Station

Emergency[link]

1. No.1 Police Station Taungoo - 199
2. No.2 Police Station Taungoo - 199
3. District Police Force
4. Township Police Force
5. No.5 Railways Police Force
6. Taungoo Motor Vehicle Police Station
7. District Fire Station - 191
8. Township Fire Station - 192
9. Myanmar Red Cross Society - Ambulance

Military[link]

1. Southern Command - Kaytu Myothit
2. Taungoo Air Force Base
3. Amoury Division - Oak Twin
4. Artillery Division - Oak Twin
5. Police Battalion, Taungoo - Training School
6. No.(3) Field Medical Battalion

Investigation[link]

• Military Intelligence No.3 (MI)
• Special Intelligence (Special Branch) SB
• Bureau of special investigations (BSI)
• Secret Police

Demographics[link]

Taungoo's population is estimated be about 121,000.^[1] The population was 66000 in 1983 when the last official census in Myanmar was conducted.^[7] The Bamar (Burmans) make up the majority with a significant Kayin (Karen) population on the eastern side of the city. The Chinese, Indians, Shan and Kayah people make up the rest. The majority of residents are Theravada Buddhists, followed by Baptist and Roman Catholic Christians. Taungoo is home to a number of Karen Christian association headquarters and 15 churches. Taungoo today is the best known as the home of Okkthar United FC, the football team in Myanmar.

Transport[link]

The main transport options to Taungoo is rail and motorways. The Taungoo Railway Station is on the main north line of Myanmar Railways, and the Taungoo Highway Bus Station is served by domestic bus lines. Taungoo Airport is the area's only airport, and served only by Myanma Airways with regular flights to Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyidaw, Loikaw, Tachilek, and Taunggyi. Intra-city transport is mainly through a circular railway line which serves around the Taungoo District and bus lines, which serve downtown, and suburban areas.

There are two main bridges: Sittaung Bridge and Kaphaung Bridge.

Education[link]

Taungoo has six high schools, four public universities, a divinity school and two nursing/midwifery training schools.

1. Taungoo University
2. Taungoo Educational College
3. Computer University, Taungoo
4. Technological University, Taungoo
5. Taungoo Nursing Training School
6. Taungoo Midwifery Training School
7. Paku Divinity School

Healthcare[link]

1. Taungoo General Hospital
2. Taungoo Railways Hospital
3. Thaw Thee Ko Clinic
4. Ketu Clinic

Major sites[link]

1. Thargaya Elephant Camp
2. Kandawggyi Garden
3. Kaytumaddy Garden
4. Kaphaung Creek Bridge
5. Sittaung Bridge
6. Electronic Library
7. Taungoo Gym
8. Taungoo Stadium
9. Kha Baung Hall
10. Taungoo Municipal Market
11. Taungoo Market
12. Bayinnaung Market
13. Kayinmazay Market
14. Win Cinema
15. Bayinnaung Cinema

Pagodas[link]

1. Shwesandaw Pagoda
2. Myasigon Pagoda
3. Kaungmudaw Pagoda
4. Mya Saw Nyi-Naung Pagoda

References[link]

External links[link]

• http://www.most.gov.mm/taungootu/index.php
• http://www.ucsy.edu.mm/taungoocu/
• http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800051h.html
• http://www.adventistyearbook.org/default.aspx?page=ViewAdmField&Year=9999&AdmFieldID=CMYM
• http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=338&view=alpha
• http://www.gcatholic.com/dioceses/diocese/taun1.htm
• http://www.myanmarteldir.com/index.htm

Coordinates: 18°56′N 96°26′E / 18.933°N 96.433°E / 18.933; 96.433

v t e Bago Region Capital: Bago Bago District Bago Township Kawa Township Thanatpin Township Waw Township Daik-U Township Nyaunglebin Township Shwegyin Township Pyay District Pyay Township Paukkaung Township Thegon Township Shwedaung Township Padaung Township Paungde Township Nattalin Township Zigon Township Taungoo District Taungoo Township Oktwin Township Tantabin Township Yedashe Township Pyu Township Kyauktaga Township Kyaukkyi Township Tharrawaddy District Tharrawaddy Township Gyobingauk Township Letpadan Township Minhla Township Monyo Township Okpho Township Main cities and towns Bago Taungoo Pyay Letpadan Daik-U Nyaunglebin Pyu Yedashe Shwekyin Tharrawaddy Gyobingauk Paungde Shwedaung

v t e Administrative divisions of Burma (Myanmar) States Chin Kachin Kayah Kayin Mon Rakhine Shan Regions Ayeyarwady Bago Magway Mandalay Sagaing Tanintharyi Yangon Self-Administered Zones Danu Kokang Naga Pa Laung Pa-O Self-Administered Divisions Wa Union Territories Naypyidaw