Pe Maung Tin

U Pe Maung Tin was born on April 24, 1888, in Insein into a devout Christian family. Graduating with highest honors from Rangoon College and Calcutta University, he studied at Oxford University, becoming an internationally renowned authority on Theravada Buddhist philosophical texts.

Collaborating with G.H. Luce, Pe Maung Tin translated the monumental Burmese royal history The Glass Palace Chronicle (Hmannan Yazawin) and Buddhaghosa's The Expositor (Atthasalini) for the Pali Text Society in London. As the first native Rector of Rangoon University, he founded the departments of Burmese Language and Literature and Southeast Asian History, nurturing generations of Burmese scholars.