Tharrawaddy, Myanmar

The current town was built when the region was under British rule, in the first British temporary seat at Thonze. However, Thonze is populated for district offices. Therefore, the town was moved two miles north of Thonze and the new district capital was built in 1878.^{[citation needed]}

During the Galon Rebellion, the self-proclaimed king Saya San moved to Tharrawaddy after a coronation in Yangon in December 1930. He proclaimed a new royal city by the name of Buddharaja Myo (lit. 'Buddhist King's City') on Alaungtang Hill in the city, ceremoniall plotting it out with space for the proper retinue of five queens, four ministers, and four regiments.^[2] Tharrawaddy, like most of Lower Burma, suffered severe economic dislocation during the ‘Hoover Slump’. The Great Depression of 1930 had a devastating impact on rice prices. The high population density and the concentration of land ownership in central Burma stoked disaffected landless laborers, whom blamed the colonial government for both their inability to work the land independently and for decline of their real incomes as rice worker. Rural cultivators were quick to respond to Saya San's appeals of anti-tax rhetoric mixed with Buddhist traditions and prophecies.^[3] Violence broke out first on 22 December of the year in Tharrawaddy and escalated, spreading to many cities in Burma.^[2] The revolt was defeated after two years in 1932 with Saya San being hanged in Tharrawaddy.^[4]

The current town was created in 1972 by decree of the Ministry of Home Affairs based on the historical name of the town.^[1]