Amarapura
Encyclopedia
Amarapura is a former capital of Myanmar
, and now a township
of Mandalay
. Amarapura is bounded by the Ayeyarwady river
in the west, Chanmyathazi township in the north, and the city of Innwa (Ava) in the south. Amarapura (आमरपुर), Pali
for City of Immortality, was the capital of Myanmar for three discrete periods during the Konbaung dynasty
in the 18th and 19th centuries before finally supplanted by Mandalay 11 km north in 1857. Though historically referred to as Taungmyo (Southern City) in relation to Mandalay, Amarapura today is part of Mandalay, as a result of the urban sprawl
.
King Bodawpaya
(1781–1819) of the Konbaung Dynasty
founded Amarapura as his new capital in 1783, soon after he ascended the throne. In 1795, he received the first British
embassy to Burma from the British East India Company
led by Michael Symes . Bodawpaya's grandson, King Bagyidaw
(1819–1837), moved the Court back to Ava
in 1823. Bagyidaw's successor King Tharrawaddy (1837–1846) again moved the royal capital back to Amarapura.
From 1841-1857, King Mindon (1853–1878) decided to make Amarapura the capital again before relocating to his planned city of Mandalay in 1860. Today little remains of the old city as the palace buildings were dismantled and moved by elephant to the new location, and the city walls were pulled down for use as building materials for roads and railways. Part of the moat is still recognisable near Bagaya Monastery.
The city is known today for its traditional silk
and cotton
weaving
, and bronze
casting. It is a popular tourist day-trip destination from Mandalay.
In 1800, Buddhist clergy from Sri Lanka
obtained higher ordination in this city and founded the Amarapura Nikaya
(Amarapura sect).
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, and now a township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
of Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
. Amarapura is bounded by the Ayeyarwady river
Ayeyarwady River
The Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River is a river that flows from north to south through Burma . It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying through...
in the west, Chanmyathazi township in the north, and the city of Innwa (Ava) in the south. Amarapura (आमरपुर), Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
for City of Immortality, was the capital of Myanmar for three discrete periods during the Konbaung dynasty
Konbaung dynasty
The Konbaung Dynasty was the last dynasty that ruled Burma from 1752 to 1885. The dynasty created the second largest empire in Burmese history, and continued the administrative reforms begun by the Toungoo dynasty, laying the foundations of modern state of Burma...
in the 18th and 19th centuries before finally supplanted by Mandalay 11 km north in 1857. Though historically referred to as Taungmyo (Southern City) in relation to Mandalay, Amarapura today is part of Mandalay, as a result of the urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
.
History
Bodawpaya
Bodawpaya was the sixth king of the Konbaung Dynasty of Burma. Born Maung Shwe Waing and later Badon Min, he was the fourth son of Alaungpaya, founder of the dynasty and the Third Burmese Empire. He was proclaimed king after deposing his nephew Phaungkaza Maung Maung, son of his oldest brother...
(1781–1819) of the Konbaung Dynasty
Konbaung dynasty
The Konbaung Dynasty was the last dynasty that ruled Burma from 1752 to 1885. The dynasty created the second largest empire in Burmese history, and continued the administrative reforms begun by the Toungoo dynasty, laying the foundations of modern state of Burma...
founded Amarapura as his new capital in 1783, soon after he ascended the throne. In 1795, he received the first British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
embassy to Burma from the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
led by Michael Symes . Bodawpaya's grandson, King Bagyidaw
Bagyidaw
Bagyidaw Bagyidaw's reign saw the First Anglo-Burmese War , which marked the beginning of the end of the highly militaristic Konbaung dynasty. Bagyidaw inherited the largest Burmese empire, second only to King Bayinnaung's, but also one that shared a long ill-defined borders with British India...
(1819–1837), moved the Court back to Ava
Ava
Innwa is a city in the Mandalay Division of Burma , situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River. Its formal title is Ratanapura , which means City of Gems in Pali. The name Innwa means mouth of the lake, which comes from in , meaning lake, and wa , which means mouth...
in 1823. Bagyidaw's successor King Tharrawaddy (1837–1846) again moved the royal capital back to Amarapura.
From 1841-1857, King Mindon (1853–1878) decided to make Amarapura the capital again before relocating to his planned city of Mandalay in 1860. Today little remains of the old city as the palace buildings were dismantled and moved by elephant to the new location, and the city walls were pulled down for use as building materials for roads and railways. Part of the moat is still recognisable near Bagaya Monastery.
The city is known today for its traditional silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
, and bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
casting. It is a popular tourist day-trip destination from Mandalay.
Sights of interest
- Pahtodawgyi – A stupaStupaA stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
built by King Bodawpaya in 1816 outside the city walls - Bagaya Kyaung – a wooden monastery founded by King Mindon
- U Bein Bridge – a 1.2 km wooden footbridge (longest teak bridge in the world) built by the mayor U Bein salvaging the unwanted teak columns from the old palace during the move to Mandalay
- Kyautawgyi Paya – A stupa built by King Pagan in 1847 at the farther end of U Bein's bridge
- Amarapura PalaceAmarapura PalaceAmarapura Palace was a royal palace in the old capital of Amarapura in Burma. The palace was constructed in the late 18th/early 19th century and later abandoned for Mandalay Palace. Only ruins remain of it today....
ruins – containing tombs of King Bodawpaya and King Bagyidaw, and part of the old moat - Maha Gandhayon Kyaung - a large modern monastery complex with hundreds of monks and novices, well known throughout the country
- Chinese Temple - built in 1838 during King Tharrawaddy's reign
- Yadanabon UniversityYadanabon UniversityYadanabon University is a public liberal arts and sciences university in Mandalay, Myanmar. Located in the outskirts of Mandalay in Amarapura by Taungthaman Lake, the university offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in liberal arts and sciences, mostly to students from Mandalay suburbs...
- A major liberal arts university for students from Mandalay suburbs
In 1800, Buddhist clergy from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
obtained higher ordination in this city and founded the Amarapura Nikaya
Amarapura Nikaya
The Amarapura Nikaya is a Sri Lankan monastic fraternity founded in 1800. It is named after the city of Amarapura, Myanmar , the former capital of the Burmese kingdom...
(Amarapura sect).
External links
- Wanderings in Burma George W. Bird, 1897, Southeast Asia Visions
- Amarapura photo gallery