TAGAUNG

          "Myanmar begins with Tagaung" goes a Myanmar saying. It is believed that the establishment of the Tagaung Dynasty heralded the beginning of Myanmar. A settlement was established at Tagaung in about the 6th Century B.C Tagaung was also known as Thindwe. When Tagaung Dynasty was established, there were in Upper Myanmar Pyu people in the east. Kamyan in the west and Thet in the north, and Mon in the Ayayawady, Sittaung and Thanlwin river valleys. Not much has been discovered of the political, economic and social life of the Tagaung period. Pyu funerary urns have been found at Tagaung. The Tagaung Dynasty was probably a pyu dynasty as at Tharekhittra. Tagaung stood as an early city-state of Myanmar.


BEIKTHANO

          Beikthano was earlier than Tharekhittra and Hanlin and was established in about the 1st Century A.D. It was traditionally called Beikthano and Pan Htwar city. The Pyu people of Beikthano engaged in agriculture and trade for their livelihood.

          The people of Beikthano wore clothes woven of the floss of the letpan (Salmaliamalabarica). They traded in perfumes and spices. They were skilled in architecture. The economy of Beikthano was based upon agriculture. The state as a social structure was already established in this period.

          In September 1997, the railway line from Yangon to Pyay (Prome) was linked with the Taungdwingyi line going northwards to Bagan. With the extension of this 90 mile stretch between Pyay and Hsatthwa just south of Taungdwingyi it is now quite convenient to go by railway from Yangon to Taungdwingyi and from there travel by car twelve miles west to the ancient Pyu city of Beikthano ( pronounced Peikthano), the old "Vishnu City".

          It is also possible to go by car or bus from Yangon to Taungdwingyi. Tourists can stop over in Pyay (Prome) to visit another famous Pyu site Thayekhittaya (Srikshetra) nearby. From Taungdwingyi it is only a few hours north to Bagan by car or railway.

          Tourist can now visit the ancient historical cities of Myanmar by rail or car from Yangon to Bagan and onwards to Mandalay and back, doing a round trip seeing different places on the way out and coming back.

THAREKHITTRA

          Tharekhittra was a city-state of the Pyu period. The economy was based up agriculture. There is evidence that coins were used during this period. Coins of the same period found in the same place had different characteristics. The handicraft of the Tharekhittra Pyu had an important role in the production of that period. Tharekhittra reached the of an ancient empire.

HANLIN

          Though Hanlin was situated some distance from Vishnu and Tharekhittra, the layout of the city, the characteristics of its architecture and art, the design mould of its coinage, and the artifacts and tools of its people displayed general similarities. Thus, Hanlin may be assumed to be a Pyu city-state.
Hanlin was a significant cultural capital of the Pyu people for nearly 500 years from the 4th to the 9th century A.D.

SUVANABHUMI

          The center of the state of Suvanabhumi has been presumed to be in the vicinity of Bilin Township and Kelasa Hill in Mon State. The Mon people settled there and established a royal city. It comprised the valleys of the Sittaung and Thanlwin rivers. It was also known as Rammanadesa. Researchers say that Suvanabhumi was supposed to have been established in about 17th century B.C.

          Since Suvanabhumi was established with a good seaport it became for maritime trade. Gold, ivory, perfumes, glazed pottery, marble, rhinoceros blood and diverse herbal medicines were produced. Theravada Buddhism first flourished here along with traditional beliefs.


VESALI

          There were early human societies along the Rakhine coast. A general study of the early Rakhine period shows that Vesali was a city-state. It was contemporaneous with the Pyu city-state of Middle Myanmar. Being situated on coast, maritime trade flourished and coinage was widely used in commerce.