Myaungmya was referenced earliest in the
Jambūdipa, a text dating to the reign of
Kyansittha. The name "Myaungmya" originates from the
Mon language name
Mongmale (မံၚ်မၠ, lit. "where the
Myaya plants are.") The old town of Myaungmya is an archaeological zone and a heritage preservation zone today. The Viceroy of Myaungmya,
Laukpya, rebelled against the
Hanthawaddy kingdom during the reign of
Binnya U in 1364 CE. By 1371, he had successfully taken control of the
Bassein province and became the ruler of the
Irrawaddy Delta as the Viceroy of Bassein-Myaungmya. During this period, Myaungmya was a heavily fortified city that resisted the siege of Binnya U's successor
Razadarit during the
Forty Years' War. Despite this, Myaungmya eventually surrendered to Razadarit after a battlefield loss in 1390. Myaungmya is where Daw
Khin Kyi, the wife of national leader General
Aung San was born. It was also one of the towns where anti-colonial nationalistic education was implemented, with future Prime Minister
U Nu serving as district education officer. Another prominent independence figure and one of the martyrs remembered on
Martyr's Day, Dee Doke U
Ba Cho, was born in Myaungmya Myaungmya city is the main exporter of rice in Myanmar.
George Orwell served as assistant superintendent of police in Myaungmya in 1924. ==Demographics==