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 History of Mandalay:

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Mandalay, or “the Golden City” was founded relatively recently in 1857 by King Mindon to coincide with an ancient Buddhist prophecy.  Upon completion of what was now the new Royal capital of Konboung, or Upper Myanmar, King Mindon moved his entire government and 150,000 people from nearby Amarapura.  It was common in Burmese history to move capitals upon the ascension of a king.  It was the last city to fall into the hands of the British invasion of 1885; and for this reason it still has great importance as a cultural centre.  King Thibaw was reigning at the time, but after he handed Mandalay over to the British General Prendergast, both he and his queen went into self imposed exile.  Mandalay is a relatively recent creation.  One other story tells that King Mindon decided to move the capital to a new site from Ava in 1856 because the Irriwaddy Flotilla Company steamers kept him awake at night with their whistles! The reality is that King Mindon, a modernizer and reformer, was anxious to break with the past and establish a new era of peace and prosperity for Myanmar.  This was symbolized by the construction of a splendid new capital.  The British captured Mandalay in 1885 following a campaign for control of the Ayeyarwady.  A new city on the grid plan was laid out extending to the river bank and its important port.  This plan remains today though sadly many of the old colonial buildings have been lost.  Glimpses of the old colonial city may still be seen, particularly in the area around Maha Muni Temple, the city's principal shrine.