Buddhism in Myanmar: A Short History

The book begins by presenting Myanmar as a major Theravāda Buddhist country and explains that the work covers the history of Buddhism in Myanmar from its origins to the loss of independence to Great Britain in the late nineteenth century. The first chapter surveys the ethnic and cultural background of the Mon, Pyu, Myanmar, and Shan peoples, then introduces early contacts with Buddhism through oral traditions concerning the Buddha’s visits, the arrival of hair relics connected with the Shwedagon Pagoda, the Buddha’s footprints at Shwesettaw, the Mahāmuni image in Arakan, and the missionary activity following the Third Buddhist Council. The second chapter examines Buddhism among the Mon and Pyu kingdoms, including archaeological evidence, South Indian connections, Pāli inscriptions, Abhidhamma materials, and the possible influence of Buddhaghosa. The third chapter focuses on the coming of Theravāda Buddhism to Pagan through Shin Arahan and King Anawratha, including the search for scriptures, contact with Thaton, and links with Sri Lanka. Later chapters trace the flowering and decline of Pagan, the period of Shan rule, the building of later Myanmar empires, and the religious developments of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Across the narrative, Bischoff shows how Theravāda Buddhism gradually became embedded in Myanmar culture, shaping kingship, pilgrimage, literature, monastic life, and collective identity.