- Burmese:
- Bago
- Key People:
- Tabinshwehti
Pegu
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What is Pegu and where is it located?
Pegu, now known as Bago, is a port city in southern Myanmar, located on the Pegu River, roughly 47 miles (76 km) northeast of Yangon. It was once the capital of the Mon kingdom and is now surrounded by the ruins of its old wall and moat.
Pegu is a major center for collecting rice and timber, with many rice mills and sawmills. Among its numerous pagodas, the most venerable is the ancient Shwemawdaw, which is said to contain two hairs of Gautama Buddha.
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What is Pegu known for in Myanmar's history?
Pegu, now known as Bago, was the capital of the Mon kingdom in southern Myanmar. It is known for its ancient Shwemawdaw Pagoda, said to contain hairs of Gautama Buddha, and the Shwethalyaung Buddha, a large reclining statue. Pegu became the capital of the Mon kingdom in 1369, a center of Buddhist culture and an easily accessible port. The city was destroyed in 1757, but religious buildings were left standing.
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When was Pegu founded and who built it?
Pegu, also known as Bago, is a port city in southern Myanmar. According to Britannica, Pegu city was said to have been founded in 573 by Mon emigrants. However, the more likely date of its founding as the capital of a Mon kingdom is 825.
The city served as the capital of the Mon kingdom. In 1369, after the Mons regained their independence, Pegu once again became their capital. The Burman Toungoo dynasty took over the Mon kingdom in 1539. Pegu then became the capital of a united kingdom until 1599, and again from 1613 to 1634.
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What important role did Pegu play in ancient Myanmar kingdoms?
Pegu, now Bago, played a significant role in ancient Myanmar kingdoms. Founded by the Mon people, likely around 825 CE, it became the capital of a Mon kingdom in 1369, flourishing as a port city and a hub of Buddhist culture.
In 1539, Pegu became the capital of the united Burman Toungoo dynasty until 1599 and again from 1613 to 1634, serving as a base for invasions of Siam in the 16th century. European traders, such as Cesare Federici and Ralph Fitch, visited Pegu during this time and described its magnificence.
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What are some famous landmarks or structures in Pegu?
Pegu, a port city in southern Myanmar, was once the capital of the Mon kingdom and has many notable landmarks. The Shwemawdaw Pagoda, or âGolden Shrine,â is considered the most venerable pagoda in the city, standing 288 feet (88 m) high. It is said to contain two hairs of Gautama Buddha. The Shwethalyaung, a large reclining statue of Buddha with a length of 181 feet (55 m), is believed to be among the most lifelike of all reclining Buddha figures. The Kalyani Sima (âHall of Ordinationâ), founded by King Dhammazedi, is the source of one of the greatest reform movements in Myanmar Buddhist history.
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How does Pegu's history influence its culture and people today?
Pegu, now Bago, was once the capital of the Mon kingdom and a significant port city in southern Myanmar. Founded by Mon emigrants, Pegu became a center for Theravada Buddhism, influencing the religious practices of the region after the Burman conquest in 1057.
The city's history is marked by periods of independence, conquest, and destruction, including its razing by King Alaungpaya in 1757. Despite these events, Pegu's religious structures remained intact, and the Mon people continue to live in southeastern Myanmar. Today, Pegu's cultural heritage is reflected in its ancient pagodas like the Shwemawdaw and the Shwethalyaung Buddha statue,testifying to its enduring legacy.
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Pegu, port city, southern Myanmar (Burma), on the Pegu River, 47 miles (76 km) northeast of Yangon (Rangoon). Pegu was the capital of the Mon kingdom and is surrounded by the ruins of its old wall and moat, which formed a square, with 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometre) sides. On the YangonâMandalay railway, it is the start of a branch line southeast along the Gulf of Martaban, an inlet of the Bay of Bengal, and has extensive road links in all directions. Pegu is a major rice- and timber-collecting centre and has numerous rice mills and sawmills.
Of its many pagodas, the ancient Shwemawdaw (âGolden Shrineâ), 288 feet (88 m) high, is the most venerable. Said to contain two hairs of Gautama Buddha, it is of Mon origin and was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1930, but restoration was completed in 1954. The Shwethalyaung, a colossal reclining statue of Buddha (181 feet [55 m] long), is to the west of the modern town and is reputedly one of the most lifelike of all the reclining Buddha figures; allegedly built in 994, it was lost when Pegu was destroyed in 1757 but was rediscovered under a cover of jungle growth in 1881. From the nearby Kalyani Sima (âHall of Ordinationâ), founded by the Mon king Dhammazedi (1472â92), spread one of the greatest reform movements in Myanmar Buddhist history. Its story is related in 10 stone inscriptions erected by the king close to the Sima. The Mahazedi, Shwegugale, and Kyaikpien are other notable pagodas.
Pegu city is said to have been founded in 573 by Mon emigrants from Thaton to the southeast, but the most likely date of its foundation as the capital of a Mon kingdom is 825. The earliest record of the kingdom shortly before 850 was by the Arab geographer Ibn KhurradÄdhbih, who called it Ramaññadesa (the Rmen, or Mon, land). In 1057, when the Burman king Anawrahta of Pagan conquered the kingdom, he depopulated it by transporting 30,000 Mon to Pagan. Pegu was little heard of until Pagan fell to the Mongols in 1287. When the Mons recovered their independence, Pegu became the capital of their new kingdom in 1369. It functioned as a port, easily accessible from all parts of the alluvial plain. It was also a centre of Buddhist culture.
When in 1539 the Mon kingdom fell to the Burman Toungoo dynasty, Pegu was made the capital of a united kingdom until 1599 and again from 1613 to 1634. It was used in the 16th century as a base for the invasion of Siam. Many Europeans visited it, including the Venetian trader Cesare Federici (1569) and the English merchant Ralph Fitch (1587â88), whose description detailed its magnificence.
After the Burmans moved their capital to Ava in 1635, Pegu became a provincial capital, but a Mon revolt in 1740 restored it as the capital of their short-lived kingdom. When in 1757 the Burman king Alaungpaya invaded the Mon land, wiping out the last vestiges of independence, he destroyed Pegu but left the religious buildings intact. The British annexed the Pegu area in 1852, and in 1862, when the province of British Burma was created, the capital was moved from Pegu to Rangoon. Because of Alaungpayaâs wars and the flight of the Mon people, the area was again virtually depopulated. The British later developed that area into the main rice-growing and exporting region of Burma.
Pegu is located between the forested Pegu Mountains (west) and the Sittang River (east). The area has a major irrigation scheme; rice is practically the only crop and is exported through Yangon. The Pegu Sittang Canal, which crosses the area, is navigable for nearly 40 miles (nearly 65 km) with locks. Pop. (1983) 150,447.