Thakin Kodaw Hmaing
Encyclopedia
Thakin Kodaw Hmaing is considered one of the greatest Burmese poets, writers and political leaders in the 20th century history of Burma. He is regarded as the Father of Burmese nationalist and peace movements as well as a literary genius. His legacy and influence on the post-war generations can still be felt in both literature and the ongoing political situation in Myanmar (Burma).
. He was sent at an early age to be educated in the traditional manner in Mandalay
, and at the age of 9 he witnessed the fall of the Konbaung dynasty
and the abduction of King Thibaw
and Queen Supayalat
by the British
, being taken away in a carriage, near the queen's own Myadaung Monastery where he was a boarder. It was a scene that he would never forget and one that sparked his nationalist fervour in a life-long struggle for independence.
His mastery of classical Burmese literature enabled him to write extensively in verse with such ease and flair that future generations of writers still find hard to match. A genius in multiple and complex rhyme, here is one of his couplets that has often been quoted: Kaung myo ahtweidwei yenè chunzei myazei saw, daung owei yelo tunzei kazei thaw - "May a myriad good things with vigour have a chance; may the peacock have its call and dance". The dancing peacock (ka daung) was the emblem of Burmese sovereignty featured on pennants, coins and currency notes, whereas the fighting peacock (hkut daung) is the emblem of Burmese student unions. Owei is the call of the peacock and was also the title of the Rangoon University Students Union (RUSU) magazine.
Hmaing also wrote in mixed verse and prose style brilliantly presenting satires in the form of learned religious commentaries, called htikas in Pali
, such as Hkway htika (On Dogs) in which he castigated politicians for wasting their time and effort in futile squabbling when they should be concentrating on the fight against colonial rule.
Vendor Maung Hmaing) by U Kyee (1848–1908), and Hmaing by taking his name and styling himself Mister at the same time was mocking the affectation among some fashionable Anglophile Burmese who had started putting Mr in front of their names. It did stop the trend. And the name stuck.
He is also considered to be unequalled in another traditional form of poetry called Laygyo gyi which he revived to great effect by giving it a new content of contemporary political issues. Hmaing inspired a whole generation of Burmese nationalists in the fight for independence, fostering immense pride in their own history, language and culture, and more importantly urging them to take direct action such as strikes by students and workers, the subject of Boingkauk htika (On Boycott). He showed no mercy to those who were mere political opportunists either, as in Hkway htika (On Dogs). His allusive and highly memorable style of verse made him very popular with the Burmese public and shielded his work from colonial government censorship.
In the wake of the second university students strike in history of 1936 when the All Burma Students Union (ABSU) was formed, Hmaing was elected its patron. By 1941 his reputation as a leading nationalist earned him a place on the colonial authorities' 'Burma List', regarded as an 'enemy of the state'. It was Hmaing along with other leaders of the Dobama who sent Aung San
and other young men - later known as the 'Thirty Comrades
' - to seek military training abroad in order to fight the British.
which caused great sorrow to Hmaing, and he spent the rest of his life trying to bring internal peace to the land. He was a leading light in the world peace movement in Burma, and in 1952 attended the Peace Conference for Asia Pacific Region in Peking
. He was elected Chairman of the World Peace Congress (Burma) the same year, and won the Stalin Peace Prize in 1954. Hmaing also travelled to People's Republic of China
, Mongolia
, Hungary
and the Soviet Union
in 1953, and went to Ceylon
and India
for the World Peace Conference in 1957. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1960 by the University of Hamburg
, West Germany
.
Thakin Kodaw Hmaing gave his active support together with the former Brig.General Kyaw Zaw
to the Internal Peace Committee during the 1963 peace parley between the Revolutionary Council government of Ne Win
and various armed rebel groups including the Communist Party of Burma
, Red Flag Communists
, and ethnic minorities. Hmaing's was the one voice that all parties across the political divide would listen to with respect, and remained the only alternative political voice the military could not silence, after they took power in 1962, until his death at the age of 88 in 1964 when all political parties except the ruling Burma Socialist Programme Party
(BSPP) were abolished by decree.
He devoted his time to peace and national reconciliation with less time for writing towards the end of his life, stating that his last wish was to see a peaceful and united country. He was buried at the foot of the Shwedagon Pagoda, and on March 23, 1976, the centenary of Hmaing's birth (Hmaing yabyei), over 100 students were arrested for holding a peaceful ceremony at his mausoleum.
Thakin Kodaw Hmaing was, in Anna Allott's words, "a man of many skills - a true Buddhist and a staunch patriot; poet and playwright; historian and teacher; pioneer writer and satirist - Thankin Kodaw Hmaing is the single most revered literary figure in modern Burma".
Formative years
Hmaing was born Maung Lun in Wale village near Shwedaung in Lower BurmaLower Burma
Lower Burma is a geographic region of Burma and includes the low-lying Irrawaddy delta , as well as coastal regions of the country ....
. He was sent at an early age to be educated in the traditional manner in 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 ....
, and at the age of 9 he witnessed the fall 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...
and the abduction of King Thibaw
Thibaw Min
Thibaw Min was the last king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma . His reign ended when Burma was defeated by the forces of the British Empire in the Third Anglo-Burmese War, on 29 November 1885, prior to its official annexation on 1 January 1886....
and Queen Supayalat
Supayalat
Supayalat was the last queen of Burma who reigned in Mandalay , born to King Mindon Min and Queen of Alenandaw . The British corruption of her name was 'Soup Plate'...
by the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, being taken away in a carriage, near the queen's own Myadaung Monastery where he was a boarder. It was a scene that he would never forget and one that sparked his nationalist fervour in a life-long struggle for independence.
Literary genius
In 1894 Hmaing moved to Rangoon (now Yangon) to start his career as a playwright, and switched to journalism later on writing articles for a newspaper in Moulmein (now Mawlamyaing). In 1903 he married Ma Shin whom he had met in Rangoon before moving to Moulmein, and returned to the capital as the nationalist movement was gaining momentum in 1911 to work for the Thuriya (Sun) newspaper. Writing under his own name Maung Lun or Saya Lun, he had already reached a wide audience by now through traditional stage plays written in verse and based on historical Burmese myth and legend. He contributed regularly to the paper and other publications such as the Dagon magazine where he later became an editor.His mastery of classical Burmese literature enabled him to write extensively in verse with such ease and flair that future generations of writers still find hard to match. A genius in multiple and complex rhyme, here is one of his couplets that has often been quoted: Kaung myo ahtweidwei yenè chunzei myazei saw, daung owei yelo tunzei kazei thaw - "May a myriad good things with vigour have a chance; may the peacock have its call and dance". The dancing peacock (ka daung) was the emblem of Burmese sovereignty featured on pennants, coins and currency notes, whereas the fighting peacock (hkut daung) is the emblem of Burmese student unions. Owei is the call of the peacock and was also the title of the Rangoon University Students Union (RUSU) magazine.
Hmaing also wrote in mixed verse and prose style brilliantly presenting satires in the form of learned religious commentaries, called htikas in Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
, such as Hkway htika (On Dogs) in which he castigated politicians for wasting their time and effort in futile squabbling when they should be concentrating on the fight against colonial rule.
- Bo htika - On Chiefs 1914
- Daung htika - On Peacocks 1920
- Myauk htika - On Monkeys 1923
- Hkway htika - On Dogs 1925
- Boingkauk htika - On Boycott 1927
- Galonbyan dipani htika - On the Flying GarudaGarudaThe Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
1931 - Thakin htika - On Thakins 1938
Mr Maung Hmaing
A novel titled Missata Maung Hmaing hmadawbon wuttu (the Epistles of Mr Maung Hmaing) written under the pseudonym Mr Maung Hmaing in 1916 immediately caused a furore which was also the intended effect. Maung Hmaing was the name of the main character, a Casanova- like scoundrel, in a popular novel at the time called Chinbaungywet the Maung Hmaing (The RoselleRoselle
Roselle may refer to:* Roselle , a species of hibiscus * USS Roselle * USS Roselle , a ship that served both as a tug and as minesweeperRoselle is the name of:In geography:...
Vendor Maung Hmaing) by U Kyee (1848–1908), and Hmaing by taking his name and styling himself Mister at the same time was mocking the affectation among some fashionable Anglophile Burmese who had started putting Mr in front of their names. It did stop the trend. And the name stuck.
National leader
Hmaing joined the nationalist Dobama Asiayone (We Burmans Association) in 1934 and quickly rose to become the leader of young Thakins - a title that proclaimed they were the true masters of their own land, not the British who had usurped the title. He thus came to be known as Thakin Kodaw Hmaing (Master Lord Hmaing), and later Sayagyi (great teacher) Thakin Kodaw Hmaing.He is also considered to be unequalled in another traditional form of poetry called Laygyo gyi which he revived to great effect by giving it a new content of contemporary political issues. Hmaing inspired a whole generation of Burmese nationalists in the fight for independence, fostering immense pride in their own history, language and culture, and more importantly urging them to take direct action such as strikes by students and workers, the subject of Boingkauk htika (On Boycott). He showed no mercy to those who were mere political opportunists either, as in Hkway htika (On Dogs). His allusive and highly memorable style of verse made him very popular with the Burmese public and shielded his work from colonial government censorship.
In the wake of the second university students strike in history of 1936 when the All Burma Students Union (ABSU) was formed, Hmaing was elected its patron. By 1941 his reputation as a leading nationalist earned him a place on the colonial authorities' 'Burma List', regarded as an 'enemy of the state'. It was Hmaing along with other leaders of the Dobama who sent Aung San
Aung San
Bogyoke Aung San ; 13 February 1915 – 19 July 1947) was a Burmese revolutionary, nationalist, and founder of the modern Burmese army, the Tatmadaw....
and other young men - later known as the 'Thirty Comrades
Thirty Comrades
The Thirty Comrades constituted the embryo of the modern Burmese army called the Burma Independence Army which was formed to fight for independence from Britain...
' - to seek military training abroad in order to fight the British.
Peace activist
After independence in 1948 the country immediately plunged into a widespread civil warCivil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
which caused great sorrow to Hmaing, and he spent the rest of his life trying to bring internal peace to the land. He was a leading light in the world peace movement in Burma, and in 1952 attended the Peace Conference for Asia Pacific Region in Peking
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. He was elected Chairman of the World Peace Congress (Burma) the same year, and won the Stalin Peace Prize in 1954. Hmaing also travelled to People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1953, and went to Ceylon
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...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
for the World Peace Conference in 1957. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1960 by the University of Hamburg
University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is a university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by Wilhelm Stern and others. It grew out of the previous Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen and the Kolonialinstitut as well as the Akademisches Gymnasium. There are around 38,000 students as of the start of...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
Thakin Kodaw Hmaing gave his active support together with the former Brig.General Kyaw Zaw
Kyaw Zaw
Kyaw Zaw is one of the founders of the Tatmadaw and a member of the legendary "Thirty Comrades" who trained in Japan in the struggle for independence from Britain...
to the Internal Peace Committee during the 1963 peace parley between the Revolutionary Council government of Ne Win
Ne Win
Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981...
and various armed rebel groups including the Communist Party of Burma
Communist Party of Burma
The Communist Party of Burma is the oldest existing political party in Burma. The party is unrecognised by the Burmese authorities, rendering it illegal; so it operates in a clandestine manner, often associating with insurgent armies along the border of People's Republic of China...
, Red Flag Communists
Communist Party (Burma)
The Communist Party was a communist party in Burma. The party was formed after a radical grouping broke away from the Communist Party of Burma in 1946. In the same year, it began a protracted armed insurgency; first against British rule, then against the Burmese state. The party was led by Thakin...
, and ethnic minorities. Hmaing's was the one voice that all parties across the political divide would listen to with respect, and remained the only alternative political voice the military could not silence, after they took power in 1962, until his death at the age of 88 in 1964 when all political parties except the ruling Burma Socialist Programme Party
Burma Socialist Programme Party
Burma Socialist Programme Party was formed by the Ne Win's military regime that seized power in 1962 and was the sole political party allowed to exist legally in Burma during the period of military rule from 1964 until its demise in the aftermath of the popular uprising of 1988.-History:The BSPP...
(BSPP) were abolished by decree.
He devoted his time to peace and national reconciliation with less time for writing towards the end of his life, stating that his last wish was to see a peaceful and united country. He was buried at the foot of the Shwedagon Pagoda, and on March 23, 1976, the centenary of Hmaing's birth (Hmaing yabyei), over 100 students were arrested for holding a peaceful ceremony at his mausoleum.
Thakin Kodaw Hmaing was, in Anna Allott's words, "a man of many skills - a true Buddhist and a staunch patriot; poet and playwright; historian and teacher; pioneer writer and satirist - Thankin Kodaw Hmaing is the single most revered literary figure in modern Burma".
External links
- The Role of Literature in Nation Building Tin Htway, December 1972, The Journal of Burma Research SocietyBurma Research SocietyThe Burma Research Society was founded on 29 March 1910 at a meeting held at the Bernard Free Library in Rangoon by J S Furnivall, J A Stewart, Gordon H Luce and Pe Maung Tin....
- Photo Gallery
- Interview with Tin Moe Burma Debate by courtesy of Radio Free AsiaRadio Free AsiaRadio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation that operates a radio station and Internet news service. RFA was founded by an act of the US Congress and is operated by the Broadcasting Board of Governors . The RFA is supported in part by grants from the federal government of the United States...
, September 2000 - A Lifetime Spent Fighting Injustice The IrrawaddyThe IrrawaddyThis article is about a newsmagazine. For other uses of the term, please see Irrawaddy.For the Second World War battle honour, see Battle of Pokoku and Irrawaddy River operations...
vol.5 No.3 June 1997 - To Thakin Kodaw Hmaing a poem by Tin MoeTin MoeTin Moe ; November 19, 1933 – January 22, 2007) was a famous Burmese poet.-Early life:Tin Moe Tin Moe ; November 19, 1933 – January 22, 2007) was a famous Burmese poet.-Early life:Tin Moe Tin Moe ; November 19, 1933 – January 22, 2007) was a famous Burmese poet.-Early life:Tin Moe ( was born Maung...
, translated by Kyi May Kaung - Burma's Tomb Raiders Khin Maung Soe, The IrrawaddyThe IrrawaddyThis article is about a newsmagazine. For other uses of the term, please see Irrawaddy.For the Second World War battle honour, see Battle of Pokoku and Irrawaddy River operations...
, November 2006