Mottama
Encyclopedia
Mottama, formerly Martaban, ' onMouseout='HidePop("23250")' href="/topics/Mon_language">Mon
: , mùh mɔʔ) is a small town in the Thaton district
of Mon State
, Myanmar
. Located on the north bank of the Thanlwin river, on the opposite side of Mawlamyaing, Mottama was the first capital of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom
in the 13th and 14th centuries, and an entrepôt
of international repute until the mid-16th century.
Mottama was the terminus of the road and the railroad from Yangon
, where the Thanlwin empties into the Gulf of Martaban
in the Andaman Sea
. Today Mawlamyaing Bridge has laid down a link from Mottama to Mawlamyaing and other city in the south Ye.
from 9th to 11th century AD, Mottama became part of the Pagan Empire in 1057. After Pagan collapsed in 1287, King Wareru
founded Ramanya
(Land of the Mon) based out of Mottama. The city was the capital from 1287 to 1324, and from 1348 to 1363. From 1369 onwards, the Hanthawaddy kings ruled the kingdom from Bago (Pegu). From 1363 to 1388, Mottama was under the rule of a rebel chief but in 1388/1389, King Razadarit reconquered the city. Though it was no longer the capital, the city remained an important trading port from the 14th century to the early 16th century. In 1540, King Tabinshwehti
of Taungoo captured the fortified city, and utterly destroyed it, forever relegating it back to a backwater.
Mottama was captured by the British
in the First Anglo-Burmese War of 1824-1826, but returned to Burmese administration after the war. It became the border town however as the entire Tenasserim coast from Mawlamyaing down became British territory. The town became part of British Lower Burma
after the Second Anglo-Burmese War
of 1852.
and Salween River flow into the Bay of Martaban.
Mon language
The Mon language is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Mon, who live in Burma and Thailand. Mon, like the related language Cambodian—but unlike most languages in Mainland Southeast Asia—is not tonal. Mon is spoken by more than a million people today. In recent years, usage of Mon has...
: , mùh mɔʔ) is a small town in the Thaton district
Thaton District
Thaton District is a district of the Mon State in Myanmar. The capital is Thaton town.-Townships:The district contains the following townships:*Thaton Township*Paung Township*Kyaikto Township*Bilin Township...
of Mon State
Mon State
Mon State is an administrative division of Myanmar. It is sandwiched between Kayin State on the east, the Andaman Sea on the west, Bago Region on the north and Tanintharyi Region on the south, and has a short border with Thailand's Kanchanaburi Province at its south-eastern tip. The land area is...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. Located on the north bank of the Thanlwin river, on the opposite side of Mawlamyaing, Mottama was the first capital of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom
Hanthawaddy Kingdom
The Hanthawaddy Kingdom was the dominant kingdom that ruled lower Burma from 1287 to 1539. The Mon-speaking kingdom was founded as Ramannadesa by King Wareru following the collapse of the Pagan Empire in 1287 as a nominal vassal state of Sukhothai Kingdom, and of the Mongol Yuan dynasty...
in the 13th and 14th centuries, and an entrepôt
Entrepôt
An entrepôt is a trading post where merchandise can be imported and exported without paying import duties, often at a profit. This profit is possible because of trade conditions, for example, the reluctance of ships to travel the entire length of a long trading route, and selling to the entrepôt...
of international repute until the mid-16th century.
Mottama was the terminus of the road and the railroad from Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
, where the Thanlwin empties into the Gulf of Martaban
Gulf of Martaban
The Gulf of Martaban is an arm of the Andaman Sea in the southern part of Burma. The gulf is named after the port city of Mottama . The Salween Sittaung and Yangon rivers empty into it....
in the Andaman Sea
Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea or Burma Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Burma, west of Thailand and east of the Andaman Islands, India; it is part of the Indian Ocean....
. Today Mawlamyaing Bridge has laid down a link from Mottama to Mawlamyaing and other city in the south Ye.
History
Part of the Thaton KingdomThaton Kingdom
The Thaton Kingdom or Thuwunnabumi was a Mon kingdom, believed to have existed in Lower Burma from at least the 9th century to the middle of the 11th century. One of many Mon kingdoms that existed in modern-day Lower Burma and Thailand, the kingdom was essentially a city-state centered around the...
from 9th to 11th century AD, Mottama became part of the Pagan Empire in 1057. After Pagan collapsed in 1287, King Wareru
Wareru
Wareru was the founder of the Ramanya Kingdom located in today's Lower Burma . The kingdom is more commonly known as Kingdom of Hanthawady Pegu , or simply Pegu although the kingdom's first capital was Martaban...
founded Ramanya
Hanthawaddy Kingdom
The Hanthawaddy Kingdom was the dominant kingdom that ruled lower Burma from 1287 to 1539. The Mon-speaking kingdom was founded as Ramannadesa by King Wareru following the collapse of the Pagan Empire in 1287 as a nominal vassal state of Sukhothai Kingdom, and of the Mongol Yuan dynasty...
(Land of the Mon) based out of Mottama. The city was the capital from 1287 to 1324, and from 1348 to 1363. From 1369 onwards, the Hanthawaddy kings ruled the kingdom from Bago (Pegu). From 1363 to 1388, Mottama was under the rule of a rebel chief but in 1388/1389, King Razadarit reconquered the city. Though it was no longer the capital, the city remained an important trading port from the 14th century to the early 16th century. In 1540, King Tabinshwehti
Tabinshwehti
Tabinshwehti was a king who unified Burma in 1539 and known as the founder of the Second Burmese Empire.Tabinshwehti succeeded his father Mingyinyo as ruler of the Toungoo dynasty in 1530...
of Taungoo captured the fortified city, and utterly destroyed it, forever relegating it back to a backwater.
Mottama was captured by the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in the First Anglo-Burmese War of 1824-1826, but returned to Burmese administration after the war. It became the border town however as the entire Tenasserim coast from Mawlamyaing down became British territory. The town became part of British Lower Burma
Lower Burma
Lower Burma is a geographic region of Burma and includes the low-lying Irrawaddy delta , as well as coastal regions of the country ....
after the Second Anglo-Burmese War
Second Anglo-Burmese War
The Second Anglo-Burmese War was the second of the three wars fought between the Burmese and the British Empire during the 19th century, with the outcome of the gradual extinction of Burmese sovereignty and independence....
of 1852.
Geography
The Ayeyarwady RiverAyeyarwady River
The Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River is a river that flows from north to south through Burma . It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying through...
and Salween River flow into the Bay of Martaban.