Kyansittha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kyansittha ကျန်စစ်သား
Statue of Kyansittha at the Ananda Temple
King of Burma
Reign	21 April 1084 – 1112/13
Predecessor	Saw Lu
Successor	Alaungsithu
Born	21 July 1030 Tuesday, 5th waning of Wagaung 392 ME Payeimma, Sagaing
Died	1112/13 (aged 82-83) 474 ME Pagan
Consort	Apeyadana Thanbula Khin Tan Manisanda
Issue	Shwe Einthi Yazakumar
Regnal name Śrī Tribhuvanāditya Dhammarāja
House	Pagan
Father	Anawrahta
Mother	Pyinsa Kalayani
Religion	Theravada Buddhism

Kyansittha (Burmese: ကျန်စစ်သား, pronounced: [tɕàɰ̃sɪʔθá]; also known as Kyanzittha) was a powerful king of the Pagan dynasty in Burma (now Myanmar). He ruled from 1084 to 1112 or 1113. Many people consider him one of the greatest Burmese kings ever.

Kyansittha continued the important changes started by his father, King Anawrahta. These changes helped the country grow in many ways. During his 28-year rule, Pagan became a well-known and respected power around the world. The Burmese language and culture also became more important.

Early in his life, Kyansittha was a very successful general. He led many military campaigns for King Anawrahta. These campaigns helped create the Pagan Empire. Later, he was sent away from the capital twice. This happened because of his relationship with Queen Manisanda. Kyansittha became king in 1084. He took the throne after stopping a big rebellion by the Mon people. This rebellion had led to the death of King Saw Lu.

His time as king was mostly peaceful. Kyansittha admired Mon culture. He worked to make peace with the Mon people in the south. He also supported the Mon language and culture at his royal court. During his reign, different cultures in Burma, like the Burman, Mon, and Pyu, started to blend together. This helped create the unique Burmese culture we know today. The Burmese script also began to be used more often. It was used alongside Pyu, Mon, and Pali.

Pagan grew rich from farming and trade during this peaceful time. Many large temples were built. Kyansittha finished the Shwezigon Pagoda, which his father started. He also built his most famous creation, the Ananda Temple. Pagan became a major center for learning about Theravada Buddhism. This type of Buddhism became more popular. Pagan became a strong power in Southeast Asia, like the Khmer Empire. Even the Chinese Song Dynasty and Indian Chola dynasty recognized Pagan as a powerful kingdom.

Kyansittha is a very famous king in Burmese history. Stories about his life and adventures are still told today. You can find them in Burmese literature, theater, and movies.

Early Life and Family

Much of Kyansittha's early life is like a legend. Many stories about him in the old Burmese chronicles are exciting tales.

His Family

According to old records, Kyansittha was the son of Princess Pyinsa Kalayani and Anawrahta. Anawrahta later became a king. Kyansittha grew up away from Anawrahta's court. This was because his mother was sent away while she was pregnant. A stone writing at the Hledauk Pagoda says that Kyansittha, son of Anawrahta, built it. This shows he was indeed Anawrahta's son.

What His Name Means

Kyansittha's original birth name is not known today. The name Kyansittha was a special title given to him by King Anawrahta. It means "the remaining soldier" or "the last standing soldier." This name was given because Kyansittha was very good at surviving battles. Another idea is that it comes from a Pali word meaning "soldier-official."

A Brave Military Leader

Kyansittha grew up and later joined the Pagan army. King Anawrahta quickly saw how talented his son was.

The Four Paladins

Around 1057, Anawrahta made his teenage son one of the four main commanders. They led the invasion of the Thaton Kingdom. Pagan's army captured Thaton after a three-month siege. Kyansittha became famous as one of the Four Paladins.

Anawrahta then built the Pagan Empire. He expanded his rule in all directions. Kyansittha took part in all of Anawrahta's military trips. He even led some of them, like the campaign against the Khmer Empire in the south. The Four Paladins defeated the Khmer army. This made the Tenasserim region part of the Pagan Empire.

Exile for Love

In the early 1070s, Kyansittha helped defend Pegu (Bago) from attackers. The ruler of Pegu sent his young daughter, Lady Khin U, to Anawrahta as a gift. On the way to Pagan, Kyansittha rode beside her. They fell in love during the long journey. When King Anawrahta found out, Kyansittha's military career ended for a while. The king sent him away from the capital.

The old Burmese stories describe his exile in a dramatic way. Anawrahta threw his special spear, Areindama, at Kyansittha. But the spear missed, only grazing his skin and cutting his ropes. Kyansittha grabbed the spear and ran away, never to return. His escape is a popular story in Burmese theater.

Years in Exile

Kyansittha fled west and lived a simple life. He eventually settled in a place called Kaungbyu. There, he married a woman named Thanbula. She was the niece of a local monastery's head monk. He was in his early 30s at this time. He lived there until 1077, when Anawrahta died.

Anawrahta's son, Lu, became the new king. King Lu saw Kyansittha as a rival. But the head monk of Pagan, Shin Arahan, convinced Lu to call Kyansittha back. He needed Kyansittha's help to run the kingdom. Kyansittha left his pregnant wife, Thanbula, in Kaungbyu. Back in Pagan, he soon started his relationship with Khin U again. She was now Queen Manisanda, King Lu's wife. Because of this, Kyansittha was sent away again. This time, he was exiled much farther away to Dala (near modern-day Yangon).

Stopping the Pegu Rebellion

In 1082, King Saw Lu faced a big rebellion. His childhood friend, Yamankan, whom he had made governor of Pegu, led it. The king called Kyansittha back to stop the rebellion.

A King's Mistake

During a battle near Magwe, King Lu was captured in November 1082. The king's advisors offered the crown to Kyansittha. But he refused. Instead, he tried to rescue Lu himself. He broke into the enemy camp at night. Lu was on Kyansittha's shoulders, on his way to safety. But Lu thought Kyansittha was kidnapping him to kill him. Lu had never treated Kyansittha well. He couldn't believe Kyansittha would risk his life to save him. Yamankan, on the other hand, was his childhood friend.

Lu shouted, "Kyansittha is stealing me!"

Kyansittha was angry and said, "Then die, you fool; die like a dog at the hands of these people!" He threw Lu down and ran for his life. He swam across the Irrawaddy River and made it back to safety.

Yamankan quickly executed Lu. Then, he marched his army towards Pagan. He couldn't break through Pagan's strong walls. So, his army moved north, near present-day Ava.

Victory and the Throne

Kyansittha went to the Kyaukse region, which was Pagan's main farming area. He gathered an army there. The chief of Htihlaing helped him get more soldiers. With his new army, Kyansittha drove Yamankan out. Yamankan's army fled south. Yamankan himself escaped on a boat filled with gold and jewels he had stolen. Kyansittha and his army chased them. Kyansittha's soldiers caught up with Yamankan near Myingyan. Yamankan, who was blind in one eye, was killed by an arrow through his good eye.

Kyansittha became king on April 21, 1084. He took the royal name Śrī Tribhuvanāditya Dhammarāja. This means "Fortunate Buddhist King, Sun of the Three Worlds." He was joined by his three queens:

• Apeyadana, his first wife, with whom he had a daughter named Shwe Einsi.
• Khin Tan, the daughter of the chief of Htihlaing.
• Manisanda, the Lady Khin U, for whom he had been exiled twice.

His wife from his first exile, Thanbula, was not there. She would later visit him with their son, Yazakumar.

Kyansittha's Reign as King

Kyansittha made the Pagan Empire even stronger. Even though he stopped the Mon rebellion, he was kind to the Mon people. He had spent seven years in the Mon country during his exile. He truly respected Mon culture and kept Mon scholars at his court. Many of his official writings were in the Mon language. This was because the Burmese script was still developing. The Mon language was widely used among the royal family and important people.

Peace and Prosperity

His kind policy worked well. There were no more rebellions in the south during his rule. Other areas were also mostly peaceful. Pagan's power was noticed by other countries. The Khmer Empire, another strong power in Southeast Asia, stopped attacking Pagan's southern lands. In 1106, Pagan sent representatives to the Chinese Song court. The Chinese treated the Burmese visitors with the respect given only to independent kingdoms.

Growth of Burmese Language

The use of the Burmese language continued to grow among the people. However, older languages like Pyu and Mon were still more important. Pali had already become the main language for religious texts since 1057. The oldest surviving stone writing in Burmese script is the Myazedi inscription. It was made for Kyansittha in 1112, when he was close to death. The use of Pyu language started to decline around this time.

The word "Myanmar" (the literary name for the Burmans) first appeared in the writings of his new palace. This palace was built between 1101 and 1102.

Religious Activities

The Ananda Temple, Pagan (Bagan)

Kyansittha, guided by Shin Arahan, continued to improve Buddhism in Pagan. At that time, Buddhism in Pagan was a mix of different beliefs. He gave shelter to Buddhists who were escaping from India. India had just come under Muslim rule. The king welcomed eight wise Indian monks for three months. He listened to their stories. He was very impressed by their description of a large cave temple called Ananta in India. So, the king ordered the building of the Ananda Temple to be like it. He also finished the Shwezigon Pagoda, which King Anawrahta had started.

Who Would Rule Next?

Kyansittha chose his grandson Sithu (later known as Alaungsithu) to be the next king. He did this because he thought he didn't have a son. But he had forgotten about the pregnant wife he left in Kaungbyu. Thanbula gave birth to a boy. She didn't know that Kyansittha had become king right away. When she finally came to Pagan with their son, the king didn't want to break his promise to Sithu. Instead, he made their son the lord of Arakan. He gave him the title of Yazakumar (meaning "King's son"). Alaungsithu became king after Kyansittha.

His Final Years

Kyansittha passed away in either 1112 or 1113 after a long illness. He was about 82 or 83 years old.

Kyansittha's Lasting Impact

Kyansittha is seen as one of Burma's greatest kings. He saved the new Pagan Empire and made it much stronger. He continued his father's important changes in society, economy, and religion. These changes helped Pagan become a major power in the region. His reign is remembered as the time when different cultures, like Mon, Pyu, and Burman, began to blend together. This created the common Burmese culture that would spread across the Irrawaddy valley.

Remembering Kyansittha

• Team Kyansittha is one of four student teams in every primary and secondary school in Burma. The other teams are named after other great Burmese heroes: Bayinnaung, Alaungpaya, and Bandula.
• UMS Kyan Sittha is the name of a ship in the Myanmar Navy.