When Mountains Melted: The Hidden History of the First Myanmar Empire, Ad 1044–1287

By Khin Maung Phone Ko

The First Myanmar Empire of Bagan has a fascinating hidden history. While many historians claim that Myanmar’s history is Buddhist, the second emperor, King Kyansittah (AD 1040–1113) had faith in Jesus Christ and built the famous Ananda Temple, which is today a famous tourist attraction in the city of Bagan, Myanmar.

In When Mountains Melted, author Khin Maung Phone Ko explores the Christian origins of Myanmar’s empire, providing historical evidence that points to a lineage of Christian thought that survived in Bagan for a hundred years, from AD 1085 to 1185. When Mountains Melted also discusses how Bagan’s political ideology was remarkably similar to modern-day democratic systems, and it shows how Myanmar was based on concepts of basic human rights, freedom of worship, freedom of expression, and national defense.

Myanmar has a hidden history, and When Mountains Melted reveals the Christian roots of the First Myanmar Empire of Bagan. The hope is that this revealed Christian era of Myanmar’s history can provide the template for a revival in present- day Myanmar—an awakening to democracy, unity, strength, and ministry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Oct 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543746136

Khin Maung Phone Ko

The author worked at many universities and institutions spreading over three ASEAN countries. He has academic background in B.Sc. Civil engineering (Rangoon), and M.Sc. (Glasgow) and a post grad-diploma from University College London. He was a cartoonist by hobby in the newspapers in Yangon (1958-1966). He is a citizen of Myanmar and living in Singapore since 1980. He is a retired as senior lecturer from the Nanyang Technological University. He is married with two adult children. He has founded with the help of God the Little Myanmar Fellowship and Church in May 20, 2001 for Jesus Christ. The church was in 2001-2014 at the St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Now it is from 2014-onwards is at the Bible house basement #1 with a partnership with the All Saint’s Presbyterian Church, since 1 April 2018.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 Khin Maung Phone Ko. All rights reserved.

ISBN

978-1-5437-4614-3 (sc)

978-1-5437-4613-6 (e)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

www.partridgepublishing.com/singapore

10/17/2018

30804.png

Contents

About the author

Dedication

Preface-A

Preface- B

Introduction

Chapter One

From Darkness to the Light

A Brief History until the Founding of the First Myanmar kingdom in AD 1044

Chapter Two

Eleventh century Myanmar Democracy in Bagan

Chapter Three

About the first elected king from the commoner

Chapter Four

Digging for the Truth about the Ananda Temple

Chapter Five

Kyansittah who was a Believer in Jesus Christ

Chapter Six

Personal revelation on Predestination of the author’s life

Chapter Seven

References

A screenshot of a cell phoneDescription generated with high confidence

Prayer by autor:

"When Mountains Melted "at His presence, if God be willingmay this little book brings in the land of Myanmar an awesome awakening of revival in: Democracy, Economy, Unity of all races, Military strength and Ministries, of Buddha and the Future (Highest) Buddha the Yahweh Messiah- Jesus Christ or the Holy One of Israel, in the hidden history of the First Myanmar Empire of Bagan 1044-1287 A.D.:

. Democracy in politic

. Economy of nation

. Unity of all Races

. Powerful Military

. Ministry of Buddhism and

. Ministryof Christianity

The Author 06 February 2018

When Mountains Melted

Isaiah 64:1-4 (AKJV)

About the author

KhanMaun Phone Koi

An Instructor, Assistant Lecturerin the Rangoon Institute of Technology (1965-79), Yangon. He studied under Colombo Plan in UK and one of Myanmar military Regime scholars (1966-1971). Then, he worked as lecturer, at MARA Institute of Technology, Sha Alam, Malaysia (1979-1980); andLecturer, Singapore Polytechnic (1980-1982) and Lecturer &Senior Lecturer (Nanyang Institute of technology &Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (1982-1992). Founder and Pastor of the Little Myanmar Christian Fellowship and Service, a church without (denominational) wall or the Biblical church at in front of the throne of the mighty God and also at that of the Lamb (Revelation 7:9), which is for every nation, tribe, people and language. It is inSingapore at St. Andrew’s Cathedral (2001-2014). Now, we are working as Jesus Christ’s partner for reaching out the Myanmar in Singapore and beyond, with the All Saints Presbyratian church, in the Bible house B1, 7 Armanian street, since 1 April 2018.

Dedication

I want to dedicate this small book to the Creator Yahweh Messiah God who gives me wisdom to write

The hidden facts of the Myanmar history from scholars great and small and,

About the mightiest, bravest, selfless king KYANSITTAH.

Also for giving me a quick recovery to continue writing this book from my open-heart triple by-pass surgery in 2014, within five days.

Also, my gratitude to a team of surgeons headed by Cardiac Surgeon

Dr. Kang Giap Swee andTeam of specialist doctors of Cardiology headed by

Dr. Lim Shir Lynn fromThe heart Centre and Angiogram Specialist

Dr. Joshua Loh, of the National University hospital, Singapore.

And lastly to my family

My wife Dorothy, Daughter Joanna, son Canaan and

U Wai Lwin, Daw Hpone Klaya and their daughter Chaw Thiri Khine, Grace,

Who were travelling many trips (of about 450 miles to Bagan from Yangon) with their carwithin a years after my heart surgery

When Mountains Melted

Isaiah 64:1–4 (AKJV)

When Mountains Melted

Isaiah 64:1–4 (AKJV)

In 11th century, eight foreigners arrived at Bagan (which was formerly known as Pagan). But they were recorded in history as Buddhist monks from India.Thetruth was that they were JesusYahweh Christ’ missionaries from the Greek Orthodox Church. This fact is hidden under the pages of Bagan history books,for ten centuries. This small book, revealed their identity and their mission to Bagan, as well as their work of building the famous theAnanda Temple cum the first Myanmar-style Church in Bagan. Also the emperor Kyansittha became the follower of Jesus Christ, and the author finds evidences that survived, a century of Christian era in Bagan from A.D. 1085-1185; and many other unknown facts are discoveredin this book.

Bible quotes are taken from the following translations:

Authorised King James Version (AKJV)

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

New International Version (NIV)

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

PREFACE-A

From John Gospel written by St. John in 80-95 A.D. It is one of the Four Gospels in the New Testament part of the Holy Bible (NIV)

John chapter 3:1-21

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

Now there was a man of Pharisees named Nicomedus a member of Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, Rabbi we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him. In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again, and he cannot see the kingdom of God."

How can a man be born when he is old? Nicodemus asked. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born! Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying. You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is everyone born of the Spirit.

How can this be? Nicodemus asked.

You are Israel’s teacher said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then you will believe if I spoke of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven — the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted the snake in the desert, so the son of man must be lifted, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God, did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds are evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

It continues in John Chapter 19 thus:

John chapter19: 38-42

The Burial of Jesus

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he fears the Jews. With Pilate’ permission he came and took the body of Jesus. He was accompanied by Nicodemus a man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus body and two of them wrapped it with spices, in strips of linen. That was in accordance with the Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of preparation¹ and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

PREFACE- B

The author is not writing history in traditional way. He interprets between two sentences of history and find out this hidden history. How he does it? He gets wisdom and understanding of and, absolute reliance in faith upon Jesus who opens his eyes see the hidden history of the First Myanmar Empire of Bagan that was written by Jesus Christ.However, he was convinced to write tis book for thirty three years by the Spiritual author Yahweh Messiah Jesus Christ. How he did it? For this wisdom, I am greatly owing to the Creator God who called me out from Buddhist faith to use me as His servant in 1985, in Singapore, with this book that "He is exalted by His power (Job 26:22 NIV), in Bagan empire history of Myanmar.

On historical account, I have based on the great Scholars’ writing as shown in the references. However, God give me a wisdom to interpret their writing in between two sentences. My work is provided with an information from the Holy Bible, the Internet, the photographs and study in situ in Bagan; a review of the remains of the temples and structures and marbles stone inscriptions inside the famous mega pagodas in Bagan (Bagan), Prome (Pye) and being a Myanmar national with knowing of traditional or an oral legend of background Baganhistory and with my mainly Christian faith in Jesus Christ.

There in the book, many things are uncovered and still some hidden facts, yet to discover on the history of the eight Christian missionaries. However, the purpose of writing this book is satisfactory up to my knowledge and available information. But, there may be another second printing of the book if it may be necessary in future, if I find some more information about the eight missionaries and other related documents in Bagan.

The book reveals Bagan’sdemocracywas a style of early Indian Republic, without practicing the four level of cast system in Began. It was a kind like the assembly of Sangha to solve the conflicts of the politics of the ancient Pyu Kingdom in Prome. It had the assembly of elected ministers for a type of democratic style of ruling in Bagan. The democracy is not new in the First kingdom of Myanmar from historical records shown, from the founder of emperor king Anawrahta to Htilominlo (almost two centuries later), a kind of assembly of ministers or Hluttaw Yon was existed for political ideology.

The reader shall heed that today, democracy in Myanmar, must not be adopting from foreign or western, but a kind of revival that was hidden for nearly ten centuries without the knowledge in the modern Myanmar history. It will neither a western politics nor sponsored by U.S.A. or U.K. (Britain) and the Europe, not even our far-southern neighbour, but by the very idea of the Empire Founder King Anawrahta and second Emperor Kyansittahwho further developed to finish task for the strong, stable, prosperous first Myanmar Empire.

The national service was introduced in eleventh century A.D. Myanmar who was serving the nation to protect from invading enemy by the great generals to ordinary soldiers and civilian helpers. What is popular word in democratic politics, nowadays: of freedom of human right, of freedom of worship, of freedom of trading, and of freedom of complaint (voices) over hard labour, were found and responded by the law makers in the assembly of royal ministers.

The main theme to point out that the king Kyansittah, the second Emperor of the kingdom became born again Christian and he is a follower of Jesus Christ, conversion of eight missionaries headed by the Eastern Orthodox Church of Greek in the eleventh century A.D. There is existed today in Bagan, the Ananda mega temple, that isthe legacy of their visit, whichwas built by king Kyansittahwith architect byone or more of the missionaries. That was a type of Brick Gothic style in architecture and a plan and foundation lay in the shape of the Greek cross and Greek Holy Cross. Some evidence of cathedral style orientation of the temple building was discovered, today. This led to discovery of the existent of the recorded account of the Church in Bagan in the eleventh century.

As to evidence that Kyansittah had accepted Jesus Christ the Jewish Messiah is discovered. For this, some evidences of his prayer of famous Pagoda stone inscriptions (three Hmawkuns) pointed that he had a sound knowledge of heaven of the Bible, and where he will go, life after death.And, it revealed that he hadattributes of creator God such as love, compassion and mercy to his subjects.

There were some circumstantial or cultural evidences that pointed to king became Christian who had accepted Jesus as his saviour and master in Bagan. Do we need to find he was baptized and proved that he was saved? No. He is a secret believer of Jesus Christ like Nicodemus (See preface A, above) of the Holy Bible. Both were in the ruling council of Jewish and Bagan kingdom. The Bible recorded that Nicodemus secretly met Jesus at night and heard Jesus had declared that to be saved, one needs to be born again". There was no record of this ruling council member had accepted Jesus Christ nor baptized in water in the Holy Bible. It was understood, but the Bible never mentioned that the twelve disciples of Jesus were baptized, however, although Jesus Christ himself was baptized by John the Baptist. [Matthew 3:13-15; Mark 1:9-11; John 1:32. (NIV.)]

But finally, Nicodemus appeared to ask for his beloved master’s dead body with Joseph of Arimathea. That was the only evidence that he was follower of Jesus Christ like his friend Joseph. He still treasured his master over his death body, so that we have witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the Third day from the new empty grave. It was recorded in that Kyansittah had supported and founded the church in Bagan, (See Hmawkun Three). From Isaiah 45:22, God says that Turn to me, and saved …,andKyansittahmight be redeemed and have eternal life in Jesus Christ. The Church is the Bride of Jesus Christ the Messiah. For His Bride, Jesus Christ said He is coming back to Earth again! Come Lord Jesus!orMARANATHA.Amen

INTRODUCTION

The book on the hidden history of Myanmar has seven chapters, which is related to the topic of the book "WhenMountains Melted". The first chapter is about the history leading to formthe first Bagan Empire of Myanmar. Mostly refer to and based on the well-known and reliable history books, but author is writing, from a Christian point of view and angle.

The second chapter is about first Bagan Empire’s democracy and constitutional monarchy. Today, our country road map to a democratic fourth Myanmar nation, we need not to look at the western democratic model of other countries- not to United States of America, Sweden, Germany nor even Asian country like Singapore. We had our democracy model of our own which was formulated by our fore-fathers from Bagan in the eleventh century A.D and successfully practiced for nearly two centuries, later. It is applicable; adaptable to our nation resulting in the past that nation was successful, strong, united and prosperous First Myanmar Empire. Where there was zero level of cronyism, or corruption, but full hundred percentage of unity of all races. No other dynasty orkingdom in Myanmar even near to early level of Bagan standard. Why? Author’s opinion is that the early Bagan Empire was led by Christ knowing, Christ guiding leaders and obedient and sincere followers in Bagan. Otherwise, no other reason could be possible to find.

It also consists of moderndemocratic freedom of worship, human right, trading and social dignity, and these were already established there. Also, national service of defence to country was established without offering personal gain and opportunity to individual of service to defending the nation. It had a de fecto power of the assembly of royal ministers (who were modern equivalent of mayors of city-states) or sangha or Hluttaw Yon (or parliament). It is not a toothless nor a rubber-stamped parliament of modern times that it even dares to make impeachment to the empire founding king to protect his fulfilment to cronyism that was – to install his young in-experienced son as a next king.

The third chapter is on the history of the first ever elected by the parliament of royal minister, of the second emperor Kyansittah to lead the Myanmar Empire to the next step forward. There was no such thing like it in the entire history of Myanmar up to the last kingdom of Mandalay.

The fourth chapter is the author research based on the official historical records to rewrite the Bagan empire chronology giving evidences of the Bagan mega temple building dynasty- why and how the empire was strong, united and prosperous which was known to Myanmar and the whole of South East Asian history. Identify the architectural elements stated in the history and see them