Thathanabaing

Konbaung dynasty

The election of the Thathanapaing in 1902 was held at the Thudhamma and Pahtan Zayats near Mandalay Hill.

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.^[20] Subsequent monarchs expanded the council, which varied from 8 to 12 members called sadaw.^[20][21] Council members were appointed by the king and styled Dazeitya Sayadaw (တံဆိပ်ရဆရာတော်, 'Teachers Possessing the Seal').^[21]

The Thathanabaing was appointed by the king and granted supreme authority with regard to religious doctrine and ecclesiastical administration.^[21] 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.^[20]

The Thathanabaing was charged with managing the functions of two government officials, the Mahadan Wun (မဟာဒါန်ဝန်, Ecclesiastical Censor), who oversaw the king's charitable functions, ensured monk compliance with the Vinaya, and submitted registers of all active novices and monks, and the Wutmye Wun (ဝတ်မြေဝန်), who managed the wuttukan-designated religious properties (ဝတ္ထုကံမြေ), including donated land and pagodas.^[22][23] The Burmese kingdom was divided into ecclesiastical jurisdictions, each of which was overseen by a gaing-gyok. Underneath each gaing-gyok was a number of gaing-ok, who were in turn assisted by a number of gaing-dauk.^[22] Ecclesiastical disputes were settled by the gaing-gyok and decisions for appeal were made by the Sudhamma Council.^[22] Since the breakaway of Shwegyin Sect (which appointed its own Shwegyin Thathanabaing), the Thathanabaing of Burma had power only on the Thudhamma Sect.

Colonial rule

In 1895, soon after the abdication of the country's last king, Thibaw Min, the Taungdaw Sayadaw, then the Thathanapaing of Burma, died.^[24] A subsequent election elected the Pakhan Sayadaw as Thathanabaing-elect, although the British refused to acknowledge or recognize his title.^[24]

In 1903, the lieutenant-governor of British Burma, Hugh Shakespear Barnes, reinstated the title by sanad charter, giving the Thathanapaing nominal authority over internal administration of the Sangha in Upper Burma and over Buddhist ecclesiastical law.^[24] (Lower Burma, which had been annexed in 1852, remained without a religious head.^[25]) The Taunggwin Sayadaw was appointed, but the position was abolished after his death and no successor was ever appointed.^[26] The authority of Thathanabaing, which had already been limited only on the Thudhamma Gaing, was carried on by the Maha Nayaka Sayadaws.^[3] Other sects has continued to appoint their own Thathanabaings.

Since 1980

The Chairman of the State Samgha Maha Nayaka Committee (Burmese: နိုင်ငံတော်သံဃမဟာနာယကအဖွဲ့ဥက္ကဋ္ဌ, ALA-LC: Nuiṅṅaṃto‘ Saṃgha Mahā Nāyaka Aphvai' Ukkaṭṭha, lit. 'Chairman of the Great Leader Group of Clergy of the State') is the supreme head of Buddhist monks in Myanmar.

On May 24, 1980, the State Saṃgha Mahā Nāyaka Committee was formed as an official agency of the Government of Myanmar, tasked with essentially the same roles and responsibilities as those of the pre-schism Mahāsaṃgharājā Thathanabaing Sayadaw to lead the Saṃgha of all sects and orders. The Chairman of SSMNC also has to serve as the Gaṇādhipati of Thudhamma Gaing.^[12]

Pagan Kingdom

1. Shin Arahan
2. Panthagu Sayadaw
3. Shin Uttarajiva
4. Shin Siha Maha Upali

Kingdom of Ava

1. Yakhaing Sayadaw
2. Amyint Sayadaw
3. Padugyi Samgharaja

Konbaung dynasty

1. Atula Sayadaw
2. Taungdwingyi Sayadaw
3. Sayit Sayadaw
4. Ashin Thapon
5. Hteintabin Sayadaw
6. Manle Sayadaw
7. Min-o Sayadaw
8. Zonta Sayadaw
9. Minywa Sayadaw
10. Maungdaung Sayadaw
11. Salin Sayadaw
12. The-in Sayadaw
13. Maungdaung Sayadaw
14. Bagaya Sayadaw
15. Maungdaung Sayadaw
16. Taungdaw Sayadaw

British rule

1. Moda Sayadaw
2. Taunggwin Sayadaw

Shwegyin Sect

The following are the Sayadaws who have served as the Shwegyin Thathanabaing^[11] (Shwegyin Gaṇādhipati/ Shwegyin Nikāyādhipati Ukkaṭṭha Mahā Nāyaka) from the time of King Mindon.^{[27][28]: 30}

Mahādvāra Sect

The following are the Sayadaws who have served as Mahādvāra Sect Thathanabaing.^{[3]: 24–27}

Mūladvāra Sect

The following are the Sayadaws who have served as Mūladvāra Mahā Nāyaka Thathanabaing.^{[3]: 30–31}

Anaukchaung Dvāra Sect

The following are the Sayadaws who have served as Nāyaka the head of sect.^{[3]: 35–36}

Veḷuvan Sect

The following are the Sayadaws who have served as Veḷuvan Sammutti Thathanabaing.^{[3]: 39–40}

Hngettwin Sect

The following are the Sayadaws who have served as the Gaṇādhipati of the Catubhummika Mahāsatipaṭṭhān Hngettwin Sect.^{[3]: 46–47}

Mahāyin Sect

The following are the Sayadaws who have served as the Nikāyādhipati Sammuti Saṃgharājā of the Dhammayutti Nikāya Mahāyi Sect.^[3]: 57