Pyu
The Pyu were an ancient Tibeto-Burman ethnic group who migrated into Burma from the Tibetan plateau, likely during the first century CE. They established a significant kingdom in the Irrawaddy River Basin and nearby valleys, becoming known for their three major capital cities: Beikthano, Hmawza, and Halin. The Pyu culture demonstrated advanced agricultural practices and extensive trade networks, supported by sophisticated irrigation systems including moats, tanks, and canals.
Their society was complex, with a structured hierarchy that included rulers, monks, and skilled craftsmen. Initially, the Pyu practiced pre-Buddhist customs, including cremation and the symbolic use of drums, which were essential to their funerary rituals. While early interactions with Indian culture influenced their architectural styles and script, Buddhism became more prominent in the fourth century CE, with the establishment of significant monastic complexes.
Despite the adoption of Buddhism, the Pyu maintained elements of their indigenous beliefs. Historical Chinese records indicate that the Pyu claimed dominion over multiple kingdoms in southern Myanmar and hint at a governance style characterized by relatively humane punishments. Overall, the Pyu represent a pivotal chapter in the cultural and historical development of Southeast Asia.
On this Page
Pyu
Related civilization: Burma.
Date: first-ninth centuries c.e.
Locale: Central Myanmar
Pyu
The Pyu (pyew) were Tibeto-Burman speakers who migrated south into Burma from the Tibetan plateau, probably in the first century c.e., and established a kingdom in the Irrawaddy River Basin and the adjacent Yin, Mu, Nawin, and Kyaukse valleys. The Pyu called themselves Tirchul but were referred to as the Piao in Chinese records. They founded three capital cities: Beikthano, probably the earliest (the archaeological evidence has been carbon dated to the first century c.e.), Hmawza, the largest and most elaborate of the Pyu cities (Hmawza may be the city of Sri Ksetra mentioned by the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang), and Halin.
All three cities were large and attest an advanced culture that was ruled from a fortress palace located in the center of each city. The culture was based on both agriculture and trade. The cities demonstrate elaborate irrigation architecture that included hydraulic works, moats, tanks, canals, and reservoirs, all of which are evidence of a highly organized workforce and the importance of water in supporting the communities.
Archaeological remains of the early pre-Buddhist phase of Pyu culture attest the practice of cremation and the importance of the drum as a symbol of life, fertility, and riches. Drums were placed in pairs in graves to ensure renewal, and thus the Pyu formed part of the arc of drum cultures that extended throughout Southeast Asia and southwest China. Early on, the Pyu were a complex society consisting of rulers, royal officials, monks and priests, a range of craftspeople and traders, and farmer-irrigators.
When the Pyu first became Buddhists is impossible to determine, but it is evident that a transmission of ideas and technologies from India occurred during an early period. Their funerary brick constructions of the first century c.e. clearly resemble brickwork at Pāṭaliputra in north India dating to the second century b.c.e. Despite early contact with India, the archaeological finds demonstrate that the Pyu continued practicing funerary rituals connected with their ancient religion. Also, it can be determined from a seal of Indian origin dating to the second century c.e. that the Pyu were familiar with Indian Brahmi script and Pāli language. Nonetheless, the evidence suggests that Buddhism became influential only at a later time. Early in the fourth century c.e., a major monastic construction at Beikthano was raised, probably as the result of royal patronage. It is the first datable Buddhist monument in Burma. The plans of Pyu Buddhist stupasand monasteries demonstrate connections with the Buddhist monuments at the south Indian sites at Amaravātī and Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh dated between the second and the fourth centuries c.e. After the establishment of Buddhism, both males and females received education in monasteries and convents as novices, a practice that continues. Despite Buddhist training, the Pyu did not abandon many aspects of their previous religion.
Chinese records are an important source of information about the Pyu; they state that the Pyu claimed sovereignty over eighteen kingdoms, many of them in the southern portions of Myanmar. There is also evidence of the humane nature of the Pyu government; criminals were punished with only a few strokes of the whip.
Bibliography
Stargardt, Janice. The Ancient Pyu of Burma. Cambridge, England: PACSEA, Cambridge, in association with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1990.
Tha Mayat, U. Pyu Reader. Canberra, Australia: National Library of Australia, 1967.