Anawrata (d. 1077) seized royal power at Pagan and by his patronage of Hinayana Buddhism and conquests, both north and south, made it the political, religious, and cultural center of Burma; the Burmese written language was developed and Buddhist scriptures translated; architectural monuments followed the inspiration of Ceylon and southern India.
Conquest of Thaton, Mon kingdom, which was in maritime contact with Ceylon and the Indian subcontinent and was a center for Buddhism as well as overseas trade. Mon had a strong cultural influence at Pagan. Able rulers succeeded Anawrata.
Rule of Kyanzittha, best known for his synthesis of various cultural developments and the process of assimilation of different ethnic groups that took place during his reign. He created a distinctive Burman style.
Following the rejection of Mongol demands for tribute (1271 and later), Burmese raids into Yünnan, and the death of Narathihapate (who ruled 1254–87), Mongol forces looted Pagan and destroyed its power. The invasion of Shan tribes, forced southward by the Mongols, led to the division of Burma into a number of petty states, chief among them being Toungoo (established 1280), Pegu in southern Burma, and Ava in the middle and lower Irrawaddy Valley (established as capital 1365). (See Burma)
