Historic Background Of Yangon

Prior to the 19th  century (and that too the late 19th century), Yangon’s main claim to fame was the renowned Shwedagon Pagoda, generally regarded as the central point for Buddhism in Myanmar. Pilgrims would come from all over the country to pay homage to the relics at the pagoda built sometime in the 11th century. Yangon swiftly developed into an important seaport, and by the time the British brought Burma under their control, Yangon had become such a large and important city that it was quite natural for the British to choose it as their capital, in 1885. Rangoon soon became not just the administrative centre, but also an important centre for trade, business, culture and social change. Even after independence, Rangoon remained the capital, and it witnessed most of the major upheavals the country has undergone - including pro-democracy movements, human rights movements and their kind.