Myanmar — books & literature

The story of Myanmar

Myanmar's story stretches back to city-states of the Pyu and Mon peoples in the first millennium CE, before the Bamar people built the Pagan (Bagan) Kingdom, founded circa 849 CE and unified under King Anawrahta from 1044. Over the next two centuries Bagan's rulers raised more than 10,000 Buddhist temples across its plain, thousands of which still stand today. Bagan fell to Mongol pressure in the late 13th century, and the following centuries saw a succession of Bamar, Mon, and Shan kingdoms, culminating in the Konbaung dynasty founded by Alaungpaya in 1752, one of the most literate and centralised states in pre-colonial Asia. Three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century brought the country under British colonial rule, formalised by 1886. Independence came on 4 January 1948, led by independence hero Aung San, who was assassinated months before it was achieved. Decades of military rule followed, including a 1962 coup and the country's 1989 renaming from Burma to Myanmar, with a brief democratic opening in the 2010s cut short by a further military takeover in 2021. Today Myanmar carries an ancient temple civilisation, a rich literary tradition, and a still-unfolding modern story.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 849

   Bagan (Pagan) founded as a fortified Bamar settlement on the Irrawaddy.

2. 1044

   King Anawrahta unifies the region, founding the Pagan Kingdom and beginning its temple-building era.

3. circa 1287

   Pagan Kingdom collapses under Mongol pressure, fragmenting into smaller states.

4. 1752

   Alaungpaya founds the Konbaung dynasty, the last Burmese royal house.

5. 1824-1885

   Three Anglo-Burmese Wars end with full British annexation of Burma.

6. 1948

   Independence from Britain, 4 January, following Aung San's negotiations.

7. 1962

   Military coup led by Ne Win begins decades of army-dominated rule.

8. 1989

   Ruling military government renames the country from Burma to Myanmar.

9. 2011

   Nominally civilian government begins a period of political and economic opening.

10. 2021

    Military coup on 1 February ends the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Top 10 things to know about Myanmar

1. Myanmar is the largest country by area in mainland Southeast Asia.
2. The Bagan (Pagan) archaeological zone holds thousands of surviving Buddhist temples and pagodas from the 11th-13th centuries.
3. The capital moved from Yangon to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw in 2005.
4. Theravada Buddhism shapes daily life for the great majority of the population.
5. The country was known internationally as Burma until the military government renamed it Myanmar in 1989.
6. The Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) River is the country's main commercial waterway, running the length of the nation.
7. Myanmar is home to well over 100 recognised ethnic groups, including the Bamar majority, Shan, Karen, Kachin, and Rakhine.
8. The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, said to enshrine relics of the Buddha, is one of Buddhism's most sacred sites.
9. Longyi, a wrap-around garment worn by both men and women, remains everyday dress across the country.
10. Former UN Secretary-General U Thant, who served 1961-1971, was Burmese.

Famous people from Myanmar

Say it in Myanmar's language

Did you know?

• ★Bagan's temple plain once held over 10,000 Buddhist monuments, of which around 3,000 survive today.
• ★Myanmar's capital was moved from the coastal city of Yangon to the newly built inland city of Naypyidaw in 2005.
• ★The greeting "mingalaba" literally carries the meaning "may you be blessed".

Myanmar culture

• Thingyan, the Burmese New Year water festival in mid-April, is the country's biggest celebration.
• The longyi, a wrap-around cloth worn at the waist, is everyday dress for men and women alike.
• Thanaka, a pale cosmetic paste made from ground bark, is worn on the face across the country.
• Buddhist monasteries have historically served as centres of education as well as worship.

Why read Myanmar's books

Myanmar's literary tradition runs from centuries-old Buddhist verse to a modern generation of writers who worked under, and often against, decades of censorship. Its books trace a nation still telling its own story.