Early History

The Mon were one of the earliest distinct groups to occupy Myanmar, moving into the area as early as 1500 BC or possibly earlier. Up until the 14th century, outposts of Mon culture continued to spread very far east, including modern Thailand. As late as the 14th and 15th centuries, it is believed that the Mon were the ethnic majority in this vast region, but also intermarried freely with Khmer and Tai-Kadai populations. Archaeological remains of Mon settlements have been found south of Vientiane (Laos), and may also have extended further to the north west in the Haripunchai (Northern Thailand) area.

The Mon converted to Theravada Buddhism at a very early point in their history. Unlike other ethnic groups in the region, they seem to have adopted Theravada orthodoxy before coming into contact with Mahayana tendencies, and it is generally believed that the Mon provided the link of transmission whereby both the Thais and Cambodians converted from Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism to Theravada Buddhism. Although the precise date cannot be fixed, it seems that the Mon have been practising Theravada Buddhism continuously for a longer period than any other religious community on earth, except Sri Lanka.

The most famous Mon monarchs during this period were Queen Bana Thau (Burmese: Shin Sabu reigned 1453-72) followed by Dhammazedi (reigned 1472-92). Queen Bana Thau personally chose Dhammazedi to succeed her. Dhammazedi had been a monk before he became King of Pegu. Under Dhammazedi, Pegu became a centre of commerce and Theravadan Buddhism. These two devout Buddhist monarchs initiated a long period of peace on Lower Burma.

Many foreign traders were attracted to the capital, which became well known to the outside world as a centre of commerce. As such it is mentioned by the Russian merchant, Nitikin, who travelled in the East about 1470. Its 15th century rulers were, like those of Pagan, chiefly interested in the development of religion.

Missions were sent to Ceylonand on their return stimulated an important religious revival, which affected the whole of Burma. The story of the reforms is told in the Kalyani inscriptions erected by King  Dhammazedi.  Dhammazedi was the greatest of the rulers of Wareru's line. His reign was a time of peace and he himself was a mild ruler, famous for his wisdom. A collection of his rulings, the  Dhammazedi pyatton, is stillin existence. He maintain friendly intercourse with Yunnan and revived the practice of sending missions to Buddhagaya. He was a Buddhist ruler of the best type, deeply solicitous for the purification of religion. Under him civilization flourished, and the condition of the Mon country stands out in sharp contrast with the disorder and savagery which characterized the Ava Kingdom. When he died he was honoured as a saint and a pagoda was erected over his bones.

The Mon kingdom possessed two great pagodas of especial sanctity, the Shwemawdaw at Pegu (Bago) and the Shwe Dagon at the small stockaded fishing-town of Dagon, now Rangoon, the capital of modern Burma. The Mon religious leaders were forced to flee to Siam and the Mon have been harshly repressed from the 1750s to the present day

Burma was conquered by the British in a series of wars. After the Second Anglo-Burmese War, the Mon territories were completely under the control of the British. The Mon aided the British to free themselves from the rule of the Burman Monarchy. Under Burman rule. the Mon people had been massacred after they lost their kingdom and many sought asylum in the Thai kingdom. the British conquest of Burma allowed the Mon people to survive in Southern Burma.

After Burmese Independence

The Mon soon became anti-colonialists and following the grant of Independence to Burma in 1948 they sought self determination, U Nu refused them this and they rose in revolt to be crushed again.

They have remained a repressed and defiant group in the country since then. They have risen in revolt against the central Burmese government on a number of occasions, initially under the Mon People's Front and from 1962 though the New Mon State Party. A partially autonomous Mon State, Monland, was created in 1974 covering Tennaserim, Pegu and Ayeyarwaddy River. Resistance continued until 1995 when NMSP and SLORC agreed a cease fire and in 1996 the Mon Unity League was founded.

In 1947 Mon national day was created to celebrate the ancient founding of Hanthawaddy, the last Mon kingdom, which had its seat in Pegu. (It follows the full moon on the 11th month of the Mon Lunar calender)

U Nu

Hintha mythical duck  Mon state

The Mon language is part of the Monic group of the Mon-Khmer branch of the Austro-Asiatic family, closely related to the Nyah Kur language and more distantly related to Khmer. The writing system is Indic based. The Burmans adapted the Mon script for Burmese following their conquest of Mon territory.

In recent years, usage of Mon, especially among the younger generation has declined rapidly. Many ethnic Mon, like the Shan, are monolingual in Burmese.

Mon is considered an important language in Burmese history. It was the lingua franca (language widely used beyond the population of its native speakers) in the beginning of the Pagan Kingdom, during the 800s. Old Burmese began to replace Mon and Pyu as lingua franca during the reign of Burman king Kyanzittha, who ruled from 1084 to 1112 and admired the Mon culture, the Mon language was patronized. He left many inscriptions in Mon. During this period, the Myazedi inscription, which contains identical inscriptions of a story in Pali, Pyu, Mon, and Burmese on the four sides was carved. However, after Kyanzittha's death, usage of the Mon language declined among the Burmans.

Dialects

Mon has three primary dialects in Myanmar, coming from the various regions the Mon inhabit. They are the Central (areas surrounding Mottama and Mawlamgaing), Bago, and Ye dialects. All are mutually intelligible. Thai Mon has some differences from the Burmese dialects of Mon, but is almost mutually intelligible.

Traditional culture

Mon culture and traditional heritages includes spiritual dances, musical instruments such as crocodile xylophone, harp, and flat guitar. Mon dances are usually played in a formal theatre or sometimes in an informal district of any village. The dances are followed by background music using a circular set of tuned drums and claps, crocodile xylophone, gongs, flute, flat guitar, harp, etc. Mon in Myanmar wear clothes similar to the Bamars. 

Mon State Traditional Dress