Early history of Burma

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This article is part of the History of Myanmar series
Early history of Burma
Pyu City-states (100 BC-840 AD)
Mon Kingdoms (9th-11th, 13th-16th, 18th c.)
Pagan Kingdom (849-1287) first Burmese empire
Ava (c. 1364-1555)
Pegu (to 1752)
Toungoo Dynasty (1486-1752) second Burmese empire
Konbaung Dynasty (1753-1885) third Burmese empire
War with Britain (1824-1852)
British Arakan (after 1824)
British Tenasserim (1824-1852)
British Lower Burma (1852-1886)
British Upper Burma (1885-1886)
British rule in Burma (1886-1948)
Nationalist Movement in Burma (after 1886)
Aung San
Japanese occupation of Burma (1942-1945)
Post-Independence Burma, 1947-1962 (1947-1962)
Military era (1962-1989)
8888 Uprising (1988)
Military era II (1989-present)
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Humans lived in the region that is now Myanmar as early as 11,000 years ago, but the first identifiable civilisation is that of the Mon. The Mon probably began migrating into the area in about 3000 BC, and their first kingdom Suwarnabhumi (pronounced Suvanna Bhoum), was founded around the port of Thaton in about 300 BC. Oral tradition suggests that they had contact with Buddhism via seafaring as early as the 3rd century BC, though definitely by the 2nd century BC when they received an envoy of monks from Ashoka. Much of the Mon's written records have been destroyed through wars. The Mons blended Indian and Mon cultures together in a hybrid of the two civilisations. By the mid-9th century, they had come to dominate all of southern Myanmar. From that time, Northern Burma was a group of city-states in a loose coalition. The 'King' of each city-state would change allegiance as he saw fit, so throughout history, much of the Shan-Tai north has been part of the Tai countries of Nan Chao (now Yunnan and ShanXi, China), SipSong Panna, Lanna (Chiangmai in Thailand - Siam), Ayuttaya (old capital of Siam) and even affiliated with Laos.