Kingdom of Mrauk U: Map & History

History

Although Arakan kings paid tribute to the Pagan dynasty, the South was mostly free of Pagan suzerainty and largely cut off from the rest of Burma. Separated from Pagan by the Arakan Mountains, Arakan developed more independently to other Burmese regions. The capital moved from Thaibeiktaung to Dhanyawadi to Vesali before the 11th century, and then to Pyinsa, Parein, and Hkrit in the 12th century, with the capital moving to Pyinsa again in 1180, and then Launggyet in 1237.

Arakan had close contact with Bengal, coming into full contact with it as it was expanding eastwards. During the reign of King Min Hti of Arakan (1279–1374), Bengal invaded parts of Arakan sea, raiding the Hinya river at Chittagong.

Economy

Mrauk U thrived as a commercial hub engaging in trade with Arab, Dutch, Portuguese, and other merchants. The administration regulated trade, collected customs duties, and maintained diplomatic relations to bolster the kingdom's economy. The Rakhine kings are said to have spent a lot of money to hire Japanese warriors as their trusted bodyguards.

Sebastien Manrique, who visited the region in the early 1630s, estimated the city's population at 160,000 and likened its grandeur to that of Venice.

Agricultural development during this period was notable with techniques such as the construction of dams and embankments along rivers and the use of animal manure as fertilizer.

Governance and culture

The governance of the kingdom was structured as a feudal monarchy, where the king held ultimate authority over a layered hierarchy of nobles and administrative officers.

Mrauk U maintained diplomatic and trade relations with Bengal, the Portuguese, Burma and Ceylon. The ties included military alliances, religious exchanges, and occasional conflicts.

The Kingdom had an intricate relation with the Bengal region, initially serving as a vassal to the Bengal Sultanate. This relationship began when Narameikhla (Min Saw Mon), the exiled Arakanese king, sought refuge in Bengal and later reclaimed his throne in 1430 with Bengali military assistance.

Cultural legacy

Mrauk-U is the longest-lived capital in Myanmar after Inwa. Arakanese chronicle records that more than six million shrines and pagodas flourished in Mrauk-U. A British archaeologist, Emil Forchhammer noted that "in durability, architectural skill, and ornamentation the Mrauk-U temples far surpass those on the banks of Irrawaddy." The English author Maurice Collis made Mrauk U and Rakhine famous with his book "The Land of the Great Image: Being experiences of Friar Manrique in Arakan" based on the accounts of Friar Manrique travels in Arakan.

Gold and silver coins serve as the heritage of the Mrauk-U period. The tradition of coin-making was handed down from the Vesali kings who started minting coins around the fifth century.