kingdom · Mainland Southeast Asia

Thaton Kingdom

850 CE – 1057 CE (approx.) · capital Thaton

A Mon kingdom of Lower Myanmar, remembered as a centre of Theravada Buddhism whose conquest by Pagan in 1057 brought Mon learning to the Burmans.

Origins

Thaton, near the Gulf of Martaban, appears in Mon and Burmese tradition as the capital of Suvarnabhumi, the 'golden land' of Buddhist legend. Inscriptions and archaeology suggest a Mon Buddhist town of the later first millennium, though the scale of its kingdom and its early history are uncertain.

Rule and society

Thaton was a port and religious centre in the Mon-speaking region of Ramannadesa. It was famed for its monks and Pali scriptures, and Burmese chronicles credit the monk Shin Arahan, said to have come from Thaton, with converting Anawrahta of Pagan to Theravada Buddhism. Its last king, Manuha, is the best known ruler.

Decline and legacy

According to the chronicles, Anawrahta of the Pagan Kingdom attacked Thaton in 1057 after Manuha refused to give up Buddhist scriptures, and carried off the king, monks and craftsmen. Manuha's captivity is recalled by the Manuha temple at Bagan. Mon culture revived later under the Hanthawaddy Kingdom.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (1)

More states of Mainland Southeast Asia →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Thaton Kingdom. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thaton-kingdom
MLA
“Thaton Kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thaton-kingdom. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Thaton Kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thaton-kingdom.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Thaton Kingdom’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thaton-kingdom (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻