Bodawpaya

Longest-reigning king of the Konbaung dynasty, who conquered Arakan and expanded Burma to its greatest extent.

Life

Son of Alaungpaya

Bodawpaya was the fourth son of Alaungpaya. He seized the throne in 1782 and reigned for 37 years, the longest of any Konbaung dynasty king.

Conquered Arakan

In 1784–1785 he conquered the western kingdom of Arakan and carried Arakan's guardian image, the Mahamuni Buddha, back to his capital. He attacked Siam several times and was defeated in the Nine Armies' War. He also ordered the construction of the Mingun Pagoda, planned as the largest pagoda in the world, but it was never completed.

Mingun Pagoda

His rule over Arakan drove large numbers of refugees to flee into British Bengal, sowing the seeds of conflict with the United Kingdom. He died in 1819.

Legacy

Under Bodawpaya Myanmar reached its greatest territorial extent, but his expansion also sowed the seeds of the later Anglo-Burmese Wars.

Did you know? The Mingun Bell he had cast weighs about 90 tons and was long the largest working bell in the world.

Key dates

• 1782Accession
• 1785Conquered Arakan
• 1785Failed invasion of Siam in the Nine Armies' War
• 1790Began building the Mingun Pagoda
• 1819Died