Yangon (The End of Strife)

Yangon is the most unique of Asian cities and serves as the capital of Myanmar with modern living conveniences and facilities. Rising to a standard of a city worthy of international recognition was attained only during the past century.

History of Yangon dates back to a long period of over 2500 years ago. The earliest accounts of Yangon are never mentioned itself alone but always associated with the history of grand Shwe-Da-Gon pagoda. Here in that case, the very first history of Shwe-Da-Gon pagoda can be traced on the legendary basis only. The place of Yangon was named Paukkrawaddy or Okkala during the life-span of Gautama Buddha and in building of Tigon or Dagon pagoda. Then, it was known as Dagon in later phrase attached to the entitle of grand-pagoda. Then for a long period covered to 236 years, the names of the pagoda and place were hidden as the location was covered with bushes, vines and trees. Only when Ashin Sona and ashin Uttra arrival to Suvamnabhumi Thaton in 259 B.C. as a part of Buddhist missionary, the historic pagoda and its site were acknowledged.

Based on the Mon inscription in 11 century A.D, however, the place was mentioned as Dagon. It was neither a seaport nor a prosperous town of Mon region but a small village on the seaside in lower Myanmar. It may be a pilgrim site, but it was only the rural area in those days, and not comparatively significant up to the 15 century where as Mon monarchies stationed at Martaban (Mottama), Pegu (Bago), Syriam (Thanlyin), and Bassein (Pa-thein) as theirs respective kingdom cities existed at royal cities and famous over-sea trade centres of foreign merchants and travelers.

Its importance rose only with the growing popularity of Shwe-Da-Gon pagoda and comparatively significance increased in the second half of 15 century in which Queen Shin-Saw-Bu (1453 – 72 A.D) and King Dhammaceti renovated and enlarged the grand Shwe-Da-Gon pagoda. In the 16 century, Dagon gradually achieved some reputations and significant as the detailed inscriptions and information data about the city were mentioned in the records of Gaspano Balbi in 1853 A.D and Ralph Fytch in 1856 – 57 respectively who, the latter one was an Englishman and came to Hanthawaddy kingdom that period.

From these records, Dagon was merely a small town enclosed by a wooden stockade around. It was located on the river-bank and connected wooden landing, made of wooden-steps, for trade. There had leograph-figures to guard it and some buildings on the bank. Most of them were religious building such as monasteries and rest-house with some stalls running straight from the South of river bank to the Northward direction of Shwe-Da-Gon pagoda (known as Shwe-Da-Gon Pagoda Road now).

As a result of strengthening national unity and expansion of Empire, King Alaungmintaya, the founder of Konbaung Dynasty and Third Myanmar Empire, conquered Mon region in lower Myanmar, including of Dagon, in 1755 A.D. this was a remarkable event and led the small town growing to be modern Yangon in history.

Supposing his last struggle for national unifying campaign, a new city was built and entitled Yangon (The Ending of Strife). The business centre of European interests and importunes of Mon seaports were shifted to new Yangon city thus the role of Mon seaports was gradually and intentionally faded away in this way. But, the city was rather small in size and enclosed by a wooden-stockade with fine teak-posts. That city was limited. Thein-phyu Street to the East and 30 street to the West, river-bank to the South and Sule Pagoda to the North. Outside the stockade on the river-bank, there were three wooden-wharves of which the largest one was king’s Royal Whalf (later known as Godwin Road Whalf and Lanmadaw Whalf now).

The town was under the authority of Hanthawaddy’s mayor on behalf of the king.

Unfortunately, many a number of residences, buildings and a large portion of wooden-stockade around the port were consumed by a great fire on February 8, 1841. In the later of that year, King Tharawaddy took a royal voyage to Yangon. He built a new-city on the fresh site (known as Cantonment area later and China-town now). It was much better and fortified in a strategic position as it was far from the river-mouth and out of range from the British gunboats.

The annexation of Lower Myanmar by the British in 1852 A.D caused in building of a new town as Alaungmintaya’s Yangon had completely disappeared, whereas Tharawaddy’s Yangon had suffered severe damages during the Second Anglo-Myanmar war in 1852 A.D. The architectural formation and city-plan were designed to cure their homesickness and to draw the attention of foreigners for their interests. The construction-work of a new city was begun at once in order to serve the capital of British occupied Myanmar. The engineer of this construction was Lieutenant A. Fraser who was the Bengal civil engineers from the infantry troop, with the consultations of Dr. William Montgomery, a surgeon. As the main roads were crossed at right angles in block, assuming chessboard pattern, the city was reputated as the most beautiful ground-plan in Asia region.

The town extended from the river to Montgomery Road to the North (Bogyoke Aung San Road now), and from Godwin Road (Lanmadaw Road now) to Judah Ezekiel Road (may be Thein Phyu). The new Yangon city was proper. Large and roads covered 250’ width for strand and it parallel roads where the road of North-South covered 100’ width in the mid of 19 century. It has since expanded and developed into Modern Yangon capital with a constant progress over a century.

Nowadays, Yangon is the capital of Myanmar and located on the triangle land of Yangon River (Hlaing river) and Bago river, 20 miles inward of the river-mouth, Sule as the centre of the city. Once a garden city of Asia, Yangon has reputated for its enriched religious edifices and colonial buildings as it has much more colonial buildings than any other cities in Asia resulted by keeping apart from the outside world for about 4 decades. The harmonious composition of old and new, Orient and Western with strong Buddhist way of daily-life and architectural significant never miss.