Empire · 849–1297 · Southeast Asia

Pagan Kingdom

Also known as Pagan, Kingdom of Pagan, Bagan

Pagan grew from a settlement on the middle Irrawaddy, traditionally fortified in 849, into the first kingdom to unite the lands that make up modern Myanmar. King Anawrahta, who came to the throne in 1044, conquered the Mon of lower Burma and adopted Theravada Buddhism, which became the faith of the Burmese people.

Under him and successors such as Kyansittha and Narapatisithu, the kingdom prospered from irrigated rice farming, and kings, nobles and commoners competed to earn religious merit by building temples. More than 10,000 temples, pagodas and monasteries rose on the plain of Pagan in about 250 years. So much land was donated tax-free to the Buddhist clergy that royal revenues shrank. Weakened, Pagan was invaded by the Mongols in 1287 and broke apart by 1297.

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Years

849–1297

Capital

Pagan (Bagan)

Greatest extent

1200, about 340,000 km²

Region

Southeast Asia

Most of modern Myanmar (rough estimate)