Construction of Hydraulic Networks by Pyu Engineers in Ancient Sriketra, Myanmar

Prof. Khin Zaw, MBBS, PhD

IntroductionHumans depend on water for many meansIrrigation works since prehistoric times. By irrigation, manual or extensive agriculture

produce surpluses of food and other goods. Able to work in non-subsistence (not food-

producing) activities, eg. craftspeople, religious practitioners, education, political administrators, defence forces etc,

Help the process of cultural evolution.

Pre-Pyus and Pyus used ecological opportunism of their environment

Replaced natural landscapes with man made landscapes.

River Ayarwaddy flowing through the centre of Myanmar like a life-giving blood vessel,

Pyu usually did not rely directly on it.

Pyu major settlements, except Tagaung, situated not so near to the river.

They depend upon the upstream tributaries.

Sriketra, situated between the Myin-bar-hu mountain range and Nawin chaung valley.

Largest ancient City through Myanmar history. Water management system utilized with skillful calculation,

measurement and construction by Pyu engineers. Originally, might have some early settlement and agriculture for

it's fertile land.A huge city plan & irrigation system built on the prime settlement.

Pyu engineersstill unknown what carpenter's instruments, e.g.

plumb-bob, spirit-level, squares and compasses were used,

the basis of measurements by hand spans and footsteps

What instruments used for topographical and land survey.

After field measurements were done, projects might have been drawn for implementation.

Designs and models might have been built and drawn

absolutely impossible to do such a huge and grand plan only in ideas, memory and words.

Human resourcesA lot of manpower might been

used in implementing the plan, eg. thousands of manual labourers .

Many slaves might been collected.

Some would not be the slaves but only the volunteers summoned according to the villages' quota.

Foremen, work site supervisors and experts might have been assigned in hierarchy.

Systematic management of human labour was demanded expert managers.

Physical geography of SriketraSelecting the site for the cityPyu engineers acknowledged

well about the slopping nature of the ground.

Terrain descended from the Myinbahu mountain range in order to irrigate water as necessary.

City construction was not a random work

Systematic ally based on thorough field measurement, selection of the best land site from many suitable places and careful and precise calculation.

From Myinbahu to the CityUnder the backbone-like

mountain range which was the highest of the Myinbahu, remains and traces of water reservoirs and the drains could be found.

A hillock from Myinbahu range at the south-west of the city Sriketra was called as Mount Kan-thone-sint meaning three tiers of lakes.

PyudaiksOutside the city, numerous Pyudaiks, where urns were

buried and used for religious purposes. Most Pyu-daiks situated in the slope south of the city. built in rectangular position and surrounded by walls. Some were enclosed by moats for draining water,

connected each other through channels.

Bawbawgyi, Bebe, Lemyethna, Yahandagu, city Beikthano, cemetery of the Queen Beikthano, the east Pyudaiks, the west and the south Pyudaiks, etc were situated at the south of the city.

Some no longer stand as visible pagodas, mounds of debris exist.

drainage flew through these areas.

necessary to preserve as the ancient heritage site.

Inside the cityOver one-third of the south-west

of the city Sriketra surrounded by the city walls was situated upon the Lateritic rocks of Ayeyawaddian Series.

Difference in contour was 61 metres and 42.67 metres above the sea level, it is found that the land slope towards the north-east significantly.

Pyu water utilization engineers drew the design for canals, lakes and dams after systematic measurement of the land and implement the plan precisely.

Enclosure of the city by moats and wallsThe walls

surrounding Sriketra and the moats.

turn damaged and ruined after thousands of years.

In aerial photography, traces of three layers of city walls at the south-east, the south-west and the west were found obviously.

Evident of three layers of moats around the city walls.

The network of channels and water reservoirs

At the centre of all Pyu city states, the palace or the wall of inner stronghold was observed.

This position was so typical and it appears to be the most standardized one among other Pyu city states.

In Sriketra, a rectangular palace at the south-west from the centre.

The palace was not situated at the exact centre of the city.

The palace of Pyu King was enclosed by the city walls and moats in layers.

The south and the north lakesAlthough the lakes were

named as the south lake and the north lake,

more suitable to call them the south-east lake and the north-west Lake depending on their positions inside the city.

Water from the south lake flew to the north lake delivering water along its course,

Connection between 2 lakes. Then, water leaving the north

lake in circular flow continued distributing water to the northern part of the city.

The significance of the eastA large reservoir called

“Pinletain ” which silt up and left as farmlands and muddy fields after thousands of years.

East of wall was not so high and strong than other sides.

Lake at the east of city Sriketra was similar to that of ancient city Beikthano.

In Beikthano , the west city wall was not strong enough and the defense system of the city was structured upon the water reservoir.

Outside the cityBeyond the walls at the north and the east of the city, the land

became lower to 30.48 meters. Since it reached to the plane of Nawin stream at the north, the slope

leveled smoothly. Then, the slope of the land turned again from the north-east to the

south-west. Water courses below land height 30 meters changed its flow and

canals at north-east reversed their flow towards the south-west.

Amazing SriketraWater utilization engineering of

Pyu at the ancient Sriketra magnificent enough to be amazing. Depth of the technology used can

be guessed through the creations inside city walls & surroundings.

In the ancient Sriketra where Pyu civilization was to the utmost,

might have been groups of the engineers, the experts, the supervisors and the labourers who regularly maintained, inspected and supervised the drainage of water at moats and the canals.

Water in daily life and its symbolWater is essential for daily living. Water creates “life” and trees including the agricultural fields. In daily living as well as in terms of its symbolized purity,

nobility and the meaning of water is so deep and wide. In addition to socioeconomics, water plays an important role in

defense and security. Also, water exerts its meaning in religion and spiritual context.

Concept of Mandala-CekaraSymbol of Dhamma Cekkyar came from the

combined concept of Mandala-Cekara.

Concept of Mandala-CekaraPyu engineers made water flow in clock-wise direction through

skillful calculation and applying naturally existed land geography.Central pivot was the palace, and the king represent as Dharma-

raja. Water drifted through the Pyu-daiks where all religious rituals

had done and keeping funeral urns, and distribute spiritually purified water along the urban residents and agricultural fields.

King at palace controlled the wheel of power, authority and dharma.

People’s feeling that the King who provide water for agriculture and made them free from worries about foods in their daily life.

State of law and order and peaceful living under the rule of the palace.

Unity and strength was achieved. Used water as one of the political

arsenals. With flourished cultivation,

prosperity, and sophistications, the meaning of Sriketra (Paddy field of goddess Sri) was well pertinent.

References Hudson, Bob (2004) The Origins of Bagan. PhD Thesis. University of Sydney. Hudson, Bob & Lustig, Terry (2008). "A new view of the old walls and hydraulic system at

Sriksetra, Myanmar". Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. Luce, G. H, (1937) "The Ancient Pyu", Journal of Burma Research Society, Vol. XXVII, iii, p

241; Burma Research Society Fiftieth Anniversary Publication No 2, Yangon, 1960, p 309. Stargardt, Janice (1990). The Ancient Pyu of Burma: early Pyu cities in a man-made landscape

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