Kingdom of Ava facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kingdom of Ava အင်းဝခေတ်
1365–1555
Ava c. 1450
Status	Kingdom
Capital	Sagaing Pinya Ava
Common languages	Old Burmese Old Shan
Religion	Theravada Buddhism
Government	Monarchy
• 1364–1367	Thado Minbya
• 1367–1400	Swa Saw Ke
• 1400–1421	Minkhaung I
Legislature	Hluttaw
History
• Thado Minbya seized Sagaing	by 30 May 1364
• Ava Kingdom founded	26 February 1365
• Saw Omma's rebellion	September 1367
• Forty Years' War	1385–1424
• Start of House of Mohnyin	16 May 1426
• Toungoo secession	16 October 1510
• Start of Shan period	14 March 1527
• Toungoo conquest	22 January 1555
Currency	kyat
Preceded by Succeeded by Pinya Kingdom Sagaing Kingdom First Toungoo Empire Prome Kingdom

The Kingdom of Ava (Burmese: အင်းဝခေတ်, pronounced: [ʔɪ́ɰ̃wa̰ kʰɪʔ]) was a powerful kingdom. It ruled upper Burma (which is now Myanmar) from 1365 to 1555. This kingdom was founded in 1365. It took over from smaller kingdoms like Myinsaing, Pinya, and Sagaing. These smaller kingdoms had ruled central Burma since the Pagan Empire fell apart in the late 1200s.

Some historians believe the kings of Ava were Bamarised Shan. They claimed to be related to the old kings of Pagan. There is some debate about whether their Shan background is from a misunderstanding of old records. These records might have just meant their ancestors ruled a Shan village before they became famous.

History of Ava Kingdom

The kingdom was started by a ruler named Thado Minbya in 1364. This happened after the Sagaing and Pinya Kingdoms collapsed. They fell because of attacks from the Shan States in the north.

In its early years, Ava saw itself as the true heir to the Pagan Kingdom. It tried to bring back the old empire. Ava fought many wars against the Mon Hanthawaddy Kingdom in the south. It also fought the Shan States in the north and east, and Rakhine State in the west.

At its strongest, Ava controlled Taungoo and some Shan States like Kalaymyo, Mohnyin, Mogaung, and Hsipaw. But it could not take back all the lands of the old Pagan Empire. The Forty Years' War (1385–1424) against Hanthawaddy made Ava very weak.

From the 1420s to the early 1480s, Ava faced many rebellions. These happened in its vassal regions (areas it controlled) whenever a new king took power. In the 1480s and 1490s, the Prome Kingdom in the south broke away. Shan states in the north that were under Ava's rule also became independent. The Taungoo dynasty grew very strong, almost as powerful as Ava itself. In 1510, Taungoo also broke away completely.

Ava faced more intense attacks from the Shan people in the early 1500s. In 1527, a group called the Confederation of Shan States attacked Ava. This group was led by the state of Mohnyin and allied with Prome. They took over Ava and put their own kings on the throne. They then ruled most of Upper Burma. Since Prome was allied with the Confederation, only the small Taungoo kingdom remained independent. It was located in the southeastern corner, east of the Bago Yoma mountains.

The Confederation made a big mistake by not destroying Taungoo. Taungoo was surrounded by enemies, so it worked hard to become stronger. It defeated the much more powerful Hanthawaddy kingdom between 1534 and 1541. When Taungoo then attacked Prome, the Shan armies finally sent help, but it was too late. Taungoo captured Prome in 1542. It also took Bagan, just south of Ava, in 1544. Finally, in January 1555, King Bayinnaung of the Taungoo dynasty conquered Ava. This ended Ava's role as the capital of Upper Burma after almost two centuries.

Capital City of Ava

Thado Minbya founded the city of Ava. Today, it is known as Inwa. He named it Ratanapura, which means "City of Gems." This city was the capital of Myanmar for most of the time until the mid-1800s.

The city was built following old Burmese city design rules. These rules had been used since at least the Pyu period. Ava was the first Burmese city to have walls all around it. It had an inner fortress (citadel) and an outer city for regular people. Ava's citadel is thought to be the only barrel-shaped city in the world.

Legend says the city walls were shaped like a mythical Burmese Lion, called a Chinthe. What is certain is that Ava, especially its inner fortress, was designed to look like the Buddhist universe in miniature. The palace was built right in the center of the fortress. In Burmese city design, this spot represents the location of the Buddha. This made the King seem like a divine (god-like) figure. The palace itself was a religious center. It was specifically designed to look like the very important Mount Meru from Hindu-Buddhist beliefs. The kingdom's power was believed to spread out from the city like a mandala. This meant the city was the spiritual center of a kingdom chosen by the gods.

During the rule of Swa Saw Ke, a special meeting was held in Ava. The King, members of the Sangha (Buddhist monks), monks from Sri Lanka, and Brahmins (Hindu priests) attended. One old writing said the city was as lovely as Tavatimsa. This is the most important Buddhist heaven and was a model for earthly Burmese kingdoms. Swa Saw Ke was known as a smart king who encouraged learning. People said the city was full of intelligent discussions.

Ava's Legacy

Ava's most important lasting impact was its contribution to Burmese writing. Literature really grew during this time. Writing changed from mostly being in Pali to using the everyday Burmese language.

Ava was a society where many people could read and write. Poetry was written by people from all parts of society. For example, a village headman wrote a poem on stone in 1355. Old writings from both the Pagan and Ava periods show that common people wrote three times as many inscriptions as nobles.

Burmese poetry used many literary tools like similes and metaphors. A famous writer was Shin Maharattathara. One of his works talks about choosing a simple, spiritual life over marriage and worldly comforts. It describes living like a hermit in the forest.

See also

• Ava kings family tree
• Kingdom of Mrauk U
• List of monarchs

Images for kids

• 

  Kingdom of Ava in 1368.