Explore Through Key Periods
A post from the archives
Why do the Burmese name their eras after the Sakas?
Burmese refer to eras as thekkarit (သက္ကရာဇ်) which is from the Indian saka-raj. Saka-raj simply means the "Saka king". The Sakas or Indo-Scythians were a central Asian people who dominated parts of what are today Pakistan and northern India around 2,000 years ago. The Sakas were related to steppe peoples known collectively to the ancient Greeks as Scythians. They were also heavily influenced by the culture of Greco-Indian kings who preceded them. Their most famous king was the great Buddhist...
Explore Myanmar History through a Timeline
About this project
The aim of this website is to promote interest in Myanmar's amazing history.Our hope is to challenge the often two-dimensional and uncritical views of history taught in Myanmar by reexamining key periods in the country's past. We would like as well to reveal the rich multicultural nature of Myanmar's history and its deep and ongoing ties to global events and trends.Finally, this website will also delve into the history of neighbouring regions, such as Yunnan in China and the Northeast in India, in the hope of introducing these places to a Myanmar audience.We believe that meeting Myanmar's many challenges today will require fresh imaginative thinking. This is turn will only be possible with a clear and critical understanding of Myanmar and global history.