Thathanabaing of Burma
| Thathanabaing of Burma သာသနာပိုင် |
|
|---|---|
| Type | Abolished |
| Appointer | King of Burma |
| Term length | Lifetime |
| Formation | c. 1400s |
| First holder | Shin Arahan |
| Final holder | Taunggwin Sayadaw |
| Abolished | 1938 |
The Thathanabaing of Burma (Burmese: သာသနာပိုင်, also spelt Thathanapaing) served as the head of the Buddhist Sangha (order of monks) in pre-colonial Burma, until its abolishment in 1938 by the British authorities in colonial Burma. The Thathanapaing was responsible for managing the monastic hierarchy and education at monasteries. The Thathanabaing resided in a royal monastery near the kingdom's capital. However, appointees were usually commoners born in the villages, with no blood relationship with the royal house. Their appointments were made on the basis of their mastery of Buddhist knowledge and literature.
Thathanabaing, literally 'Keeper of the Sāsana', is the native Burmese rendition of Sangharaja, or formally Mahasangharaja (မဟာသံဃာရာဇာ), which is typically rendered into English as 'Primate', 'Archbishop' or 'Supreme Patriarch.' The term "Sangharaja" was popularly used from the 1300s to 1400s, but lost currency in subsequent centuries. By the Konbaung dynasty, Thathanabaing and Thathanapyu (သာသနာပြု) were frequently used.
According to Burmese chronicles, the office of the Thathanabaing dates to the reign of Swa Saw Ke (1367-1400). British historians recognize a lineage of primates during the Pagan Kingdom, beginning with the monk Shin Arahan.
The office, in its last incarnation, was established by King Bodawpaya in 1784, after the constitution of the Sudhamma Council, a council of four elder monks (thera), of which the Thathanabaing was its head. Subsequent monarchs expanded the Council, which varied from 8 to 12 members called sadaw. Council members were appointed by the king and styled Dazeitya Sayadaw (တံဆိပ်ရဆရာတော်, 'Teachers Possessing the Seal').
The Thathanabaing was appointed by the king and granted supreme authority with regard to religious doctrine and ecclesiastical administration. The Thathanapaing was responsible for the kingdom's religious affairs, including appointment of monastery abbots, monk orders according to the Vinaya, management of breaches of discipline, preparation of an annual report of the order, and administration of Pali examinations.
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