Tharrawaddy, Myanmar

Tharrawaddy (Burmese: သာယာဝတီ, also spelt Thayarwaddy) is a city in western Bago Region of lower Myanmar. It is the administrative seat of Tharrawaddy District and Tharrawaddy Township. It locates on the main Yangon-Pyay road and 76 miles away at the north of Yangon. The town is divided into 8 urban wards.^[1]

History

The current town was built when the region was under British rule, in the first British temporary seat at Thonze. However, Thonze is populated for district offices. Therefore, the town was moved two miles north of Thonze and the new district capital was built in 1878.^{[citation needed]}

During the Galon Rebellion, the self-proclaimed king Saya San moved to Tharrawaddy after a coronation in Yangon in December 1930. He proclaimed a new royal city by the name of Buddharaja Myo (lit. 'Buddhist King's City') on Alaungtang Hill in the city, ceremoniall plotting it out with space for the proper retinue of five queens, four ministers, and four regiments.^[2] Tharrawaddy, like most of Lower Burma, suffered severe economic dislocation during the ‘Hoover Slump’. The Great Depression of 1930 had a devastating impact on rice prices. The high population density and the concentration of land ownership in central Burma stoked disaffected landless laborers, whom blamed the colonial government for both their inability to work the land independently and for decline of their real incomes as rice worker. Rural cultivators were quick to respond to Saya San's appeals of anti-tax rhetoric mixed with Buddhist traditions and prophecies.^[3] Violence broke out first on 22 December of the year in Tharrawaddy and escalated, spreading to many cities in Burma.^[2] The revolt was defeated after two years in 1932 with Saya San being hanged in Tharrawaddy.^[4]

The current town was created in 1972 by decree of the Ministry of Home Affairs based on the historical name of the town.^[1]

List of rulers of Tharrawaddy

Pinya and Ava periods

Prome period

Toungoo period

Konbaung period

References

1. ^ Myanmar Information Management Unit (September 2019). Thayawady Myone Daetha-hsaing-ya Achet-alet-mya [Tharrawaddy Township Regional Information]. MIMU. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
2. ^ Solomon, Robert L (1969). "Saya San and the Burmese Rebellion". Modern Asian Studies. 3 (3): 209–223. 3. doi:10.1017/s0026749x0000233x. S2CID 145194086
3. ^ Clipson, Edmund Bede (2010). Constructing an Intelligence State: the Colonial Security Services in Burma, 1930-1942 (PhD). University of Exeter. hdl:10036/98382
4. ^ Patricia Herbert (1982). The Hsaya San Rebellion (1930-1032) Reappraised. Melbourne: Centre of Southeast Asian Studies: Monash University.
5. ^ Konbaung Set Vol. 2 2004: 130

Bibliography

• Kala, U (2006 [1724]). Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3. 4th printing ed. Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
• Maha Sithu (2012 [1798]). Yazawin Thit (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3. 2nd printing ed. Myint Swe; Kyaw Win; Thein Hlaing (eds.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
• Maung Maung Tin, U (2004 [1905]). Konbaung Set Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3. Yangon: Department of Universities History Research, University of Yangon.
• Royal Historical Commission of Burma (2003 [1832]). Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3. Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.

1. ^ late 886 ME (early 1525)^[6]