U Kala

U Kala
Native name	ဦးကုလား
Born	1678 Singu village, Toungoo Dynasty
Died	1738 (aged 60)[1]
Residence	Ava (Inwa)
Nationality	Burmese
Occupation	Historian
Known for	Compiling the Maha Yazawin
Religion	Theravada Buddhism
Parent(s)	Deva Setha (father) Mani Ogha (mother)

In this Burmese name, U is an honorific.

U Kala (Burmese: ဦးကုလား) is a Burmese historian and chronicler best known for compiling the Maha Yazawin (lit. 'Great Royal Chronicle'), the first extensive national chronicle of Burma.^[2] U Kala single-handedly revolutionized secular Burmese historiography and ushered in a new generation of private chroniclers, including Buddhist monks and laymen.^[3]

U Kala was a wealthy descendant of court and regional administrative officers from both sides of his family. (His father was a "rich man" who descended from regional administrative officers (myosas) of the crown, and his mother was of mixed Shan and Burman noble descent.)

References

1. Seekins, Donald M. (2006). Historical Dictionary of Burma (Myanmar). Scarecrow Press. p. 270. ISBN 9780810854765.
2. Hla Pe (1985). Burma: Literature, Historiography, Scholarship, Language, Life, and Buddhism. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 38–40. ISBN 9789971988005.
3. Lieberman, Victor (2003). Strange Parallels: Volume 1, Integration on the Mainland. Cambridge University Press. p. 198. ISBN 9780521800860.