Kyaikkhami ( Mon : ကျာ်ခမဳ listen ; Burmese : ကျိုက္ခမီမြို့ ; MLCTS : kyuikhka.mi mrui. ; pronounced [tɕaiʔkʰəmì mjo̰] ; Thai : เชียงกราน , formerly Amherst ) is a resort town within Thanbyuzayat township in the Mon State of south-east Myanmar .
95-401: The town is situated on a peninsula about 48 km (30 mi) south of Mawlamyine , the capital of Mon State. It is a popular destination for local pilgrims and some tourists. The town has a pagoda (Kyaikkami Yele Pagoda or Kyaik-kami Ye Le Paya) just constructed on the sea using the natural foundation of its ocean reefs, which is connected with the corridor to the beach and always attracts
190-609: A multicultural dimension despite a Buddhist Mon majority. Buddhist cultural dominance is as old as Mawlamyine, but the British annexation and American missionaries in the early 19th century introduced Christianity. Many of the relics of the British Raj remain along with Hindu temples, Chinese temples, mosques and even a slice of Americana , reflecting Mawlamyine's great diversity. The First Baptist Church in Mawlamyine
285-673: A cease-fire and, in 1996, the Mon Unity League was founded. Nowadays, the Mon are a major ethnic group in Myanmar and a minor ethnic group in Thailand . The Mons from Myanmar are called Burmese Mon or Myanmar Mon. The Mons from Thailand are referred as Thai Raman or Thai Mon. A recent study shows that there is a close genetic relationship between central Thai and Mon people in Thailand, who migrated from southern Myanmar. Due to
380-525: A coastal town about 83 km south of Mawlamyine, was the first of its kind in Myanmar. Technological University (Mawlamyine) offers technological and engineering courses. The Mawlamyine campus of Yezin Agricultural University , administered by Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI) , offers agriculture courses. Government Technical Institute (Mawlamyine) offers vocational engineering courses located in outskirts of
475-583: A cross-border investment, the state-of-the-art combined-cycle gas power plant in Mawlamyine was constructed by Singapore's United Overseas Bank (UOB) backed Singapore company Asiatech Energy. The Mawlamyine power plant brings a sustainable supply of power to residents and businesses in Mon State. In July 2017, to make the country's oil and gas industry more efficient, the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) granted an approval to
570-471: A deputy of Viceroy Saw Binnya , was one of the notable governors of Mawlamyine in the early history of the city. In May 1541, King Tabinshwehti and his deputy Bayinnaung captured Mawlamyine. During the reign of Bayinnaung, Toungoo Empire became the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia . After his passing in 1581, his son Nanda Bayin and successors faced with rebellion by Lan Na , Siam , Lan Xang and renewed Portuguese incursions. In 1594,
665-508: A fire that started from a floating restaurant destroyed the larger of city's two markets called the lower bazaar . The city has two industrial zones . Of two, the newly opened Kyauktan industrial zone features a variety of different business enterprises, including zinc, barbed wire, ready-mix cement, food and drink production, textiles, gold purification, ice factories, shoe production facilities, furniture enterprise, plastic enterprises, cool seafood storage and car accessory businesses. As
760-417: A living in both places. The area is known for its high-quality clay and the Mon pottery, including containers and decorative items, is a symbol of their heritage and expertise. The pottery is made of porous earthenware in light orange to red color and features unique designs inspired by nature. Despite technological advancements, the Mon continue to preserve this traditional handicraft. Floral umbrellas have
855-592: A long history in Mon culture, dating back to ancient times. In fact, inscriptions have been discovered in northern Thailand that mention the use of umbrellas and palm-leaf manuscripts in Mon religious ceremonies during the Hariphunchai Kingdom , which lasted from the 7th to the 13th century. Today, floral umbrellas are still used in various ceremonies and festivals throughout Mon communities, such as weddings, ordinations, and temple fairs, and remain an important part of Mon cultural heritage. Mon literature
950-700: A massive prison.In 1829, the Moulmein Bar Association was founded by the Barristers in Mawlamyine.They started business enterprises and the country's first newspaper, The Maulmain Chronicle . Between 1826 and 1862, colonial Mawlamyine was the center of British Burma and the first port city that became a strategically important area and a geographical nodal point for the newly occupied British territory in Southeast Asia. Ever since
1045-505: A mythological water bird that is often illustrated as a swan. It is commonly known by its Burmese name, hintha ( Burmese : ဟင်္သာ , IPA: [hɪ́ɰ̃θà] ) or its Thai name: hong (หงส์). The hongsa is the state symbol of Myanmar's Bago Region and Mon State , two historical Mon strongholds. Also, the hongsa is the city symbol of Thailand's Pak Kret City , a historical Mon settlement area. Mon culture and traditional heritages includes spiritual dances, musical instruments such as
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#17327733030511140-466: A record rainfall of 75 millimetres (3.0 in) on 14 January 2012. It was the highest amount of rainfall within 24 hours of January in the last 30 years. Mawlamyine Mawlamyine (also spelled Mawlamyaing ; Burmese : မော်လမြိုင်မြို့ ; MLCTS : mau la. mruing mrui. , Burmese pronunciation: [mɔ̀ləmjàɪ̯ɰ̃ mjo̰] ; Thai : เมาะลำเลิง ; Mon : မတ်မလီု , Mon pronunciation: [mo̤t məlɜ̤m] ), formerly Moulmein ,
1235-687: A road ( Solok Moulmein ) in George Town , Malaysia were named after the city's old name, Moulmein. 16°29′05″N 97°37′33″E / 16.48472°N 97.62583°E / 16.48472; 97.62583 Mon people The Mon ( Mon : ဂကူမန် listen ; Thai Mon: ဂကူမည်; Burmese : မွန်လူမျိုး , pronounced [mʊ̀ɰ̃ lù mjó] ; Thai : มอญ , pronounced [mɔ̄ːn] listen ) are an ethnic group who inhabit Lower Myanmar 's Mon State , Kayin State , Kayah State , Tanintharyi Region , Bago Region ,
1330-540: A subsidiary of Singapore-based firm to construct an offshore supply base in the 46 acres of river front land of Mawlamyine. It would provide a wide range of services to the operators of oil and gas fields in the waters off the coast in the Bay of Bengal . Mawlamyine is the western terminus and an important part of the East-West Economic Corridor . The 1450-kilometre east–west economic corridor links
1425-515: Is a hair relic of Buddha , received from a hermit in Thaton, as well as a tooth relic conveyed from Sri Lanka by a delegation of monks in ancient times. Soon after Burma's independence in 1948, the city fell into the hands of Karen insurgents . The Myanmar military retook the city with the help of UBS Mayu in 1950. Later, many colonial names of streets and parks of the city were changed to more nationalistic Burmese names. Mawlamyine stood as
1520-442: Is a lengthy dry season between mid-November and mid-April, and an extremely wet season due to the southwest monsoon between mid-April and mid-November. Between June and August when the surface westerly winds are strongest and supersaturated air is advected onto the nearby mountains, Mawlamyine averages around 1,100 millimetres or 43 inches of rain per month. Mawlamyine Airport has regular flights to Yangon (Rangoon). Mawlamyine
1615-555: Is a rich collection of works created by the Mon people in Myanmar and Thailand, including chronicles, poems, songs, folktales, and religious texts. " Lik Smin Asah " is a legendary tale about the establishment of the city of Pegu, "Sangada" is a well-known Mon folktale that has been adapted into Thai and Laotian literature as "Sangsinchay", and "Rājādhirāj" or "Razadarit" is a chronicle of the Mon king translated into Burmese as " Razadarit Ayedawbon " and into Thai as "Rachathirat." Mon literature
1710-646: Is also served by bus networks which radiate mostly from the north to the south. It was the rail head to Ye , linked to Yangon by rail only from Mottama (Martaban) across the river by ferry, but today connected by the Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine) opened in April 2006. Mawlamyine Railway Station , which was reportedly built to the standards of an " ASEAN railway station", is the terminus of Myanmar Railways ' Yangon–Mawlamyine Railway and Tanintharyi Line . In colonial era , Mawlamyine (then Moulmein) port
1805-674: Is another traditional festival celebrated during the Mon New Year. It features boat races, music, dance, feasting, releasing lanterns, and gift exchanging. The festival brings the Mon community together to make offerings for peace and prosperity. The Hae Hang Hong Tong Ta Khab Festival, also known as the Tawai Tong Ta Khab Festival, is an important tradition of the Mon people in Thailand, primarily in Pathum Thani , Pak Kret , and Phra Pradaeng . The festival
1900-556: Is assumed to be the city of Tak or Nakhon Chai Si . Another historical figure, Phaya Kakabatr, is believed to have also come from Takkasila and established the Chula Sakarat era in 638 CE, which was used by the Siamese and Burmese until the 19th century. Phaya Kalavarnadishraj, the son of Phaya Kakabatr, founded Lavo a decade later. By the late 7th century, Lavo had expanded to the north. The legendary Queen Camadevi , who
1995-472: Is believed to be a corruption of the Mon name. Moulmein was also spelled as Maulmain or Moulmain or Maulmein in some records of the 19th century. The people of Moulmein were referred as Moulmeinian. According to Kalyani Inscriptions erected by King Dhammazedi of Hanthawaddy Pegu in 1479, Mawlamyine was mentioned among the ‘32 myo’ or thirty-two Mon cities within the Martaban division. Binnya U,
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#17327733030512090-675: Is considered important cultural heritage in Myanmar and Thailand. These works are highly valued for their cultural and historical significance. The Mon people have a mix of spiritual beliefs and Theravada Buddhism as their religion, with a majority of them practicing the mixture. Before Buddhism, three traditional beliefs were followed in the Mon Kingdom, including belief in Kalok (spirits), Isi (holy hermits), and Hinduism . The Mon people traditionally believed in various types of Kaloks (spirits), including family/clan kalok, guardian kalok of
2185-781: Is located on the Thanlwin River about 28 nautical miles inland from the Kyaikkhame point on the Gulf of Martaban, 2 kilometers from Mawlamyine railway station . Mawlamyine is famous for its tropical fruits and for its cuisine as indicated in the popular Burmese expression, " Mandalay for the speaking, Yangon for the bragging, and Mawlamyine for the eating." ( မန္တလေးစကား ရန်ကုန်အကြွား မော်လမြိုင်အစား ) Among its tropical fruits, Mawlamyine pomelo , durian and rambutan are traded countrywide. Mawlamyine had several sawmills and rice mills as teak and rice were transported down
2280-491: Is most likely a mixture of fact and fiction, opens with the striking words: During colonial times, Moulmein had a substantial Anglo-Burmese population. An area of the city was known as "Little England " due to the large Anglo-Burmese community, many of them running rubber plantations. This has since dwindled to a handful of families as most have left for the UK or Australia. It was probably best known to English speakers through
2375-598: Is remembered for his generosity, having donated a significant amount of gold to the Shwedagon Pagoda, as well as for building important temples in the vicinity of Pegu, including the Shwegugyi Pagoda. In the early sixteenth century, the Bamar regained their momentum at Taungoo , leading to the fall of Hanthawaddy to King Tabinshwehti in 1539. This was after a devastating attack on Lower Burma, in which
2470-541: Is synonymous with the Burmese word for 'noble,' was likely derived from Old Mon "rmeñ" by way of Middle Mon "rman" (ရာမန်). The ethnonym "rmeñ" was first recorded in the Kyanzittha’s New Palace Inscription of AD 1102 in Myanmar. Derivatives of this ethnonym have been found in 6th to 10th-century Old Khmer and 11th-century Javanese inscriptions. The geographic term Rāmaññadesa , which now refers to
2565-481: Is the Luknoo Festival, which marks the end of the monsoon season and the beginning of the new year. It involves the launch of homemade rockets, food offerings to spirits, and cultural activities such as music, dance, and games. The festival is an important part of Mon culture and helps to connect with the community, preserve traditions, and bring good luck for the coming year. The Mon Floating Boat Festival
2660-485: Is the fourth-largest city in Myanmar (Burma), 300 kilometres (190 mi) south east of Yangon and 70 kilometres (43 mi) south of Thaton , at the mouth of Thanlwin (Salween) River. Mawlamyine was an ancient city and the first capital of British Burma . The city is currently the capital and largest city of Mon State and the main trading centre and seaport in south eastern Myanmar. The Mon name which
2755-686: Is the main gateway to south eastern Myanmar. Thanlwin Bridge , the longest road and rail bridge in Myanmar is the most prominent landmark in the area. It stretches 11,000 feet (3,400 metres) over the Thanlwin River connecting the country's south eastern region with Yangon. The city has a central highway bus station. The city is connected to Pa-an in Kayin State in the north-east and Dawei and Myeik in Tanintharyi Division in
2850-531: Is the major university for the south eastern region and offers both bachelor's and master's degree programs in liberal arts and sciences. It is the third oldest Arts and Science university in the country after the University of Yangon (est. 1878) and the University of Mandalay (est. 1925). It is one of the few universities in Myanmar that offers a degree in marine science. Its Marine Science Laboratory in Setse ,
2945-521: The First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826). Kyaikkhami (Amherst) briefly became the capital of Amherst district and the seat of British government that governs Tenasserim coast for a short period. Later, the British moved its seat of government to Moulmein (now Mawlamyine). Because of this, many British officers and their Burmese wives and families lived in the area, with a large presence of Anglo-Burmese people, as time progressed. In
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3040-470: The Hariphunchai stupa In 1289, Mangrai also known as Mengrai was visited by merchants from the Mon kingdom of Haripunchai . Hearing of the wealth of that kingdom, he determined to conquer it, against the advice of his counselors. As it was thought impossible to take the city by force, Mangrai sent a merchant named Ai Fa as a mole to gain the confidence of its Phaya Yi Ba. In time, Ai Fa became
3135-882: The Irrawaddy Delta , and several areas in Thailand (mostly in Pathum Thani province , Phra Pradaeng and Nong Ya Plong ). The native language is Mon , which belongs to the Monic branch of the Austroasiatic language family and shares a common origin with the Nyah Kur language , which is spoken by the people of the same name that live in Northeastern Thailand . A number of languages in Mainland Southeast Asia are influenced by
3230-470: The Netherlands . The Mon language is part of the Monic group of the Austroasiatic languages (also known as Mon–Khmer language family), closely related to the Nyah Kur language and more distantly related to Khmer and Vietnamese . The writing system is based on Indic scripts . The Mon language is one of the earliest documented vernacular languages of Mainland Southeast Asia. Many languages in
3325-674: The Pallava script , and the oldest form of the Mon script was discovered in a cave in modern-day Saraburi , dating back to around 550 CE. Although no remains have been found from the Thaton Kingdom, it is widely mentioned in Bamar and Lanna chronicles. According to the Northern Thai Chronicles, the city of Lavo (modern Lopburi) was founded by Phaya Kalavarnadishraj in 648 CE. He reportedly came from Takkasila, which
3420-627: The South China Sea at Da Nang to Mawlamyine through Laos and Thailand . By using the East-West Economic Corridor, the travel time between Bangkok and Yangon is just three days, compared with the two to three weeks needed for conventional marine transportation via the Straits of Malacca . Japan 's Nippon Express started land transportation services between Thailand and Myanmar in 2016. Mawlamyine provides
3515-777: The Thaton Kingdom of the Mon people in Lower Burma. The Mon culture and script had a significant influence on the Bamar , bringing the Mons under Bamar control for the first time. Despite this, the Mon remained a majority in Lower Burma. On one hand, the Hariphunchai Kingdom of the Mon prospered during the reign of King Aditayaraj in the early twelfth century. He is said to have fought wars with Suryavarman II of Angkor between 1113 and 1150 CE and constructed
3610-612: The kyam or "crocodile xylophone", the la gyan hsaing gong chime, the saung harp and a flat stringed instrument. Mon dances are usually played in a formal theater or sometimes in an informal district of any village. The dances are followed by background music using a circular set of tuned drums and claps, crocodile xylophone, gongs, flute, flat guitar, harp, violin, etc. The Mon people in Thailand have been producing pottery for over 200 years. Their ancestors settled in Koh Kret and Nakhon Sawan , using their pottery making skills to earn
3705-468: The 17th century, the Bamar king Anaukpetlun launched a counter-attack against the Mon rebels and captured their stronghold at Syriam. Eventually, the Mon lands were retaken, and the capital was moved to Pegu. An unsuccessful Mon uprising occurred in Martaban in 1661, which led to the pursuit of fleeing Mon refugees into Ayutthaya via the Three Pagodas Pass . In the early eighteenth century,
3800-460: The Burmese from Pegu, but a series of intra-Mon disputes allowed Tabinshwehti's general, Bayinnaung , to recapture the city. Despite Bayinnaung allowing the Mon people to rule over townships and villages and accept them into the military, he did not grant them the right of national self-determination , and therefore the Mon became subservient to the Bamar. Significant Mon uprisings took place during Bayinnaung's reign, including in 1551 and 1564 when
3895-561: The Chief Minister and managed to undermine the King's authority. In 1292, taking advantage of discontent among the people, Mangrai defeated the Mon kingdom of Haripunchai and added it to his kingdom . Phaya Yi Ba, the last king of Hariphunchai, was forced to flee south to Lampang . A few years later, Phaya Yi Ba's son, King Boek of Lampang , attacked Chiang Mai with a large army. King Mangrai and his second son, Prince Khram, led
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3990-749: The Mon alphabet, which the Tai developed into their own writing systems as the Tai Tham alphabet , for the Thai Yuan people in the northern Thailand. Although Thai adopted more features from the Old Khmer alphabet than from the Mon, plenty of vocabulary in Thai language today were derived from the Mon language. Burmese has derived and borrowed vocabulary from the Mon language, especially related to administration, architecture, cloth, cuisine and flowers. Nowadays,
4085-583: The Mon heartland on the Burmese coast, was coined by King Dhammazedi in 1479. The Mon of Myanmar are divided into three sub-groups based on their ancestral region in Lower Myanmar, including Mon Nya ( မန်ည ; /mòn ɲaˀ) from Pathein (the Irrawaddy Delta) in the west, Mon Tang ( မန်ဒိုင် ; /mòn tàŋ/ ) in Bago in the central region, and Mon Teh ( မန်ဒ ; /mòn tɛ̀ˀ/ ) at Mottama in
4180-605: The Mon language is recognised as an indigenous language in both Myanmar and Thailand . Due to the fall in number of Mon language speakers in the recent decades, Mon was classified as a "vulnerable" language in UNESCO 's 2010 Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger . The language has an estimated 800,000 Thousand - 1,000,000 Million speakers The symbol of the Mon people is the hongsa ( Mon : ဟံသာ , [hɔŋsa] ),
4275-715: The Mon language, which is also in turn influenced by those languages. The Mon were one of the earliest to reside in Southeast Asia , and were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Mainland Southeast Asia . The civilizations founded by the Mon were some of the earliest in Thailand as well as Myanmar and Laos . The Mon are regarded as a large exporter of Southeast Asian culture. Historically, many cities in Myanmar , Thailand , and Laos today, including Yangon , Pathum Thani , Lamphun , Lampang and Vientiane were founded either by
4370-423: The Mon people or Mon rulers. Nowadays, the Mon are a major ethnic group in Myanmar and a minor ethnic group in Thailand . The Mons from Myanmar are called Burmese Mon or Myanmar Mon. The Mons from Thailand are referred as Thai Raman or Thai Mon. The Mon dialects of Thailand and Myanmar are mutually intelligible . The Mon have been referred to by different names by different groups throughout history. During
4465-633: The Mon people to survive in Southern Burma. In 1947, Mon National Day was established to commemorate the founding of Hanthawady , the last Mon Kingdom which was centered in Pegu. The holiday is observed on the full moon of the 11th month of the Mon lunar calendar, except in Phrapadaeng , Thailand where it coincides with the Songkran festival. The Mon soon became anti-colonialists. Following
4560-536: The Mon people. Following Tabinshwehti's coronation in 1546, Ayutthaya launched several raids on Lower Burma, including the successful capture of Tavoy in 1548. With the Toungoo dynasty in disarray after Tabinshwehti's death in 1550, the Mon launched another bid for independence under the leadership of the legendary Mon rebel, the Smim Htaw . The Smim Htaw managed to capture the ancient settlement of Dagon and drive
4655-517: The Mon rebelled multiple times, including at Dagon during the reign of Hsinbyushin , resulting in the destruction of the city. In 1814, the Mon rebelled again, but were harshly put down yet again. These uprisings played a major role in the large wave of Mon migration from Burma to Siam. On the one hand in Siam side, after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, two descendants of Mon aristocrats who moved to Siam in 1584; Phraya Pichai and Phraya Chakri became
4750-744: The Prince Mongkut (later Rama IV) proceeded to welcome the Mon himself at the Siam-Burma border . The Mon in Thailand settled mainly in certain areas of Central Thailand , such as Pak Kret in Nonthaburi , Phra Pradaeng in Samut Prakan and Ban Pong , among other minor Mon settlements. Mon communities built their own Buddhist temples . Over time, the Mons were effectively integrated into Siamese society and culture, although maintaining some of their traditions and identity. Burma
4845-469: The Salween. It was once a busy shipbuilding center and remains an important port. At least one major British shipping line had some of their ships built here. The teak "country-built" ships generally had a longer service life than those constructed from European hardwoods. The city had a solar-powered plant for extracting salt from seawater and a diesel electric plant. On the night of 1 December 2008,
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#17327733030514940-468: The United States placed consular agencies in Mawlamyine. German explorer Johann Wilhelm Helfer 's landing at Moulmein shore on 8 February 1837 made him as the first German to arrive Burma in the history. Mawlamyine was the setting of George Orwell 's famous 1936 essay Shooting an Elephant , which was inspired by Orwell's posting to the city as a police officer in 1926. The story, which
5035-460: The capital to Pegu . His Hanthawaddy Kingdom , which existed from 1287 to 1539, was a period of prosperity and power for the Mon. In the mid-14th century, King Binnya U ruled over the Mon kingdom and successfully defended against an invasion by Lan Na. Despite losing control over the Tenasserim region , he was able to re-establish his capital at Pegu. After his death in 1384, King Razadarit , Binnya U's son, took over and formed an alliance with
5130-534: The city. Mawlamyine Education College and Mawlamyine Institute of Education are also located in the city. The St. Patrick's School (now B.E.H.S. No. 5) founded by the De La Salle Brothers in 1860, Morton Lane-Judson School, (formerly Morton Lane Girls' School, now B.E.H.S No.6) founded in 1867 and Shin Maha Buddhaghosa National School (now B.E.H.S. No.9) founded in 1899 are a few of the oldest public high schools in Myanmar. The first international student of Bucknell University , Class of 1864, Maung Shaw Loo
5225-403: The court and exercised considerable influence. Meanwhile, back in Burma, the fall of Martaban in 1541 was accompanied by massacre and pillage on a large scale, as was the capture of the old Pyu capital of Prome the following year. This marked the first time, since before the Mongol invasions, that most of Lower and Central Burma was under the control of a Bamar monarch. King Tabinshwehti, founder of
5320-406: The defence against the Lampang army. Prince Khram defeated King Boek in personal combat on elephant-back at Khua Mung, a village near Lamphun. King Boek fled by way of the Doi Khun Tan mountain range between Lamphun and Lampang, but he was caught and executed. King Mangrai's troops occupied the city of Lampang, and Phaya Yi Ba was made to flee further south, this time to Phitsanulok . The Mon culture
5415-477: The earliest civilizations in the region, including Dvaravati in Central Thailand, which spread its culture into Northeastern Thailand, Sri Gotapura in Central Laos (modern Sikhottabong, Vientiane Prefecture), the Hariphunchai Kingdom in Northern Thailand, and the Thaton Kingdom in Lower Myanmar. The Mon were the first to receive Theravada Buddhist missionaries from Sri Lanka , in contrast to their Hindu contemporaries such as Cham peoples. They adopted
5510-412: The early 19th century, Ann Hasseltine Judson , one of the first female American foreign missionaries lived in Amherst and died here on 24 October 1826 from smallpox . She was credited for the very first translation of Protestant scriptures into Thai and introducing the Protestantism in Thailand . Not only was her husband the first person to compile a Burmese-English dictionary, Ann Hasseltine Judson
5605-508: The eponymous song genre in the Mahagita , the corpus of Burmese classical songs. The etymology of Talaing is debated; it may be derived from Mon, or is a reference to Telinga or Kalinga , a geographic region in southeast India. During the 12th century, the term acquired a derogatory connotation within the Mon community, when it became used by the Mon as a disparaging epithet for the mixed offspring of Mon women and foreign men. The term "Mon" (spelt မန် in Mon and မွန် in Burmese), which
5700-528: The festival is still observed in some Mon communities in Lamphun Province , it is now referred to as "Jong Gring", which is derived from other Mon cultural practices and means "Loi Krathong". However, the Jong Gring tradition of Mon people in Lamphun is different from the general Loi Krathong festival, as it resembles the ancient "Loi Hamod" tradition of Mon people in Hariphunchai, which involves offering food, both fresh and dried, and lighting some lanterns and small krathongs. Another traditional Mon festival
5795-475: The first British occupation in 1824, the growth and prosperity of Mawlamyine had steadily increased due to timber trade. Nevertheless, the decline in prosperity of Mawlamyine began when the supply of marketable timber from Salween Valley started to decrease in the 1890s. During British colonial times, Germany , Siam , Persia , Denmark , Norway and Sweden opened and maintained consulates in Mawlamyine led by either consuls or vice-consuls while Italy and
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#17327733030515890-543: The governor of Mawlamyine who being in league with Siamese King Naresuan revolted against Toungoo court. Since then, the city became under the control of Siam (present-day Thailand ) until 1614. In 1760, General Minkhaung Nawrahta of the Royal Burmese Army repaired Mawlamyine on his way back from Burmese–Siamese War in Ayutthaya (former capital of Thailand). Kyaikthanlan Pagoda Inscription hinted that in 1764 (1125 ME), General Maha Nawrahta repaired Kyaikthanlan Pagoda on his way to capture Tavoy , and before finishing
5985-560: The grant of independence to Burma in 1948, they sought self-determination. U Nu , the first Prime Minister of Burma refused the Mon self-determination. Mon separatist groups have risen in revolt against the central Burmese government on a number of occasions, initially under the Mon People's Front and from 1962 through the New Mon State Party (NMSP). The BSSP -led government established a partially autonomous Mon State in 1974 out of portions of Tenasserim and Pegu regions. Resistance continued until 1995 when NMSP and ruling SLORC agreed
6080-405: The historic First Baptist Church in Mawlamyine through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation . The Mon State Cultural Museum exhibits the ancient cultural relics of Mon people and divans used by a Konbaung princess who resided in Mawlamyine. Mawlamyine has 13 public high schools, two institutes, a college and three universities. The University of Mawlamyine , established in 1953,
6175-416: The house, town, village, farms, forest, and mountain. Kalok is considered to be a spirit, demon, or immaterial being that can take on a visible form. Festivals celebrating Mon culture are an important part of the Mon community in Myanmar and Thailand. One such festival is the Loi Hamod Festival, which has its roots in the Hariphunchai era and is believed to be the precursor to the Loi Krathong Festival. While
6270-414: The journey between Barr Street Jetty of Rangoon to the Main Wharf of Moulmein took about nine hours at a fare of 10 Rupees for second class. Nowadays, although much diminished from its past prominence, water-based transport still plays an important role in connecting between Mawlamyine and the immediate upstream towns. The Port of Mawlamyine is currently under the management of Myanma Port Authority and
6365-443: The kingdom of Arakan . King Razadarit was known for his administration skills and successfully repelling invasions from the Ava Kingdom during his reign. He made significant contributions to the Shwedagon Pagoda and is considered one of the most celebrated Mon kings in history, with his reign lasting from 1384 to 1421. After King Razadarit's death, there were brief disputes over the succession in Pegu. Eventually, King Razadarit
6460-434: The kingdom, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Mon civilians, including learned Mon monks , pregnant women, and children. The victorious Bamar soldiers massacred over 3,000 Mon monks in the capital city alone. During the Konbaung dynasty of Burma, the Mon people experienced harsh rule and massacres that led to a significant migration to Siam and Lanna. In addition to facing widespread violence and persecution,
6555-409: The left and right-hand man of King Taksin of Thonburi, and they largely helped Taksin's campaigns in the liberation of Siam from Burmese occupation and reuniting Siam. King Taksin himself also was a Sino -Mon descent and his maternal grandmother was a sister to chief of Siam's Mon community. After the collapse of Taksin's Thonburi Kingdom , Phraya Chakri founded the Chakri dynasty and ascended
6650-402: The new Toungoo dynasty, celebrated by decorating the Shwedagon and other pagodas with huge amounts of plundered gold. Although Tabinshwehti's made efforts to win over the Mon people, the Bamar monarch consistently emphasized his claim to Bamar nationality and sovereignty. Nevertheless, Tabinshwehti was relatively more tolerant than later Toungoo kings who outlawed the Mon language and persecuted
6745-427: The north and Khmer invasions from the east. Many Dvaravati Mons fled to join other Mon civilizations in the present-day Lower Myanmar, while their descendants, the Nyah Kur people , still reside in Northeastern Thailand. Despite the pressure from the Northern Thai people , the Hariphunchai kingdom managed to survive as a Mon outpost in Northern Thailand. In 1057 CE, King Anawrahta of the Pagan Kingdom conquered
6840-465: The northern army overran the Irrawaddy Delta and captured Pegu. The siege of Pegu lasted four years and involved Portuguese mercenaries fighting on both sides. The History of Kings attributes Tabinshwehti's success, in part, to the decadence of the Mon king, Dhammazedi's heir. As a result of the fall of Pegu, large numbers of Mon refugees fled to Ayutthaya , where the Mon aristocracy joined
6935-627: The opening lines of Rudyard Kipling 's poem Mandalay : During WWII , the city and the Tanintharyi Region were the first objectives during the Japanese invasion of Burma . The "old Moulmein pagoda" Kipling cites is thought to be the Kyaik Than Lan (also spelled Kyaikthanlan) pagoda in Mawlamyine. It stands on a ridge, giving a panoramic view of the city, and is surrounded by 34 smaller temples. Among its sacred treasures
7030-634: The people for the festival of donations over the sea tides during. It was originally a settlement of the Mon people . During the time of the Ayutthaya Kingdom (an ancient kingdom in Thailand ), the town was probably a vassal state of Ayutthaya and it was known in Thai as Chiang Kran (เชียงกราน) or Chiang Tran (เชียงตราน). Kyaikkhami was under the possession of Burmese kings before the First Anglo-Burmese war. Modern Kyaikkhami
7125-740: The post-independence internal conflict in Myanmar , many ethnic Mon from conflict zones have migrated to the First World countries via the refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar borders and in Malaysia. The Myanmar Mon refugee communities can be found in the United States (the largest community being in Fort Wayne, Indiana and the second largest being Akron, Ohio ), Australia , Canada , Norway , Denmark , Finland , Sweden , and
7220-581: The power of the Bamar declined rapidly. The Mon rebels joined forces with the Gwe Shan to restore their former Hanthawaddy Kingdom, and in 1740, a monk with Taungoo royal lineage was made king of Pegu. Binnya Dala succeeded him in 1747, and with French support, the Mon established an independent kingdom called the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom . However, the kingdom fell to Bamar King Alaungpaya in 1757, who invaded and devastated
7315-465: The practice of riverine agriculture, including the cultivation of wet rice . Modern linguistic research by Sidwell (2021) suggests that the locus of Proto-Austroasiatic people was in the Red River Delta area of Northern Vietnam , around 4,000-4,500 years before present. The Mon are believed to have been one of the earliest peoples of Mainland Southeast Asia . They established some of
7410-496: The pre-colonial era, the Burmese called them Talaing (တလိုင်း), which was adopted by the British during the colonial era. The term "Peguan" was also used by Europeans when Pegu was the capital of Lower Myanmar . The use of "Talaing" has been found on inscriptions dating back to the 11th century, but it is now considered a pejorative term and is no longer widely used, except in the context of specific historical terms, such as
7505-405: The region have been influenced by the Mon language. Tai Tham alphabet and Burmese alphabet are adaptations of the Mon script . Tai Tham alphabet is primarily used for Northern Thai language , Tai Lue language , Khün language and Lao Tham language. The Burmese alphabet is used for Burmese language , Shan language , S'gaw Karen language and other languages. Historically, the Tai adopted
7600-538: The repairment, Mawlamyine faced utter destruction. Mawlamyine was the first capital of British Burma between 1826 and 1852 after the Tanintharyi (Tenassarim) coast, along with Arakan , was ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Yandabo at the end of the First Anglo-Burmese War . After the first Anglo-Burmese war, the British made it their capital between 1826 and 1852, building government offices, churches and
7695-418: The royal palace at Pegu was destroyed. Following the death of King Bayinnaung, his successor King Nanda instituted oppressive policies against the Mon people, leading to the Mon chiefs Phaya Kiat and Phaya Ram attempting to assassinate Naresuan of Phitsanulok in 1584. However, they learned that Naresuan was not responsible for the policies and instead joined his campaigns against the Toungoo court. In
7790-457: The south by road. Via Kawkareik , the city is also connected with Thai-Myanmar border town Myawaddy . Newly opened Bogyoke Aung San Bridge (Bilu Kyun) connects Mawlamyine with nearby Bilu island , lies about 500 metres west off the shore of Mawlamyine. In Mawlamyine, motorcycles and tuk-tuk (Thone Bee in Burmese) motorized tricycles cumulatively registered for use as taxis. Mawlamyine
7885-594: The southeast. The Mon people, who descended from Proto-Austroasiatic people, are believed to have migrated from the Yangtze Kiang valley in Southern China to Southeast Asia between 3,000 and 2,000 BCE, along the Mekong , Salween , Sittaung , Irrawaddy , Ping and Chao Phaya rivers. They eventually settled in locations including as far south as Malaya . Along the way, they brought with them
7980-608: The third-largest city of Myanmar until the recent rise of Naypyidaw . Mawlamyine is in the Salween River delta , where the mouth of the Salween is sheltered by Bilugyun Island as it enters the Gulf of Martaban and the Andaman Sea . It is flanked by low hills dotted with ancient pagodas to the east and west. Mawlamyine has a tropical monsoon climate ( Köppen : Am ) similar to the climates of Dawei and Sittwe . There
8075-488: The throne in 1782 as Rama I. Rama I was born to Thongdi, a leading Mon nobleman serving the royal court in Ayutthaya in 1737. Rama I's queen consort Amarindra was born to a wealthy Mon family who migrated to Siam in the earlier times. Rama I founded Bangkok City and moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok. When a huge wave of Mon migrations from Burma (now Myanmar) to Siam (now Thailand) happened in 1814, his grandson,
8170-530: Was also regarded as the mother of missionary schools in Myanmar that became the root of modern education in Myanmar. Her grave is still visible in the town. Majority of people living in Kyaikkhami are Buddhist Mon people . A Thai community also still exists in the town. Though the town was once the principal town of Amherst district, now it is a resort town within the Thanbyuzayat township. It got
8265-612: Was conquered by the British in a series of wars. After the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852, the Mon territories in Burma were completely under the control of the British. The British aided the Mons to free themselves from the rule of the Bamar monarchy. Under Bamar rule, the Mon people had been massacred after they lost their kingdom and many sought asylum in the Thai Kingdom. The British conquest of Burma allowed
8360-441: Was constructed in 1827 by the legendary Adoniram Judson , the first Caucasian Protestant missionary sent from North America to Myanmar. The building is a masterful blend of Western and local elements, with the materials and building technology speaking directly to Mon cultural traditions and crafts expertise. In 2015, the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar announced that it gave an award of $ 125,000 to World Monuments Fund (WMF) to restore
8455-411: Was founded by the British during the annexation of Tenasserim and Arakan states after the First Anglo-Burmese War . The town was a fishing village of the Mon but it used to be a certain headquarters for British commanding officers for their southern-Burma control. It was renamed Amherst after William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst , then governor-general of India who successfully seized the town during
8550-687: Was integrated into Lan Na culture . The Lan Na adopted the Mon script and religion. In 1287, the collapse of the Pagan Kingdom created a power vacuum. Wareru , who was born to a Mon mother and a Tai father in Donwun Village in the Thaton District, went to Sukhothai for trade and later eloped with the daughter of the king. He established himself as king of the Mon in Martaban (present-day Mottama ), and later moved
8645-424: Was previously used for Mawlamyine, Moulmein ( မတ်မလီု ; [mòt məlɜ̀m] ) means "damaged eye" or "one-eyed man." According to legend, a Mon king had a powerful third eye in the centre of his forehead, able to see what was happening in neighbouring kingdoms. The daughter of one of the neighbouring kings was given in marriage to the three-eyed king and managed to destroy the third eye. The Burmese name "Mawlamyine"
8740-594: Was said to be a daughter of a Lavo king, according to the Northern Thai Chronicle Cāmadevivaṃsa , came to rule as the first queen of Hariphunchai (modern Lamphun) around 750-800 CE. A few years later, her son Prince Anantayot founded Khelang Nakhon (modern Lampang ), playing a significant role in the history of the Hariphunchai Kingdom. After the year 1000 CE, the Dvaravati Mon people faced constant pressure from Tai migrations from
8835-413: Was served by European shipping companies including Scottish -owned British-India Steam Navigation Company and Irrawaddy Flotilla Company . The port was important not only for inland navigation but also for international shipping. Rice and teak from sawmills at Mawlamyine were exported worldwide by those shipping companies. The 1880 handbook of British-India Steam Navigation Company listed: In 1894,
8930-511: Was succeeded by his daughter, Queen Shin Sawbu , in 1453. Queen Shin Sawbu, was a skilled politician and maintained harmony between rival kingdoms. She is remembered for her good nature, renovation of the Shwedagon Pagoda, and construction of important monasteries, such as the Kyaikmaraw near Moulmein . King Dhammazedi , who succeeded Queen Shin Sawbu in 1470, was a just and wise ruler. He
9025-637: Was the first Burmese physician of Western medicine and the first Burmese to study Western medicine in the United States. The 10,000-seat Yamanya Stadium is one of the main venues for local and regional football tournaments. The stadium is also a home for Southern Myanmar F.C. , a Myanmar National League (MNL) football club. Mawlamyine established a Friendship City agreement with Fort Wayne, Indiana , United States in 2016. A student exchange program between Mawlamyine University and IPFW of Fort Wayne began in 2017. A primary road in Novena , Singapore and
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