The Most Famous
RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Myanmar (Burma)
This page contains a list of the greatest Burmese Religious Figures. The pantheon dataset contains 3,187 Religious Figures, 1 of which were born in Myanmar (Burma). This makes Myanmar (Burma) the birth place of the 129th most number of Religious Figures behind Zambia, and Macao.
Top 2
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Burmese Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Burmese Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Kyansittha (1030 - 1112)
With an HPI of 53.10, Kyansittha is the most famous Burmese Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages on wikipedia.
Kyansittha (Burmese: ကျန်စစ်သား, pronounced [tɕàɰ̃sɪʔθá]; also spelt as Kyanzittha or Hti-Hlaing Min; 21 July 1030 – 1112/13) was king of the Pagan dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) from 1084 to 1112/13, and is considered one of the greatest Burmese monarchs. He continued the social, economic and cultural reforms begun by his father, King Anawrahta. Pagan became an internationally recognized power during his 28-year reign. The Burmese language and culture continued to gain ground. In his early life, Kyansittha was a popular and successful general who led Anawrahta's major military campaigns that founded the Pagan Empire. He was exiled twice in the 1070s and 1080s for his affair with Queen Manisanda. Kyansittha ascended to the Pagan throne in 1084 after suppressing a major Mon rebellion that killed King Saw Lu. His reign was largely peaceful. A great admirer of Mon culture, he pursued a conciliatory policy towards the Mon of the south, and continued the patronage of Mon language and culture at his court. It was in his reign that the synthesis of Burman, Mon, Pyu and Buddhist practices into a Burmese cultural tradition began to reach a level of maturity. The Burmese script began to be used alongside Pyu, Mon, and Pali. A peaceful Pagan grew wealthy from agriculture and trade, and large scale temple building began in earnest. Kyansittha completed Anawrahta's Shwezigon Pagoda and built his crowning achievement, the Ananda Temple. Pagan became a major center of Buddhist learning. Theravada Buddhism continued to gain ground although many Ari, Mahayana and Brahminical practices continued to pervade. Pagan emerged a major power alongside the Khmer Empire in Southeast Asia, recognized as a sovereign kingdom by the Chinese Song dynasty, and Indian Chola dynasty. Kyansittha is one of the most famous monarchs in Burmese history. His life stories and exploits are still retold in Burmese literature, theater, and cinema.
2. Charles Maung Bo (b. 1948)
With an HPI of 46.77, Charles Maung Bo is the 2nd most famous Burmese Religious Figure. Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
Charles Maung Bo (Burmese: ချားလ်မောင်ဘို, [t͡ɕʰál màʊɴ bò]; born 29 October 1948) is a Burmese Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Yangon since 7 June 2003. He was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2015.
People
Pantheon has 2 people classified as Burmese religious figures born between 1030 and 1948. Of these 2, 1 (50.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Burmese religious figures include Charles Maung Bo. The most famous deceased Burmese religious figures include Kyansittha. As of April 2024, 1 new Burmese religious figures have been added to Pantheon including Kyansittha.
