Myanmar Matriculation History key terms

Legendary founder of the Pagan dynasty in Burmese chronicles, said to have descended from the sun spirit and a dragon princess and to have ruled at Sri Ksetra's successor before the historical kings of Pagan.

Pagan king (r. 1044–1077) who unified much of the Irrawaddy valley, adopted Theravada Buddhism from the Mon, and began the religious and administrative consolidation that shaped classical Burma.

Mon Theravada monk who converted Anawrahta to reformed Buddhism and became religious adviser at Pagan, symbolising the Mon contribution to Burmese Buddhist culture.

Mon kingdom in Lower Burma whose conquest by Anawrahta in the 1050s is credited in tradition with bringing Mon monks, scriptures, craftsmen and culture to Pagan.

Pagan king (r. 1084–1112) remembered for patronage of Mon-style architecture and literature, the Ananda Temple tradition, and the Shwesandaw inscription linking him to his father Anawrahta.

Pagan king (r. 1112–1167) under whom the Thatbyinnyu Temple was built; his reign marks the height of Pagan's temple-building era before the dynasty's decline.

Capital of the first Burmese empire on the Irrawaddy, flourishing from the 11th to 13th centuries and famous for thousands of brick Buddhist monuments; sacked by Mongol forces in 1287.

Campaigns launched by Kublai Khan's Yuan dynasty against Pagan in the 1270s–1280s, culminating in the collapse of Pagan's authority and the fragmentation of Burma into smaller states.

Burmese kingdom centred on Inwa near Mandalay, founded in 1364, which contended with Hanthawaddy and other states for supremacy in the Irrawaddy valley until the 16th century.

Mon kingdom based at Pegu (Bago) in Lower Burma, a maritime trading power and rival of Ava, later absorbed by the Toungoo dynasty in the 16th century.

Toungoo king (r. 1551–1581) who built the largest empire in Burmese history, conquering the Shan states, Siam and Lan Xang, and promoting Theravada Buddhism across his domains.

Burmese ruling house from the 16th to 18th centuries that reunified Burma, expanded into Siam and the Shan states, and later moved its capital to Ava before falling to the Konbaung.

Founder of the Konbaung dynasty (r. 1752–1760) who overthrew Mon rule, reunified Burma, and campaigned against Siam, establishing the last Burmese empire.

Burma's last royal dynasty (1752–1885), which expanded territorially, fought three wars with Britain, and ended with the annexation of Upper Burma in 1885.

Three wars (1824–26, 1852, 1885) in which Britain defeated Burma and progressively annexed its territory, ending the Burmese monarchy and making the country a British colony.

1826 agreement ending the First Anglo-Burmese War, by which Burma ceded Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim to Britain and paid a large indemnity.

Last king of Burma (r. 1878–1885), deposed and exiled by the British after the Third Anglo-Burmese War, ending the Konbaung dynasty and royal rule.

Burmese nationalist organisation founded in 1930 by young intellectuals, known as the 'We Burmans' association, which popularised anti-colonial ideas and produced many independence-era leaders.

Burmese nationalist leader who founded the Burma Independence Army, negotiated the Panglong Agreement, and led the independence movement until his assassination in July 1947.

1947 pact between Aung San and Shan, Kachin and Chin leaders promising frontier peoples autonomy within a future Union of Burma, a foundational document for the country's federal debate.

Force formed by Aung San with Japanese support in 1941–42 to drive Britain from Burma; it later turned against Japan and contributed to the independence struggle.

Official Burmese royal chronicle compiled in the 1820s under King Bagyidaw, recording dynastic history from legendary origins to the Konbaung period and a key source for pre-colonial Burma.

Sanskrit term meaning 'Land of Gold', used in ancient Indian and Buddhist texts for a region of Southeast Asia, often identified with Lower Burma or the Malay Peninsula.

Early Southeast Asian state in the Mekong delta (roughly 1st–6th centuries CE), a major trading and Indianised polity and ancestor of Chenla and the Khmer empire.

Capital of the Khmer empire in Cambodia from the 9th to 15th centuries, renowned for Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, and a symbol of Indianised statecraft and hydraulic agriculture.

Capital of the Siamese kingdom from 1351 to 1767, a major trading hub that fought frequent wars with Burma and was finally destroyed by a Burmese invasion.

Process by which Indian religious, political and literary ideas spread to Southeast Asia through trade and Brahmins, shaping early states such as Funan and Angkor without direct colonisation.

Model of Southeast Asian political power in which a centre controls surrounding vassals through personal loyalty rather than fixed borders, a concept used to explain states like Pagan and Angkor.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations, founded in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand to promote regional cooperation; Myanmar joined in 1997.

1955 meeting of Asian and African states in Indonesia that promoted anti-colonialism and non-alignment, a landmark in Afro-Asian solidarity relevant to post-independence Southeast Asia.

Group of states formed in 1961 that refused to align with either superpower bloc during the Cold War; Burma under Ne Win was an early member and pursued strict neutrality.

Burmese general who seized power in 1962, led the Revolutionary Council, and pursued the 'Burmese Way to Socialism', isolating the country economically until 1988.

Nationwide pro-democracy protests in Burma in 1988, led largely by students and monks, which were crushed by the military and led to the rise of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Daughter of Aung San and leader of Burma's democracy movement, detained for years under house arrest and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

Burmese political party founded in 1988 and led by Aung San Suu Kyi, which won the 1990 and 2015 elections but was later sidelined by military rule.

Geopolitical rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies from the late 1940s to 1991, which shaped decolonisation, alliances and conflicts across Asia.

Process by which European colonies in Asia and Africa gained independence after World War II, including Burma's independence from Britain in January 1948.

International organisation founded in 1920 after World War I to maintain peace through collective security; it failed to prevent aggression and was replaced by the United Nations in 1945.

International organisation established in 1945 to promote peace, security and cooperation; Burma became a member in 1948, shortly after independence.