King Anawrahta

King Anawrahta Minsaw was born circa 1014 in Bagan. Ascending the throne in 1044, Anawrahta transformed a modest principality into the first unified Burmese Empire, constructing advanced canal irrigation networks in Kyaukse that made the dry zone fertile and famine-proof.

Influenced by the Mon Buddhist monk Shin Arahan, Anawrahta converted to Theravada Buddhism, sending an army to Thaton in 1057 to acquire the sacred Buddhist Pali Canon (Tipitaka). He initiated the monumental construction of Bagan's golden pagodas, including the foundational Shwezigon Pagoda, creating the enduring religious and cultural architecture of Myanmar.