Dhammazedi (, ; c. 1409–1492, reigned 1471 to 1492) was the 16th king of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom in Burma. Considered one of the most enlightened rulers in

Burmese history The history of Myanmar ( ) covers the period from the time of first-known human settlements 13,000 years ago to the present day. The earliest inhabitants of recorded history were a Tibeto-Burman-speaking people who established the Pyu city-sta ...

, by some accounts call him "the greatest" of all Hanthawaddy kings.Hall 1960: 36–37 The former

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

, educated in the rival

kingdom of Ava The Ava Kingdom (, ; INN-wa pyi) also known as Inwa Kingdom or Kingdom of Ava was the dominant kingdom that ruled upper Burma (Myanmar) from 1365 to 1555. Founded in 1365, the kingdom was the successor state to the petty kingdoms of Myinsa ...

in his youth, was a trusted adviser and son-in-law of Queen

Shin Sawbu Shin Sawbu (, ; , ; 1394–1471) was queen regnant of Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Hanthawaddy from 1454 to 1471. Queen Shin Sawbu is also known as Binnya Thau (, ) or Old Queen in Mon. Queen Shin Sawbu and Queen Jamadevi of Haripunjaya are the two most ...

. At age 48, he left the monkhood after he was selected by Shin Sawbu as the

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

, and was married to one of the queen's daughters. He immediately became the de facto ruler of the kingdom as Shin Sawbu handed over all administrative duties to him. During Dhammazedi's long reign, the

Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...

-speaking kingdom reached the peak of its golden age. Under his wise rule, the kingdom, unlike the rival Ava Kingdom, was peaceful, and profited greatly from foreign commerce. His reign was a time of peace and he himself was a mild ruler, famous for his wisdom. A collection of his rulings, ''Dhammazedi Pyatton'', survives.Harvey 1925: 117–120 The kingdom also became a famous center of

Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...

, with strong ties to

Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

, and resumed the practice of sending missions to

Buddhagaya Bodh Gayā is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple complex, situated in the Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous for being the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlig ...

. His religious reforms later spread throughout the country.Myint-U 2006: 64–65; Pranke, 2004 He maintained friendly relations with

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

. According to DGE Hall, "''He was a Buddhist ruler of the best type, deeply solicitous for the purification of religion. Under him civilization flourished, and the condition of the Mon country stands out in sharp contrast with the disorder and savagery which characterized the Ava kingdom.''" He died in 1492. He was honored as a saint and a pagoda was erected over his bones. He was succeeded by his eldest son

Binnya Ran II Binnya Ran II (, ; Mon: ဗညားရာံ; 1469–1526) the 17th king of the Kingdom of Hanthawaddy in Burma from 1492 to 1526. He was revered for his gentleness although his first act as king was to enforce the massacre of the kinsmen, putt ...

Historiography

Various Burmese chronicles report different dates for the key events of his life.

Commemorations

* Dhammazedi Road, a road in Yangon.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{Authority control Hanthawaddy dynasty 1492 deaths 1400s births 15th-century Burmese monarchs 15th-century regents

Historiography

Commemorations

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography