Dr Myo Nyunt Aung

Researcher (Archaeology)

Bagan

Introduction

Bagan was the heart of the largest Buddhist empire in the medieval world, serving as a centre of economic, socio-polit­ical, and cultural networks that actively exchanged ideas and goods with other regions. The Buddhist culture of Bagan was enriched by a synthesis of Pala Indian styles and local doctrines, fostering religious and royal in­teractions that were reflected in its extensive architecture, mural paintings, and epigraph­ic records. The construction of Buddhist monuments in Bagan facilitated exchanges between donors and the royal court, es­tablishing Bagan as the capital of this empire from the 10th cen­tury CE, with its peak period occurring between the 11th and 13th centuries CE. During this time, Bagan became the primary focus of religious activity, with the tradition of merit-making playing a crucial role in its devel­opment. Many religious struc­tures from this era still survive in Bagan today.

The socio-political ideolo­gy in Bagan was characterized by the integration of social and political life, with village life (the heart of Bagan) being centred around Buddhism and the sup­port of the monastic community. Stupas and temples manifested royalty and social hierarchy by demonstrating power through donatory activities. The kings who ruled during the Bagan pe­riod exemplified proper actions and morals, reinforcing the Bud­dha’s teachings through artistic works such as murals, glazed plaques, and terracotta plaques.

Numerous socio-political ideas are reflected in Buddhist monuments across India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myan­mar. At various Buddhist sites in India, such as Kapilvastu in Nepal, original mud Buddhist structures have been discov­ered. These structures were often enlarged and encased with bricks or stones by sub­sequent donors to ensure their longevity and durability, reflect­ing the socio-political ideas of the time. Inscribed reliquaries, such as those found at the Pip­rahwa and Bhattiprolu stupas, reveal insights into the relics of the Buddha. Similarly, reli­quaries from Stupa 3 at Sanchi and Stupa 2 at Satdhara contain inscriptions regarding the relics of the Buddha’s chief disciples, Sariputta and Mahamoggallana. Additional inscribed reliquaries discovered at Sanchi Stupa 2 and other Bhilsa Tope sites relate to a group of Hemavata teachers led by an individual named Goti­puta, providing valuable insights into religious and socio-political ideas.

An inscribed copper relic casket was discovered at Shah-ji-ki-Dheri, the site of an ancient Kanishka stupa in Peshawar, Pakistan, while inscribed stone burial urns and a gilded silver relic casket were found at Srik­shetra, Myanmar. The ashes of heroic kings of Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar, bur­ied in stupas, also contribute to understanding socio-po­litical ideas. Additionally, some Buddhist monuments in India, Thailand, and My­anmar feature circumam­bulatory paths. These paths were designed not only for veneration and movement around the stupa but also for observing the sculp­tures and decorations as symbols of political stature, highlighting the importance of durability and grandeur in Buddhist structures. Ep­igraphic records from the Pinya period indicate that King Uzana enlarged and re­inforced eight original small stupas built by primary donors, reflecting the overarching so­cio-political ideas of the time aimed at promoting the growth and development of Buddhism and its structures.

Enlarged Buddhist Structures from South and Southeast Asia

In Kapilvastu, located in what is now Dhamnihawa, Ne­pal, ancient India, there are twin stupas. According to Rijal, the larger stupa, dedicated to the father of the Buddha, was con­structed during the Northern Black Polished Ware (NBP) peri­od in the 6th century BCE, while the smaller stupa, dedicated to Queen Maha Devi, the mother of the Buddha, was built later. The centre of the larger stupa originally consisted of a mud structure. In the second phase of construction, this mud stupa was encased in tapered bricks (Rijal, 1979, pp 39-42). Archae­ological evidence indicates that the inner stupa of the larg­er structure was initially made of mud and was later encased and enlarged with bricks. This process of encasement and en­largement by secondary donors aimed to strengthen and elabo­rate the original structure, re­flecting socio-political ideas and ensuring its longevity for the development of Buddhism and Buddhist structures. Excava­tions at Dhamnihawa suggest that the inner mud structure may have been constructed dur­ing the lifetime of the Buddha.

In Vaishali, a Buddha’s relic stupa originally built by the Li­chchhavis was encased and en­larged by later kings in succes­sive periods. The original inner structure, which may date back to pre-Asokan times, was made of mud and was encased with bricks four times to strengthen and elaborate it. Most Buddhist stupas in India from the pre-Aso­kan period were constructed of mud, while those from the Mauryan period were made of both mud and brick (Mitra, 1971). Archaeological excava­tions reveal that the inner stupa at Sanchi was originally built of brick and was later encased and enlarged with stones during the Sunga period to enhance its durability. During the Mau­ryan period, inner stupas were often made of mud, which de­teriorated easily, whereas lat­er structures were primarily of brick. Concerned with the preservation of these original mud structures, subsequent donors encased and enlarged them with stones or bricks, often performing this process five or six times. These actions reflect the socio-political ideas influenc­ing the growth and prosperity of Buddhism and its structures. While the original Mauryan-pe­riod structures were simple in design, later constructions were more elaborately decorated (Mi­tra, 1971; ASI, 1996, pp 85-88). Typically, the inner stupas are older and smaller, whereas the outer stupas are younger and larger in India, Sri Lanka, Thai­land, and Myanmar. This pattern indicates that later donors were motivated to build more elabo­rate and larger structures than those created by the primary donors, driven by socio-political ideas. Encasement thus plays a crucial role in the development of stronger and larger Buddhist structures, contributing signif­icantly to the socio-political context of the time.

Epigraphic records indi­cate that King Uzana, during the Pinya period, encased and enlarged eight stu­pas, including the Tamote Shwegugyi temple. The Shwezigon stupa stone in­scription, dated 1325 CE and located in the ancient city of Makkhaya, Kyaukse region, records that King Uzana en­larged and encased a pre­vious small stupa known as the Mahtaw stupa (Moe, 2008). Similarly, the Nan Oo stupa stone inscription, dated 1329 CE, mentions that King Uzana also enlarged and encased a small stupa to make it larger, strong­er, and more elaborate (Nan Oo stupa stone inscription, 2007).

According to the Mahtaw Zedi stone inscription, dated 1335 CE, King Uzana enlarged and encased the Mahtaw Zedi stupa, originally located to the south of Tapekon village in the ancient city of Myin Khone Taing, Kyaukse region, Myan­mar. The enlarged stupa meas­ured 28.80 metres in diameter (Nyein Maung, 1983, Vol 3, pp 351-352). The Thayegu Phaya stone inscription, dated 1336 CE, notes that a small ruined stu­pa was rebuilt and encased by King Uzana, resulting in a more elaborate and larger stupa with a diameter of 27.89 metres. This inscription was originally found at the Thayegugyi pagoda to the east of Kinton village, Myin Khone Taing region, Kyaukse District (Nyein Maung, 1983, Vol 1, p 357).

According to the King Uza­na stone inscription dated 1340 CE, found between the farm­yards of U Tha Paw and Daw Tin May in TadaU Township, Mandalay, Myanmar, King Uza­na, a secondary donor, encased an inner stupa originally built by his son Saw Htwe. The original stupa measured 13.72 metres in diameter, and King Uzana enlarged and elaborated it to make it stronger (Nyein Maung, 1983, Vol 4, p 13). The Moatht­aw Phaya stone inscription, in­scribed by King Bodaw Phaya in 1785 CE (DHRNL, 2014, Vol 6, pp 35-38), describes a small Moathtaw stupa in the Mak­khaya region that was encased and enlarged by King Uzana to a diameter of 48.00 metres in 1325 CE. Another Moathtaw Phaya stone inscription at Manpaw vil­lage in the ancient city of Myin Khone Taing, also inscribed by King Bodaw Phaya in 1785 CE (DHRNL, 2014, Vol 6, pp 94-96), mentions that a small Moathtaw stupa was encased and enlarged by King Uzana to a diameter of 28.80 metres in 1335 CE.

These stone inscriptions re­veal that King Uzana encased and enlarged numerous inner stupas during his reign, con­tributing to the prosperity and development of Buddhism. The epigraphic records confirm how underlying socio-political ide­as played a crucial role in the growth and durability of Bud­dhist structures, illustrating the significance of encasement con­cepts in Myanmar as evidenced by these inscriptions.