Amawgun (Burmese:မော်ကွန်း,pronounced[mɔ̀gʊ́ɰ̃]; originated from archaicBurmese:အမူကွန်း,pronounced[ʔəmùgʊ́ɰ̃]) is a form of Burmese poem which is often used to record a significant event meant to last.
In thePagan era, donors recorded their donations in the prose form of mawgun. However, since from theAva era, mawguns are composed in the form of poetry rather than prose. The oldest mawgaun in the Burmese literature industry was "Pyayson mawgun" byShin Htwe Nyo during the reign ofThihathura I.
Following Shin Htwe Nyo, the most prominent mawgun poets wereShin Mahasilavamsa andShin Raṭṭhasāra of Ava. They both composedmany well-known mawguns.[1] Mawguns composed during their times were said to be the high-class ones, and their times was referred as the era of mawguns.
Mawgun did not develop in theFirst Toungoo Empire. OnlyShin Thankho composedYadanapyaungmon Sindaw Bwe Mawgun.[2]
Mawguns became popular again in theKonbaung dynasty. It wasWetmasut Nawade who was a famous mawgun poet of his time,[3] for he wrote at least 15 mawguns.[4] Three of them pertain to Burmese conquests, includingAr-than-naing Mawgun andRakhine Naing Mawgun on theconquests ofAssam andRakhine respectively,[4] as well as the missingDawei Naing Mawgun on the takeover ofDawei; he also wrote 'Tayoke Than Yauk Mawgun (1821),[5] which details the arrival of a group of Chinese officials to Burma.[6]Wilathini Sindaw Bwe Mawgun of Wetmasut Nawade is the first-class mawgun amongst the Sindaw Bwe mawguns (records of receiving white elephants), followed byShweminbhone Sindaw Bwe Mawgun of U Nyo.
Mawgun is a kind of poem which uses four syllables in each line, like the classical Burmese verse.[3]
Most mawguns are the descriptions of the royal white elephants, royal palaces, royal boats, the wars, the lakes and the pagodas.