Page 122 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

120 The DelTa anD wesTern MyanMar Sittwe
KINGS AND CROCODILES: A BRIEF HISTORY OF ARAKAN
the history of the kingdom of Arakan (modern-day Rakhine State) is claimed to date back
nearly five thousand years, and the Rakhine preserve a genealogy of 227 native kings lasting
until the Konbaung conquest in 1784. At its height, it covered large parts of what is now
modern Myanmar and Bangladesh, stretching from the mouth of the Ganges to the
Ayeyarwady. According to tradition, the first Rakhine kingdom emerged around the northern
town of Dhanyawadi in about 3400 BC, lasting until the founding of waithali in 327 AD – the
2 Buddha himself is alleged to have visited the kingdom, with the famous Mahamuni Buddha
image (see p.289) being cast at around the same time.
the capital subsequently shifted to Waithali (aka Vesali), which grew prosperous on
trade with india and China. in around 818 a new dynasty arose on the Laymro River,
ushering in the Lemro period. the final Rakhine kingdom was founded in 1429 by Min Saw
Mon at Mrauk U – the golden age of Rakhine history (see p.362 & p.363). Mrauk U was
conquered by the Konbaung dynasty in 1784, and then passed to the British in 1826
following the First Anglo-Burmese war, after which the capital was transferred to Sittwe,
where it remains to this day.
Rakhine saw fierce fighting during world war ii, including the Arakan Campaign of 1942–43
and the notorious Battle of Ramree Island, during which almost a thousand Japanese
soldiers are said to have been eaten by crocodiles – listed by the Guinness Book of World
Records as the “worst Crocodile Disaster in the world”.
Arakan became part of the newly independent Union of Burma in 1948, although the 1950s
saw increasing calls for a restoration of Arakanese independence, and nationalist feelings
remain high.

Brief history
Formerly known as Akyab, Sittwe (“Sit-way” according to Burmese pronunciation,
or “Sigh-tway” in Rakhine) is a largely colonial creation. Originally a small fishing
settlement, the town was occupied by the British during the First Anglo-Burmese
War, and then chosen as the administrative capital of the annexed kingdom of
Arakan (modern Rakhine State) in preference to the historic capital of Mrauk U.
Sittwe grew exponentially during the years that followed, developing into an
important port and major colonial centre, with direct steamers plying the route
between here and Kolkata (Calcutta). If the current troubles in Rakhine state don’t
get in the way, then the city’s maritime importance may well be revived, following
the joint Myanmar–India construction of a massive, modern port complex in 2016
to facilitate trade between India’s northeastern states, as well as direct large-scale
shipping between Sittwe and Kolkata.
Sittwe also has a long tradition of radical Buddhism, most notably as the birthplace
of radical monk U Ottama, a leading figure in the colonial-era independence
movement, and the city’s monks also played a leading role in the so-called Saffron
Revolution (see p.376). Religious belligerence has also shown an uglier face in recent
years during repeated clashes between the city’s Rakhine population and the
increasingly brutalized Rohingya minority (see box opposite).

Strand Road

Sittwe’s most interesting street, Strand Road runs along the east side of the
centre, and is dotted with some of the town’s best surviving colonial architecture
including a couple of fine old wooden garden villas down near the May Yu
restaurant (see p.124).
The street’s major landmark is the historic market building, which is stuffed with both
fresh and preserved marine creatures, including eye-catching bundles of enormous

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