Pyu City-States

In this episode, we explore the rise and legacy of the Pyu city-states, one of the earliest urban civilizations in Upper Myanmar. Centered on walled cities such as Sri Ksetra and Halin, the Pyu developed sophisticated irrigation systems, embraced Theravada Buddhism, and created cultural foundations that would shape later Burmese society. The episode traces their possible links to northern migrations from the Tibetan Plateau, highlighting how language, genetics, beadwork, scripts, calendars, and architecture reveal a deep connection between the Pyu world and the Himalayan highlands. It also examines the civilization’s decline after 9th-century Nanzhao raids and how the fall of the Pyu helped open the path for the emergence of the Pagan Empire.