17 March
THE old city of Kyaungpya is also known as Kyaukphya old city. Although it was one of Hanthawaddy township, it belonged to the Taungoo Region during the reign of King Min Gyi Nyo. Included in the Kyaukgyi township, Taungoo District, it is situated a mile inside away from the Taungoo-Mopalin Road.
Literite statues of the Buddha, one standing bronze image of the Buddha, bronze trays and otive tablets appeared from a miniature pagoda in 2007. Although three laterite statues of the Buddha were mended again, there were brick tiles of hand-written scratches among lateritic mounds. Duration of brick tiles is not known and the bricks seem lighter than they should have been weighed. The height of bronze statue of the Buddha is about 12 feet on a manner of flight by the Buddha. A hook is attached to the back of the statue with a sharp hook at the bottom to fix on an altar. It is similar to three images found in Tagondaing village which are believed to be in workmanship by AD 7 century, according an expert.
Square-shaped fortress town
When looked at an aerial map, the small city looks like a small square-shaped fortress town. The old city in the east is vividly found with a prominent southern moat. The present day Kyaungpya is in the east of old city. The shrines of Kyaungpya Ashigyi and other nats are found on the city walls. In olden days, local populace were terrified by Kyaungpya Bobogyi Nat. In the east of the town, there are PhaungdawPagoda and many miniature pagodas built by King Narapati- Sithu. There are many Mywedaw Pagodas about a mile away from the east of Kyuakpya.
Pagodas of elder and younger brothers are built atop over the hills whereas Mom pagoda is on the plain. The locals believe that the Buddhato- be as King rooster frequented this area. Upon the pagoda of young brother, the stairways are grand with railings made with cut-laterite slabs. There are holes in the cartwheels of literite slabs.
During Taungoo Era, King Min Gyi Nyo and Kyaungpya Sawbya were engaged in a joust, with winning by the former, naming the seized elephant” the title of king-himself-gotit” described in Taungoo history. Kyaungpya is formerly known as “Yawmin Military Unit”. According a survey during the reign of King Bodawpaya in1146, Kyaungpya Yawmin Military Chief spoke up as follows: Territorial land and taxes My grandfather Ngachit-Hla, Ngathe-Shay and grandson Ngamyu ruled the land successively. The wide area of land is 10000 units of measurements; from the east to Katgyi waterfall and from the north up to the mouth of — In the above-mentioned eight regions, ten bushels of rice paddy for ploughing ten acres by a pair of buffalos and two bushels and two pyis for hill-side cultivations were collected for taxation. Rice paddy for taxes were distributed governing officials: one bushel for a mayor, a half of the bushel for mayoral clerk, one bushel for barn guard, one bushel for regional office , one bushel for wastage and one fourth for a tally clerk. The rest paddy was sent to Taungoo Court.
In the case of gathering firewood, a tax of K. 10 was imposed for a log of timber.K.10 was collected for a new boat of lumber. Half of K.1 was collected for a sword for use in silted-land cultivation. For a fishing pool,K.2 was collected with K.1 for a fishtrap. Kayin ethnic people every year sent 200 visses of areca nuts as a kind of tax.
Normally a village mayor collected taxes, but a village headman acted on behalf of him when there was no mayor in town, thereby sending all the revenues to the Taungoo Court. Although Kyaungpya, Kyaukmaw, Kyauksayit and Minye-Hla towns were described in the list of Hanthawaddy 32 towns in the book of Burmese Sitan, town and village headmen collected taxes and involvement of military affairs led to abiding by the management of Taungoo mayor.
Taxes for rice paddy and other taxes were collected and sent via Taungoo Court. There are 52 townships in Taungoo District with Nyaunglunt, Talaingthe, Shwemyo and Kinntha townships at the northernmost part and Minye-Hla, Kyauksayit, and Kyaukmaw towns at southernmost part, according to the book.
Kyaungpya remains as a village
Some towns have disappeared, some with new names appeared again. Kyaungpya( Yawmin military unit) Kyauksayit( Kyauktagar), Kyaukmar, Kyaukgyi and Kyauksaung(Phyu township) are known as five Kyaukmaw townships. Nowadays, old town of Kyaungpya has become a simple village which is situated in Mebok village tract, Kyaukgyi township. There was once a difficult transport due to regional insurgency; as peace is restored now with easy transportation, historical heritage such as pagodas and city walls should be properly maintained.
By Thaungketu
Translated by Arakan Sein
