Conquest of the Mon City of Thaton (AD 1057)

1057 - My great grandfather was a general of King Anawrahta's military during the raid of the Mon city of Thaton. He recalls that King Anawrahta told him that he wanted to conquer the city in order to spread Theravada Buddhism to more parts of the country. My great grandfather recalls this as the foundation of Pagan's economy and a mixing pot of cultures. After this conquest, King Anawrahta and the Burmans had significant power over the Irrawaddy River delta. This resulted in having a heavy influence on religion and culture on other neighboring cities. Through the conquering of the Mon city of Thaton, my great grandfather remembers meeting new skilled workers, such as, goldsmiths, craftsmen and artisans. My great grandparents, along with others who were living in the kingdom of Pagan, were able to learn from a few Mon artisans and paid them with gold and silver. He also recalled others paying the artisans with food, horses, or even elephants. One memory that my great grandmother used to tell me was meeting a Mon artisan for the first time and learning so many new techniques and skills that she was able to pass down to her children, such as, basket weaving and pottery. My great grandparents also learned the sacred Pali language and Buddhist scriptures from Mon monks and scholars. Soon enough, Pagan became the center of

Theravada religion and learning. With the teachings from the Mon monks and scholars, my great grandparents, along with many other Burmans, had decided to convert to Theravada Buddhism. Overall, the conquering of the Mon city of Thaton contributed to the success of the kingdom of Pagan and allowed the people of Pagan to learn different skills and ways of life. My great grandparents were able to take a lot of the Mon city of Thaton's teachings, both in skills and religion, and advance the country of Myanmar as a whole. This was an integral part of the unification of Myanmar as the people of Pagan have learned that the Mons had a lot to offer. With the help of the Mon, the city of Pagan was able to create many relics and historical sites that had a huge religious impact. This act also helped to unite the community to come together and work on building the city.