Burma Profile
History and Current Political and Economic Conditions
Burma [or Myanmar, as it is called by the current ruling junta] was unified by Burman dynasties three times during the past millennium. The first such unification came with the rise of the Bagan (Pagan) Dynasty in AD 1044, which is considered the “Golden Age in Burmese history. During this period, Theravada Buddhism first made its appearance in Burma, and the Bagan kings built a massive city with thousands of pagodas and monasteries along the Irrawaddy River. The Bagan Dynasty lasted until 1287, when Mongol invaders destroyed the city. Ethnic Shan rulers, who established a political center at Ava (near…
