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The Shan people are a distinct ethnic
group that today constitute Myanmar’s
largest minority group. However, from
the 13th until the 16th Century, they
dominated most of the country. They are
largely Buddhist, and their language and
customs are closely related to the Thai
and Laotians, their neighbors to the
south and east. In the 19th Century,
long after their power had eroded, they
were distributed among thirty petty
states that paid tribute first to the
Burman King, then to the British. This
arrangement remained more or less in
tact until 1922 when the Federated Shan
States were joined together. In 1947, a
unified Shan States was created under
the Burmese Constitution. Although much
of their autonomy has been relinquished
to the central government, the Shan
retain their unique cultural identity
and ethnic heritage.
In Myanmar, two disciples traditionally
flank important representations of the
Buddha. Their presence is historically
inaccurate, considering that all of the
Buddha’s friends had deserted him at the
time of his enlightenment. However, it
reflects a traditional Burmese Buddhist
belief that the faith was introduced
into Myanmar by two of his disciples
during the Buddha’s lifetime. These two
disciples begin to appear as early as
the 11th Century A.D. and can be
identified as two of the chief disciples
Mogallana and Sariputta. Here, two
disciples are depicted kneeling on
individual double-lotus bases,
meditating in quiet contemplation with
their hands clutched together in prayer.
They wear simple robes consistent with
the monastic order. Originally, they
would have been placed nearby a larger
sculpture of the Buddha himself inside
an ornately decorated temple. They are
always depicted slightly smaller than
the Buddha in order to reveal their
status as disciples.
- (X.0255)
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