The Pyu city-states were a group of independent city-states established in what is now Myanmar. The Pyu civilisation stretched over a millenium from 2nd century BCE to the mid-11th century and marked the beginning of Burmese recorded history.
Understand
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The Pyu had migrated to the Irrawaddy Delta by the 2nd century BCE. This region was part of the overland trade route between India and China and was consequently influenced by both of its neighbouring civilisations. The Pyu adopted Theravada Buddhism as their main religion. Chinese records at the time note that Pyu culture was humane and peaceful.
The Pyu people spoke a Sino-Tibetan language, which was distantly related to Chinese, Tibetan and Burmese. However, the Burmans were a distinct ethnic group who had established themselves in the Irrawaddy Delta by the mid 9th century and over time replaced the Pyu culture that was previously dominant in the region.
Ancient cities
[edit]Three of the walled and fortified Pyu cities have been extensively excavated and since 2014 have been recognised as UNESCO World Heritages Sites.
- 1 Sri Ksetra (Sri Kittara) (5 mi (8.0 km) southeast of Pyay). Sri Ksetra is the largest and best preserved of all the Pyu city-states. It has a number of temples, stupas and remains of advanced urban planning.
- 2 Beikthano. This urban site is the oldest in Myanmar so far discovered by archeologists.
- 3 Hanlin. Of the three Heritage-listed sites, Hanlin is the smallest. However, the architectural style here is distinct and is usually less crowded than the other sites.
Other destinations
[edit]- 1 Binnaka.