Pathein

Pathein ( ; , ; , ), formerly called Bassein, is the largest city and the capital of the Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar. It is located 190 km (120 mi) west of Yangon within Pathein Township on the bank of the Pathein River—a western branch of the Irrawaddy River. The city had a population of 172,923 in 2019. Although once a part of the Mon kingdoms, Pathein has few ethnic Mon residents today. The majority are of Bamar ethnicity with significant Karen, Indian, Rakhine and Chinese populations.

Etymology

The name is believed to derive from the Old Mon name, (). "pha" means great or wide and sī/sɛm means river or sea. Pha-sɛm means a big sea. The name was corrupted to Bassein during the British colonial period.

An alternate theory holds that the city's name comes from the classical name of Pathein, Kusimanagara, a name used by ancient writings and the Kalyani inscriptions. Pathein itself is a corruption of Mon "Kuthen," which itself is a contraction of Kusima or Kusimanagara, a Pali name for the city.

Pathein was raided in 1180 CE by Parakramabahu I of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa in modern-day Sri Lanka, as attested by the Devanagala Rock inscription during the Polonnaruwa-Bagan War. The raid was retaliatory against diplomatic incidents and hostility by Sithu II of Bagan, implying that Pathein was under Bagan rule by this time. The Bagan conquest of Lower Burma occurred earlier in 1057 under the reign of Anawrahta. However, various historians disagree on the extent of the empire and his military campaigns. The latest date that Pathein could have become part of the Bagan empire is in 1265 CE where we have the oldest Burmese record of the city's existence.

Geography and economy

thumb|left|Locally made [[Pathein hti parasols]]

Lying at the western edge of the Ayeyarwady River delta, on the Pathein (Ngawan) River west of Yangon, Pathein is accessible to large vessels and despite its distance from the ocean, it is the most important delta port outside of Yangon. The city is also a terminus of a branch of the main railroad line which connects it to Hinthada, Letpadan and Yangon. In the 1990s, the road network along the Irrawaddy to Monywa was improved. Pathein is also known for its pottery and colourful hand-made baskets and buckets. Among Pathein's most prominent industries also include production of salt, mats, and Pathein halawa. The textiles produced in Pathein Industrial Zone is, however, the largest industry economy of the city. After textiles, the main industry is the various rice mills that process agricultural produce from nearby villages and towns.

The surrounding area outside Pathein are employed in agriculture and primarily cultivates rice. Other crops include sesames, groundnuts, jute, maize, pulse (legume)s, tobacco, chilies as well as a wide variety of fruits like banana and tamarind.

|source 2 = NOAA (extremes)

Demographics

2014

The 2014 Myanmar Census reported that Pathein had a population of 169,773, representing 59.1% of Pathein Township's total population. In 2019, the population was reported as 172,923. Pathein is subdivided into 25 urban wards

Settawya pagoda
Phaung Daw U Pagoda
Clock Tower
St Peter's Cathedral
Pathein University
Pathein Cultural Museum
Pathein Bridge No.2

Education

thumb|A local girl

The city is home to the Pathein Education College for elementary teachers and Pathein University for arts and science students. The Computer University (Pathein) which is administered by Ministry of Science and Technology offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in computer science, and computer technology. Technological University (Pathein) which was founded in 1999, offers engineering courses.

Sports

The 6,000-seat Ayar Stadium is one of the main venues for popular local football tournaments. The stadium is the home of Ayeyawady United F.C., a Myanmar National League (MNL) football club.

Health care

thumb|A roundabout in Pathein

Pathein General Hospital serves people in Pathein and its surrounding districts.

Notable people

Ba U, 1st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Burma and 2nd president of Myanmar (1952–1957) was born in Pathein in 1887.
8th president Thein Sein was born in a village nearby Hainggyikyun Subtownship in 1945 and studied his high school education in Pathein.
10th president Win Myint was born in Danubyu in 1945 and started his political life in Pathein, winning the Pathein Township seat within the Pyithu Hluttaw in a 2012 by-election.