Hinthada

Historically, Hinthada was occupied by the Mon people, and was part of the Bagan Empire. According to local histories, the town was founded by Sithu I of Bagan who rested there on a trip up the Irrawaddy River. While building a temporary palace, his male hintha bird (a quasi-legendary species of goose or swan) passed away- causing him to name the area {{lang|my|ဟင်္သာတ}} (Hintha-ta; lit. yearn for hintha). An alternative folk etymology says it was actually Sithu IV, who stopped in the area while fleeing the first Mongol invasion of Burma. Because he found the area lacking in food for his feast and called it ဟင်းလျာတ (hin-lya-ta; lit. yearn for entrees), which later morphed into Hinthada. The last folk etymology comes from the Mon language name for the danone palm, which grew in abundance in the area. In Mon, the palm is called Henzada and is the most likely origin for the town's name.

However, the town would be first mentioned historically during the conquests of Alaungpaya in the 18th century when it was taken from the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom. Henzada, as it was then called, was one of the first seven municipalities created by the Burma Municipal Act of 1874 during the British rule in Burma.Morrison, W. S. (1915) Henzada District Office of the Superintendent, Government Printing, Rangoon, Burma, [https://books.google.com/books?id=o7kB6SCo3gIC&q=Talaings+Delta page 16], {{OCLC|69339625}}

In the 2010s, the town did not see the dramatic changes in other cities during the 2011–2015 Myanmar political reforms and remained an archetypal agricultural trading town. However, in 2015, following the ousting of Shwe Mann from the Union Solidarity and Development Party, the town's local Htay Oo looked set to become the party's new leader and potential new president. However, locals opposed his re-election due to grievances regarding the military regime's monopolisation of rice milling and illegal land grabs.{{cite news |title=The story of a small but crucial town in Myanmar |last=Bull |first=Daniel |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34721548 |work=BBC |language=en |date=5 November 2015}} Htay Oo would go on to lose in the 2015 Myanmar general election, although remained the deputy chairman of the USDP.{{cite news |title=Htay Oo |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/elections/htay-oo.html |work=The Irrawaddy |date=9 November 2015}}

{{Historical populations

|title = Historical Population

|type =

|state =

|shading =

|pop_name = Hinthada

|percentages =

|footnote =

|source = Superintendent, Government of Lower Burma,{{cite report |title=Burma Report Volume III |url=https://www.networkmyanmar.org/ESW/Files/1891-Census-Tables-Provincial-Lower-Burma.pdf |date=1891 |publisher=Superintendent, Government Printing, Burma |location=Rangoon|language=en}} Ministry of Labor, Immigration, and Population data, General Administration Department

|1891 | 19,455

|1973 |

|1983 | 82005

|2014 | 79431

|2019 | 80956

}}

In the 1983 census the city itself had a population of 82,005. By 2010, demographers estimated that it had grown to 170,312.{{cite web|url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1&men=gcis&lng=en&des=gamelan&geo=-3&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&pt=c&va=&geo=-141 |title=Myanmar: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population" |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209135624/http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1&men=gcis&lng=en&des=gamelan&geo=-3&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&pt=c&va=&geo=-141 |archive-date=2013-02-09 |url-status=dead }} World Gazetteer However, the 2014 Myanmar Census found that the town had 79,431 people, although the surrounding township had a total population of 331,052 people.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dop.gov.mm/sites/dop.gov.mm/files/publication_docs/hinthada_0.pdf|title=The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census: Hithada Township Report |website=Department of Population (Myanmar)|language=en |access-date=16 Jan 2025}}

There are various industries in the town of Hinthada to process food from surrounding agriculture such as granaries. In addition, the town has other manufacturers including an iron foundry and ice manufacturing plant. The town of Hinthada is also a major port for rice and tobacco grown in the surrounding area as well as a transportation hub for rail and road with Pathein and Yangon.{{cite encyclopedia |last=Parrott-Sheffer |first=Chelsey |title=Hinthada |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Hinthada |encyclopedia=Britannica |access-date=15 January 2025}}

The township is described as having three seasons (rainy, winter and dry) with temperatures ranging from 10°C to 41°C. Hinthada has significantly less rain than other part of Lower Myanmar, in part due to its distance from the ocean. Temperatures, however, remain warmer during winter and cooler during the dry season compared to Yangon.{{cite report |title=A Comparative Analysis of Climate and Weather Patterns between Hinthada and Yangon: Implications for Regional Climate Studies and Sustainable Development |author1=Sharo Paw |author2=Thet Thet Aung |author3=Hlaing Htake Khaung Tin |publisher=University of Computer Studies, Hinthada |language=en |url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hlaing-Htake-Khaung-Tin-2/publication/375524745_A_Comparative_Analysis_of_Climate_and_Weather_Patterns_between_Hinthada_and_Yangon_Implications_for_Regional_Climate_Studies_and_Sustainable_Development}}

The area has a tropical savanna climate (Koppen: Aw).

{{Weather box

| location = Hinthada (1991–2020)

| single line = Y

| metric first = Y

| width = auto

|collapsed = Y

|Jan high C = 31.5

|Feb high C = 34.5

|Mar high C = 37.5

|Apr high C = 39.1

|May high C = 36.1

|Jun high C = 31.7

|Jul high C = 30.7

|Aug high C = 30.6

|Sep high C = 31.7

|Oct high C = 32.8

|Nov high C = 32.4

|Dec high C = 30.9

| year high C = 33.3

|Jan mean C = 22.8

|Feb mean C = 24.6

|Mar mean C = 28.0

|Apr mean C = 30.8

|May mean C = 30.1

|Jun mean C = 27.8

|Jul mean C = 27.3

|Aug mean C = 27.2

|Sep mean C = 27.8

|Oct mean C = 28.1

|Nov mean C = 26.7

|Dec mean C = 23.8

| year mean C = 27.1

|Jan low C = 14.0

|Feb low C = 14.6

|Mar low C = 18.5

|Apr low C = 22.5

|May low C = 24.2

|Jun low C = 24.0

|Jul low C = 23.9

|Aug low C = 23.9

|Sep low C = 23.9

|Oct low C = 23.5

|Nov low C = 20.9

|Dec low C = 16.8

| year low C = 20.9

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 3.8

|Feb precipitation mm = 3.7

|Mar precipitation mm = 10.2

|Apr precipitation mm = 26.9

|May precipitation mm = 194.6

|Jun precipitation mm = 494.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 537.7

|Aug precipitation mm = 460.0

|Sep precipitation mm = 291.2

|Oct precipitation mm = 172.4

|Nov precipitation mm = 33.4

|Dec precipitation mm = 5.8

| year precipitation mm = 2233.7

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 0.4

|Feb precipitation days = 0.3

|Mar precipitation days = 0.5

|Apr precipitation days = 1.8

|May precipitation days = 11.3

|Jun precipitation days = 22.9

|Jul precipitation days = 25.3

|Aug precipitation days = 23.6

|Sep precipitation days = 18.4

|Oct precipitation days = 11.5

|Nov precipitation days = 2.8

|Dec precipitation days = 0.4

|year precipitation days = 119.1

|source 1 = World Meteorological Organization{{cite web

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Myanmar/CSV/Hinthada_48087.csv

| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020

| publisher = World Meteorological Organization

| access-date = 16 October 2023}}

}}

The city is home to University of Computer Studies, Hinthada and Hinthada University and Technological University, Hinthada.[http://www.most.gov.mm/hinthadatu/ "Technological University, Hinthada"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629201900/http://www.most.gov.mm/hinthadatu/ |date=2010-06-29 }} homepage

• Mahn Ba Khaing
• Mahn Win Khaing Than

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120317030354/http://www.hinthada.webs.com/ "Hinthata Organization"], in Burmese

{{Ayeyarwady Region}}

Category:Populated places in Ayeyarwady Region

Category:Township capitals of Myanmar