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Sunday 1 September 2013

Burma

Shin Ditha Pamauk, a Buddhist monk, negotiated with Emperor Kublai Khan in 1287 for a treaty that ended the Mongol occupation of northern Burma in exchange for annual tribute

Bayinnaung Kyawhtin Nawrahta (January 16, 1516 – October 10, 1581) was king of Toungoo Dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) from April 30, 1550 to his death in 1581. During his 31-year reign, Bayinnaung assembled the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, which included much of modern-day Burma, Chinese Shan states, Lan Na, Lan Xang, Manipur and Siam.

Statue of Bayinnaung in front of the National Museum. Author Phyo WP Wikipedia Commons
In 1599, the Burmese king Nanda Bayin laughed himself to death when informed by a visiting Italian merchant that Venice was a free state without a king.

The British conquered Burma after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony.

U Ottama died of hunger on September 9, 1939, during a strike against British colonialism. The ethnic Theravada Buddhist monk had been imprisoned several times by the British colonial government for his anti-colonialist political activities. He is considered one of the national heroes of modern Myanmar.

Venerable Martyr Ven.Ottama Sayadaw of Burma. By Chaungoothar -Wikipedia

Burma became an independent nation on January 4, 1948, initially as a democratic nation and then, following a coup d'état in 1962, a military dictatorship.

After 1962, the Burma Socialist Programme Party  ruled the country as a totalitarian one-party state, headed by General Ne Win.

General Ne Win. was obsessed with numerology. He removed 50 Kyat and 100 Kyat banknotes from circulation, replacing them with 45 Kyat and 90 Kyat banknotes. The economic instability which followed led to a coup d'êtát in 1988.

In 1989, the military government officially changed the name of the country from Burma to Myanmar. The capital also changed its name from Rangoon to Yangon but in 2006 moved to Nay Pyi Taw.




Burmese men wear a dress which is called Longyi.

Betel , a sort of chewing gum, is eaten from the morning till the time you sleep.

In Burma, no one cuts the hair on Monday, Friday or their birthday.

Babies are not named until seven days after being born.

Very small children wear a holy thread around their neck or wrist for protection from bad spirits or spells.

When a Burmese woman is pregnant, she is not allowed to eat bananas. This is because the consumption of bananas will result in the baby being too big.

Source Daily Express

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