This is a timeline of Burmese or Myanmar history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Burma and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Burma. See also the list of Burmese leaders.
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Millennia: 2nd BCE–1st BCE1st–2nd3rd
Centuries: 15th BCE14th BCE13th BCE12th BCE11th BCE10th BCE9th BCE8th BCE7th BCE6th BCE5th BCE4th BCE3rd BCE2nd BCE1st BCE
Prehistory Year Date Eventaround 25,000 BPArchaeological evidence of Homo sapiens in central Burma.11,000 BCEArchaeological evidence suggests that cultures existed in Burma as early as 11,000 BC. 1500s BCE Earliest evidence of copper and bronze works, rice growing, domesticating chickens and pigs in Irrawaddy valley.
5th century BCE Year Date Event 500 BCE Iron-working settlements south of present-day Mandalay.
4th century BCE
3rd century BCE
2nd century BCE Year Date Event 180 BCE Beikthano city fortified by Pyu people who had entered the Irrawaddy valley from north; beginning of Pyu city-states
1st century BCE
Centuries: 1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th15th16th17th18th19th20th
1st century Year Date Event 70 Pyu city of Halin in existence
2nd century Year Date Event 200 The Pyu convert to Buddhism (to 400)
3rd century
4th century
5th century
6th century
7th century Year Date Event 7th century Mon migrations to Lower Burma from Haribhunjaya and Dvaravati (present-day Thailand) (to 900) 640 21 March The Pyu of Sri Ksetra Kingdom launch the Burmese calendar with the start date of 22 March 638.(Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 143): The calendar was reset in year 640 CE. The starting epochal date of the Burmese calendar was 22 March 638. Year 2 of the Burmese calendar began on 21 March 640 per (Eade 1989: 39).
8th century
9th century Year Date Event 820s – 832 Pyu city-states (like Hanlin) destroyed by Nanzhao raids 849 23 December Pyinbya founds Pagan (Bagan)
10th century Year Date Event c. 980 Earliest evidence of Pagan walls 984 Earliest evidence of Burmese alphabet (according to an 18th-century recast stone inscription)Aung-Thwin 2005: 198
11th century Year Date Event 1004 Pagan sends embassy to Song court at Bianjing 1035 Earliest evidence of Burmese alphabet (at the Mahabodhi Temple, India)Aung-Thwin 2005: 172, 198 1044 11 August Anawrahta ascends to Pagan throne 1050s Anawrahta founds Pagan Kingdom including, Thaton, near Shan States, North Arakan, Malay Peninsula (to 1060) 1056 Anawrahta converted to Theravada Buddhism by Shin Arahan 1057 17 May Pagan conquers Thaton Kingdom according to the Burmese chronicles 1071 Anawrahta helps restart Theravada Buddhism in Ceylon 1082–84 Rebellion in Lower Burma by Yamankan 1084 21 April Kyansittha becomes king 1090 Kyansittha builds Ananda Temple
12th century Year Date Event 1102 Earliest inscription of the word Mranma (Myanmar) in Mon script.Hall 1960: 13 1106 Burmese embassy to Song China 1113 Myazedi inscription, earliest evidence of a more settled Burmese alphabet 1118 Pagan restores Letyaminnan to north Arakanese throne 1150 or 1151 Thatbyinnyu Temple by Alaungsithu is complete. 1170 Affirmation of Burman leadership of Pagan: Burmese becomes the primary written language, replacing Mon and Pyu 1174 Narapatisithu founds the Royal Burmese Armed Forces, the first known standing army in Burmese history 1180 Ceylonese raids to Bassein (Pathein) Schism develops in Burmese Buddhism; majority of monks shift to Mahavihara school 1190 The word Mranma first appears in Burmese 1200 Dhamaavisala Dhammathat code of law compiled
13th century Year Date Event 1210 Kyaukse weir built 1211 18 August Sithu II dies and Htilominlo succeeds 1218 Htilominlo builds Htilominlo Temple, the last of the great temples 1235 19 July Kyaswa becomes king of Pagan 1256 6 May Narathihapate placed on Pagan throne 1273 First mention of Mian (for Mranma) in Chinese 1277 April The first Mongol invasion begins 1279 17 April Thawun Gyi and Thawun Nge found Toungoo (Taungoo) as a frontier outpost 1283 22 September Second Mongol campaign begins 1285 11 January Wareru seizes governorship of Martaban (Mottama) 1286 3 March Pagan and Mongol commands sign ceasefire agreement June Burmese embassy led by Shin Ditha Pamauk leaves for Beijing 1287 January The Pagan Empire acknowledges suzerainty of the Mongol Empire 30 January Wareru declares independence and founds Kingdom of Ramanya 1 July King Narathihapate is assassinated 1289 30 May Kyawswa becomes king of Pagan 1293 Wareru receives recognition as a vassal of Sukhothai 1296 Wareru and Tarabya decisively defeat a major Pagan invasion 1297 20 March Kyawswa receives recognition by the Mongol Emperor as a Mongol vassalThan Tun 1959: 119–120 17 December Kyawswa overthrown and Myinsaing Kingdom founded 1298 June/July Ramanya receives recognition as a tributary of the Mongols 1299 8 May Saw Hnit placed as Myinsaing's puppet king of Pagan
14th century Year Date Event 1301 15 January Last Mongol invasion begins 6 April Mongol forces retreat from Myinsaing 1303 4 April Mongols evacuate Tagaung, retreat to YunnanThan Tun 1959: 122 1307 14 January Wareru is assassinated and Hkun Law succeeds the Martaban throne 1310 13 April Athinkhaya dies 1311 10 April Saw O becomes king of Martaban 1313 7 February Thihathu founds Pinya Kingdom 1315 15 May Sagaing secession begins 1316 26 March Saw Yun's completes fortification of capital Sagaing 1323 by 28 September Saw Zein become king of Martaban 1327 5 February Tarabya I becomes king of Sagaing 1330 Martaban defeats Sukhothai; throws off nominal allegiance to Sukhothai 1340 1 September Uzana I abdicates Pinya throne 1344 29 March Kyawswa I becomes undisputed ruler of Pinya 1350 12 December Kyawswa II becomes king of Pinya 1352 23 February Thihapate becomes king of Sagaing 1356 Massive Shan raids into Upper Burma begin (to 1368) 1359 19 March Kyawswa II dies and Narathu succeeds Pinya throne 1362 Binnya U raises the height of the Shwedagon Pagoda to 66 feet 1364 February Byattaba seizes Martaban; Binnya U sets up camp at Donwun April Maw forces sack Sagaing May Maw forces sack Pinya September Thado Minbya takes over Pinya 1365 26 February Thado Minbya founds Ava Kingdom 1367 5 September Swa Saw Ke becomes king of Ava 1369 Byattaba drives Binnya U out to Pegu (Bago) 1370 Shan state of Kale becomes tributary of Ava 1373 North Arakan asks for a Burmese regent 1383 by 28 October Princess Maha Dewi becomes regent of Hanthawaddy Pegu 1384 4 January Razadarit becomes king of Pegu 1385 Forty Years' War between Ava and Hanthawaddy Pegu begins 1389 Razadarit consolidates all three Mon-speaking regions in Lower Burma 1400 April Tarabya becomes king of Ava 25 November Minkhaung I becomes king of Ava
15th century Year Date Event 1406 Arakan vassal to Ava or Hanthawaddy Pegu (To Ava: 1406–1407, 1412–1413; To Pegu 1407–1412; 1413–1422/(1430?) (to 1430) Ava conquers Shan States of Mohnyin, Mogaung, Hsipaw 1415 13 March Minye Kyawswa killed in action 1430 16 November Min Saw Mon founds city of Mrauk-UMyanma Swezon Kyan Vol. 9 1964: 425 1437 Mrauk-U conquers Thandwe, unifying the entire Arakan coast for the first time 1459 Mrauk-U conquers Chittagong 1446 Chinese invade Upper Burma, demanding surrender of a runaway Shan chief. His dead body was given up. Chinese records say events occurred in 1448–1449 1450 Binnya Kyan increases the height of the Shwedagon Pagoda to 302 feet Rise of early Burmese vernacular literature 1480 Multiple rebellions by its vassals against Ava's rule. Prome, Yamethin and Mohnyin break away (to 1490) 1482 Thado Minsaw successfully breaks away from Ava, founds Prome Kingdom 1485 Mingyi Nyo becomes ruler of Toungoo; stays loyal to Ava
16th century Year Date Event 1501 7 April Narapati II becomes king of Ava 1502 Ava cedes Kyaukse to Toungoo to buy its loyalty, and cedes Shwebo District to Mohnyin 1510 16 October Toungoo declares independence from Ava 1527 13 March Confederation of Shan States conquers Ava, and installs Thohanbwa as vassal king 1530 24 November Tabinshwehti becomes king of Toungoo 1534 November Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War (1534–41) begins 1538 November Toungoo forces capture Pegu; Toungoo–Ava War (1538–45) begins 1539 31 March Pegu made capital of Toungoo Kingdom 1541 May Toungoo forces capture Martaban 1545 12 October Toungoo forces invades Arakan 1547 30 January Min Bin and Tabinshwehti agree to a truce 1547 November First Burmese invasion of Siam begins 1549 February Burmese and Siamese commands agree to a truce 1550 30 April Tabinshwehti is assassinated 1551 11 January Bayinnaung takes Toungoo 1555 22 January Bayinnaung captures Ava, and annexes Upper Burma 1557 January–March Bayinnaung annexes cis-Salween Shan States; abolishes animal sacrifice at Popa Hill and human sacrifice at Shan Hills 1558 2 April Bayinnaung annexes Lan Na 1563 April Bayinnaung captures farther Shan States (Kengtung and Chinese Shan states) 1564 18 February The Ayutthaya Kingdom becomes Burmese vassal following the Burmese–Siamese War (1563–64) 1565 2 January Burmese forces capture Vientiane, capital of Lan Xang 1568 12 May Pegu learns of Siamese rebellion 1569 2 August Burmese–Siamese War (1568–69) restores Burmese rule in Siam 1574 6 December Burmese forces capture Vientiane 1581 10 October Bayinnaung dies, and his eldest son Nanda succeeds 1584 3 May Siam declares independence 1584–95 Repeated Burmese invasions fail to reconquer Siam. Siam regains Tenasserim coast up to Mawlamyaing 1597 All regions of the kingdom now in revolt 1599 Fall of First Toungoo Empire after Pegu sacked by the Arakanese and Toungoo (city) forces. Siam captures the entire Tenasserim coast to Martaban. Arakanese capture delta ports; appoint Portuguese mercenary de Brito governor of Syriam Siamese invasions take Martaban (1600) and Lan Na (1602) (to 1605) 1600 Nyaungyan restores central rule to Upper Burma and Shan States (to 1606)
17th century Year Date Event 1603 De Brito at Syriam declares independence from Arakan, repels Arakanese attacks (to 1605) 1609 Portuguese mercenary Tibao captures Sandwip in East Bengal, northernmost Arakanese territory 1613 29 March Anaukpetlun captures Portuguese Syriam 1614 December Anaukpetlun recaptures the Tenasserim coast down to Tavoy, and all of Lan Na 1617 Min Khamaung recovers Sandwip. Beginning of Arakanese raids on Dakha 1619 English East India Company sends a representative to Pegu 1625 Arakanese sack Dakha 1627 English and Dutch East India companies open branches in Burma 1635 Capital moved to Ava from Pegu 1638 Thalun's revenue inquest 1660 Arakanese use coined currency 1658 Yongli Emperor of Ming China given refuge at Sagaing 1659–1661 Renegade Ming forces occupy near Shan states and attack Ava 1662 15 January Surrender of the Yongli Emperor to Qing forces Siamese invasion of Lan Na and Tenasserim repelled (to 1664) 1666 January Mogul Empire defeats Arakan and captures Chittagong Province 1677 English and Dutch East India companies close branches in Burma 1683 Dutch East India Company closes its branch in Arakan 1688 French East India Company opens a branch in Syriam
18th century