Saya San
Burmese Buddhist monk executed for leading a revolt (1876-1931)
Saya San (Burmese: ဆရာစံ, Burmese pronunciation: [sʰəjà sã]; 24 October 1876 – 28 November 1937), born with the name Yar Kyaw, was a Burmese physician and monk who led the Saya San Rebellion (1930–1932) against British colonial rule in Burma (now known as Myanmar). Saya San launched a peasant revolt, proclaiming himself the king and organizing the "Galon Army". The colonial government suppressed the rebellion and Saya San fled to the Shan Hills, but he was captured in August 1931 and executed on 28 November 1931. This uprising is regarded as a pivotal anti-colonial movement in Southeast Asia. Saya San and the rebellion continue to be important subjects of academic study, especially within Asian historical research.
Early life
Saya San was born on 24 October 1876 in Shwebo, a center of monarchist sentiment and the birthplace of the Konbaung dynasty, which ruled Myanmar (Burma) from 1752 until the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1886. His parents, U Kyaye and Daw Hpet, lived in Thayetkon with their five children. Exposed to Buddhism early on at the local monastery and later at Hpo Hmu monastery, he left for Nga Kaung Inn to pursue mat and basket selling. He married Ma Kay and had two children, Ko Po Thin and Ma Sein. Facing economic hardship, he moved to Moulmein in Lower Burma to look for better opportunities.
The public source identifies “Saya San” as burmese Buddhist monk executed for leading a revolt (1876-1931). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Saya, Burmese and Buddhist.
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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q949731. VIAF identifies the subject as 171825987. The Library of Congress control number is nb2006007556. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1876, 1937, 1930 and 1932.
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This entry incorporates text from “Saya San” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.