U Kyin U (Burmese: ဦးကြင်ဥ; c. 1773 – c. 1838) was one of Burma's most prominent 19th century dramatists, along with U Ponnya.[1][2]
U Kyin U | |
|---|---|
| Native name | ဦးကြင်ဥ |
| Born | c. 1773 Sinbaungwe, Kingdom of Burma |
| Died | c. 1838 |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | Burmese |
| Period | Konbaung Dynasty |
Kyin U was born c. 1773 in Sinbaungwe in present-day Magway Region.[3] He likely began his career as a song and speech writer for stage characters.[4] Kyin U gained prominence in the latter years of King Bagyidaw's reign, and his plays were composed after the First Anglo-Burmese War of 1824.[4] He retired after the end of Bagyidaw's reign, and returned to Sinbaungwe.[4]
Kyin U penned several court plays, primarily based on the Buddhist jatakas.[4][5] Of the six court plays he wrote, 2 have been lost.[4] His plays dealt with the sociopolitical aspects of early 19th century Burmese history.[5] He was also known for his songs and poetry.[5] Many of his songs are published in an anthology called Thachin Padetha.[3]
List of works
edit- Mahawthada
- Papahein
- Waythandaya
- Daywagonban
- Winganda
References
edit- ^ "U Kyin U". The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
- ^ Osipov, Yuriy M. (2013). "1". In David Smyth (ed.). Buddhist hagiography in forming the canon in the classical literatures of Indochina. The Canon in Southeast Asian Literature. Routledge. ISBN 9781136816123.
- ^ a b "Konbaung Period Writers" (PDF). Working People's Daily. 5 May 1988. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Htin Aung (1957). Burmese drama. Oxford University Press.
- ^ a b c "U Kyin U". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 26 July 2015.