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The Nature of Land and Labour Endowments to Sasana in Medieval Burmese History
- May 1
- 2 min read
By Dr. Aye Chan
June, 1988
In this scholarly review, Aye Chan provides a critical analysis of Michael Aung-Thwin’s influential book, Pagan: The Origins of Modern Burma. While acknowledging the book as a landmark contribution to Burmese historiography, Aye Chan challenges several key interpretations regarding the economic relationship between the state and the Buddhist Sangha (Church) during the Pagan period.
The central focus of the article is the critique of the "Merit-path-to-salvation" theory. Aung-Thwin argued that the continuous flow of tax-exempt land and labor to the Sangha created a structural contradiction that eventually bankrupted the state and led to the fall of the Pagan Dynasty. However, Aye Chan argues that the accumulation of religious wealth did not necessarily cripple the national economy. He points out that "monastic landlordism" is an oversimplification; many lands were dedicated to specific pagodas or images rather than the Sangha itself, and the production and distribution of these resources were often managed by lay trustees or the kywans (temple servants) themselves rather than the monks.
Furthermore, the author contests the idea that royal "Sasana Reforms" (purifications of the monkhood) were primarily economic tactics used by kings to reclaim wealth. By examining the Kalyani Sima inscription of King Dhammazedi, Aye Chan demonstrates that these reforms were driven by political and religious motives—specifically, the need for rulers to justify their legitimacy as defenders of the faith and to prevent criminals or rebels from seeking refuge in the monkhood.
The article concludes by cautioning historians against using later legal codes, such as Dammathats or Sittans, as primary sources for reconstructing Pagan-era history. Aye Chan asserts that relying on these later documents can lead to a false representation of the institutional continuity between medieval and pre-modern Burma.
