List of early and legendary monarchs of Burma

This is a list of early and legendary monarchs of Burma (Myanmar). It covers the monarchs of the early polities in Upper Burma, Lower Burma and Arakan, according to the various royal chronicles. The list consists of two types. Some of the dynasties were likely derived from "Indian legends taken from Sanskrit or Pali originals" in order to link the Burmese monarchy to the Buddha. Many others were actual historical figures cloaked in pre-Buddhist legends, and probably existed in a different time period than that described in the chronicles. Moreover, many of these historical-based legendary figures were likely contemporaries of rival small settlements, rather than in the continuous lineage presented by the chronicles.

Unless otherwise noted, the regnal dates in this article are abbreviated to the first Western calendar year only although the Burmese calendar straddles the Western calendar. For example, the start of King Pyinbya's reign, 208 ME (25 March 846 to 24 March 847 CE), is shown here only as 846 (instead of 846/47).

Upper Burma

First Tagaung dynasty

The first Tagaung dynasty was part of the Abhiyaza origin myth that made a "sudden appearance" in central Burma in 1781—in the treatise Mani Yadanabon. The myth was not part of any of the prior central Burmese chronicles and treaties, as well as those immediately after, including the 1798 Yazawin Thit chronicle. But the myth gained ascendancy with the Konbaung kings, and was finally included in the Hmannan Yazawin chronicle in 1832, officially linking the Konbaung and central Burmese kings to the Buddha. The proclamation was part of the regional traditions to link their leaders to the clan of the Buddha. The earliest evidence of such linkage was in Arakan in the 1450s. The Arakanese tradition had grown more elaborate by the early 17th century, and finally reached central Burma in the 18th century. It was embraced by the Konbaung kings who starting in the 1770s began an effort to delink the then prevailing pre-Buddhist origin myth of linking the monarchy to a solar spirit with a more universal (Buddhist) myth.

Monarch	Reign	Relationship	Notes
Abhiyaza	850–825 BCE
Kanyaza Nge	825–?	Son

Second Tagaung dynasty

This is the list of kings of the second Tagaung dynasty per in the Hmannan Yazawin chronicle, which provides no reign dates except for the date when the Sri Ksetra Kingdom was founded by two princes from Tagaung. According to Michael Charney, the second Tagaung dynasty is simply a version of the same Abhiyaza myth—Daza Yaza/Dhajaraja is another title of Abhiyaza/Abhiraja—which the chroniclers of the Hmannan must have realized but nonetheless sequenced it as a successor dynasty to circumvent "any superior claim of legitimacy on the part of the royal line of western Burma" [Arakan].

Monarch	Reign	Relationship	Notes
Thado Maha Yaza			His sons founded Sri Ksetra Kingdom in 483 BCE.

Early Pagan

Formative Early Pagan

The following is the list of Pagan kings as given in the main royal chronicles.

Name	Reign per Zatadawbon Yazawin	Reign per Maha Yazawin, Yazawin Thit, and Hmannan Yazawin	Relationship with the predecessor
Thamoddarit	80–125	107–152	Nephew of Thupyinnya of Sri Ksetra
Yathekyaung	125–140	152–167	Caretaker
Pyusawhti	140–222	167–242	Son-in-law of Thamoddarit
Thaik Taing	514–521	516–523	Son

Middle Early Pagan (AD 613-846)

All four main chronicles are in agreement with the regnal dates in this period.

Name	Reign per Zatadawbon Yazawin, Maha Yazawin, Yazawin Thit, and Hmannan Yazawin	Relationship with the predecessor
Popa Sawrahan	613–640	Usurper
Khelu	829–846	Son

Late Early Pagan (846-1044)

The chronicles again do not agree with the dates for this period. The dates in later chronicles Yazawin Thit and Hmannan Yazawin now depart from Maha Yazawin dates from 846 CE forward.

Name	Reign per Zatadawbon Yazawin	Reign per Maha Yazawin	Reign per Yazawin Thit and Hmannan Yazawin	Relationship with predecessor(s)
Pyinbya	846–886	846–858	846–878	Brother
Tannet	886–904	858–876	878–906	Son
Sale Ngahkwe	904–934	876–901	906–915	Usurper
Theinhko	934–956	901–917	915–931	Son
Nyaung-u Sawrahan	956–1001	917–950	931–964	Usurper
Kunhsaw Kyaunghpyu	1001–1021	950–971	964–986	Son of Tannet
Kyiso	1021–1038	971–977	986–992	Son of Nyaung-u Sawrahan
Sokkate	1038–1044	977–1002	992–1017	Brother

Lower Burma

Thaton Kingdom

Monarch	Reign	Relationship	Notes
Manuha	?–1057 CE

Early Hanthawaddy

The list here is per Harvey who reported it from the Shwemawdaw Thamaing (lit. "History of Shwemawdaw Pagoda"); the dates are unattested. Other Mon Chronicles give a similar list of rulers from 573 to 781 with no records thereafter, leaving a gap of 276 years to Pagan's conquest of Pegu in 1057. Harvey's list better synchronizes with historically confirmed Pagan dates. But according to Michael Aung-Thwin, pre-Pagan Mon kingdoms of Lower Burma are later 15th century legends, unattested by evidence. Pegu as a place name only first appeared in a 1266 Old Burmese inscription.

Rulers of Arakan

See also: Arakan and Dhanyawadi

Second Danyawaddy (825 BCE–146 CE)

Monarch	Reign	Relationship	Notes
Kan Raza III	825–788

See also

• List of Burmese monarchs
• Family tree of Burmese monarchs

Further reading

• Aung-Thwin, Michael (2005). The mists of Rāmañña: The Legend that was Lower Burma (illustrated ed.). Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2886-8.
• Charney, Michael Walter (2002). "Centralizing Historical Tradition in Precolonial Burma: The Abhiraja/Dhajaraja Myth in Early Kon-baung Historical Texts". South East Asia Research. 10 (2): 185–215. doi:10.5367/000000002101297053. ISSN 0967-828X. S2CID 143753605.
• Charney, Michael W. (2006). Powerful Learning: Buddhist Literati and the Throne in Burma's Last Dynasty, 1752–1885. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.
• Hall, D.G.E. (1960). Burma (3rd ed.). Hutchinson University Library. ISBN 978-1-4067-3503-1.
• Harvey, G. E. (1925). History of Burma: From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd.
• Kala, U (1724). Maha Yazawin Gyi (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (2006, 4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
• Lieberman, Victor B. (2003). Strange Parallels: Southeast Asia in Global Context, c. 800–1830, volume 1, Integration on the Mainland. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-80496-7.
• Phayre, Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. (1883). History of Burma (1967 ed.). London: Susil Gupta.
• Royal Historical Commission of Burma (1832). Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (2003 ed.). Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.
• Than Tun (1964). Studies in Burmese History (in Burmese). Vol. 1. Yangon: Maha Dagon.