L E GE N D A RY H IS T ORY

B URMA AND ARAKAN

t in . C ap a C '. F S F orb e s,

LATE DEPUTY COMM SS ONER B RITI H B R I I , S U MA.

'P U B L I D B Y R IT Y S H E A U T H O O F G OV E R N M E N T . '

B A N G OON

RINTED AT THE GOVERNME NT PRE P SS .

C O N T E N T S

Preface

Legendary History of B urma an d Arak an

Legendary Tal aing History

B uddhi sm an d it s introduction into B urma

- — S D B 0 . 543 444 econd T agmm g ynasty. .

— m st B . 444 : A. D . 10 Th e Pro s Dyna y C . 7

— — The D D . 10 841 old Pagan yn asty A. 7

d — — 1 h Ki . . 8 T e Pegu ng om A D . 403 7

— A . D 84 The Dynasty of n ew Pagan . 1 1284

— 2 — Th e Martaban Kingdom . A . D . 1 81 1370

Th e h n D n st an d Found tion o Av —A 2 4 S a y a y a f a . D . 1 8 1 555

— — T Pe . D . 1 0 1542 he Kingdom of gu A. 37

P R E F A C E

THE history of the Burm an and Talaing countries has been rawfurd u already narrated by several writers. C and B rney were the f s of u first to brin g be ore European reader the annals the B rmese , but these writers only incidentally deal with their neighbours the r a a Talaings, an d the e are gre t discrepancies in the chronologic l in hi s al u tables furn ished by each of them . Next Dr . Mason , v able t i urm h as n compendium of every hing relat ng to B a , give two

ur hi . r ur abstracts , one of Talaing , the other of B mese story Sir A th

Pha e m m so m u h as y r , to who British Bur a owes ch , published , in two the journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal , valuable essays on i the History of the Burm a Race and on the H story of Pegu . There are besides slight historical sketches in other works such as

’ ’ those in Father San germ an o s B urmese Empire and Yul e s Embassy

t Ava B t t r m r n to the Cour of . u there is no shor histo y e b aci g in on e connected series a general and comprehen sive view of the events happening contemporaneously within the area of what was known n u as before the English occupatio of Peg the Burman Empire .

’ t u hi s r Dr. Mason s dates are of en conf sed and facts inco rect ’ rt ur Pha re i in the earlier parts of the history . Sir A h y s nteresting s m Ar a urm essay are inco plete and , moreover , treat of ak nese , B ese , an d Talaing hi story separately in scattered numbers of a scientific r journal not gene ally accessible . f m f w Whi In ra ing the ollo ing slight sketch , le advantage h as s of all u been taken of the labour the above a thors , and the opinions

of Sir r ur Pha re l n r due w A th y especia ly have been give thei eight , the actual facts have been taken from the existing Talain g and m s i an d th d Bur e e histor es, e ates obtained by checking one with th e other .

There exist a number of local chronicles of the petty dynasties which have at various tim es established themselves in different ii PREFACE .

u is That n u . one r parts of the co ntry Th s there a histo y , a Martaba

Prom s . history , a history , a Pagan history , and several others The ll is m ur of f comm encement of a these generally a ixt e able and fact , r of not always easy to separate , tending to glo ify the founder the m in city or dynasty , but each helps to confir or check the others points where they mutu ally converge . The writer has collated by means of translations from the original Talaing m anu scripts several of r th e a has m these epochal histo ies of Tal ing nation , and co piled the Burm an portion of the history from the works above m entioned

s m fr m of Razawin oke corrected in o e cases o a copy the gy , or m um of b n Co pendi of the chronicles the Kings , elongi g to a

n Mandalay po egy ee . With regard to the wonderful fables with which the earlier

are u m r u parts of these records filled , sho ld any dee on thei acco nt

rr u we u n th the whole na ative untr stworthy , wo ld ask whether o e same grou nds we shoul d also blot out several pages of early u f r English history , the a thorities o which are the equally fable ni mongering early chro cles .

a n u r m No n tio al traditions are witho t thei eaning , if we could m find it , and because we cannot do so at once to dis iss them as u utterly seless and false is both unwise and unscholarly .

C . '. F . F . S . LEGENDARY HISTORY OF B URMA AND ARAKAN .

ALL Talaing an d Burm ese chronology depend s on the era of n t all uddhi are th e nirvana of Gaudam a. O his point B st nations C e an d ' n n ot agreed , the Tibetan , the hin se , the apa ese having each a date differing from the other and also from that adopted by th e n s al a Si ghale e , the Burmans , T ings , Shans , and other nations of

- Indo China. di Europe an scholars have been equally vided , but the date n ow gene rall y accepted by them is that used by the Buddhists of

hic 543 . Burma , w h will place this event in the year before Christ d i so s This is the year 1 of the sacred Bud h st era , that the pre ent 2421 f A. D 18 8 rs o year , . 7 , answe to the year the Burman sacred

e ra. L o is ate re searches in India seem , h wever , to prove that there n an error of 65 years in thi s date . Among the rui s at the ancient

famous Buddhist te mple of Buddha - Gays. has been discovered an inscription in the words in the year 1819 of the eman cipation of 1 st of o Bhagavata , on Wednesday , the day the waning m on of ” c hi a e Kartik . A cording to the Burman reckoning t s d t answers D f of A. 12 o 6 . to . 7 But the day the week and the day the moon b l a t t eing both given , it is by calcu tion easy to ell whe her in any has be m d given year they so coincide . This calculation en a e by a. m l st of th learned Hindu astrono er , and it is found that the day e n n m f D 12 6 d A. . o A. D wa i g oon Kartik in 7 fell on a Fri ay , but in . 1341 d the 7th d it fell on Wednes ay , October , which woul place the n of ni f begi ning of the Buddhist era , that is , the date the rvana o d G n e 4 8 . . a ama , in the y ar 7 B C in u se the m We shall , however, the following pages co monly e f m received date in order to pr vent con usion or istake . The cou ntries which by Europeans are often confused and comprehended under the general name of Burma consist of the s u three great division of Arakan , Pegu , and B rma , which formerly c e - onstituted thre distinct empires , even when at times su b divided into several petty States . Arakan comprised what now forms the British division of Ara k an N . u , and as far as Cape egrais Peg , or the Talaing Kingdom , 2 LEGENDARY STORY or M AND N HI BUR A ARAKA . seem s in ancient times to have extended from a little below the i u n c ty of Prome to the so th coast as far as the Martaba Point . u n of s m Burma comprehended the co ntry orth Pegu , and ea tward fro Mun i u r th e Arakan , Cathay or p , and Assam to e bord rs of China n d m It s r r a Northern Sia . no thern boundaries in ea ly times would ffi be di cult to define . This description is not of course intended as of an accurate geographical definition each of these countries . Ar Razawin s s The Burmese and akan , or History of King , goe of th e back to the origin present world , even alluding to those b as u . efore , ta ght in the Buddhist religious books There is nothing to as t interest any reader, may be seen from the commencemen

so- al hi of the second part of the c led history , w ch thus sums up what has gone before In r i the first part we have nar ated the h story of the Kings , commencing from Maha Tham ada up to the tim e of the Excellent G u d in a a am a . Para , there being Kings regul r succession Thi s is the fabul ous part of the history and is merely copied from the Buddhist books brought together with the religion from m a m hi of India . The next part y be ter ed the legendary story is of Burma , that , it consists of a series ancient traditions , which , nn all as althou gh we ca ot accept the details true , seem to contain some of the important facts of the early history of the race handed r down from the ea liest times in the shape of legends or stories . This portion commences at an indefin ite date before the birth of m a of 31 the Gauda . But as a line Kings are enumerated from a if a foundation of the mon rchy to the latter event , we only llow an f r hi rr u s a average o ten yea s to each reign , t s will ca y b ck to th e

ninth centu ry before Christ . N r was At this time , says the ative history , the e a war between the King of Kawthala (or Oude) and the Th aky a Princes awlee a Da wadah a Ka eelawoot of K y , y , and pp (the country around Th ak a on e Fyzabad) . The y Kings were subdued , and of them , Ka eelawoot Abeeraza t the Prince of pp , by name , with his army lef it z eem a ee or m the My py ( middle country) and arched eastward . Having crossed the Thallawadee river (the Chindwin riv er) e on of r r an d they rest d the west bank the Ir awaddy iver , crossing Thin ath arat a c ll over that settled in g , the city now a ed Tagoung . This traditionary origin of the Burm an race from the coun try of central Gangetic India h as been ridiculed by m ost European Ph re 1m f . a oun ded . writers , even by Sir A y , as utterly The subject is too uncertain and surrounded with difficulties to admit of bein g it m a he in for treated of here , but y remarked that all our latest m ation te n ds to Show that the Burm ans and Tal aings came into their f m s w an d t present countries ro the we t ard , probably through he LE ENDARY STORY OF RM AND K G HI BU A ARA AN . 3

v of s. U can b alley the Gange ntil therefore the contrary e proved , it seems only reasonable to accept the tradition Of the migration of the chief part of the Burman race and their Princes from some part Of Northern India . But when the Burmese hi storians go on to connect their first Kings with the Rajput Princes who reigned in the State s of Kawthala and Kappe elawoot at the time Gaudam a an d e n was born , believ the Burma people to be of the same race as of of the inhabitants that region India , they only show their Of an es e utter ignorance y countri or people exc pt themselves . Th e

an d t o - m e t Rajputs their subjects belong the Indo Ger anic rac , o th which also e English , the French , the Germ ans and other n of Eur O e are of the ations p belong , while the Burmans Mongo a Of hi in e hi lian r ce , w ch the Tala gs , Shans , Siames , and C nese form a e lso a part . Both th ir bodily characteristics and their language when compared prove t he utter want Of connection between th e

Burman an d Rajput races . This pretended origin of their Kings was no doubt the invention of courtly historians to flatter th e pride and vanity Of royal minds after the conversion Of the nation to Buddhism . The ruins of Tagoung still exist and there is no reason for d was oubting that it the earliest seat Of the Burman monarchy . Abeeraz a hi s n Kan raza ee After the death Of two so s , gy and Kan n s th e raza geh , disputed the crown , but agreed as a mean to settle l wh question that each should build a re igious edifice , and that he o ’ m fa first co pleted the work should succeed to their ther s throne . Th e un Kan raz an eh yo ger brother , g , had recourse to stratagem , an d on e r in night with bamboos and plastered cloth e ected a pagoda , on w Kan raza ee r at seeing which , ithout examination , gy depa ted once with his adherents westward and settled at Kalay doun g on the west ban k Of the Chindwin river . Here they were joined by d P oo the kin red tribes of the y and Thet , who seem to have been f d l The at that time in posse ssion o the middle Irrawad y va ley . remains of this latter tribe may probably be foun d in a pe ople bear ing a somewhat similar name inhabiting the northern part of

Arakan . son Mood ooseikta e Having placed his , , over thos who remained Kan raz a ee o here , gy with the rest of his foll wers pushed on again w estwards and founded a city on the Ky ou kpin doun g mountain Of f it in n O . the north Araka , the ruins which c y are still to be seen Ar o Thus , according to both Burmese and akanese hist ry , was found e d t d t the nation and kin gdom of Arakan . Following his tra i ion the Burmans have always acknowledged the Arakanese as th e ’ e lder branch of the race and style them B y a m agy ee . Kan razangeh an d his descendants reign ed for thirty - one generations 4 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN.

f l K B ein n ak a th . r O e in Tagoung Du ing the reign the ast ing , , ’ whole country was overrun by invaders from the country Of Ganda f in f a o O . larit , the Buddhist cl ssic name the prov ce Yunan The King Of Tagoung retired to Malay ch oun g on the Irrawaddy Am ara oora an d his e the ra e on e t above p , on d ath people sepa t d , par are n ow h t r emigrating eastward into what the S an States , ano he part goin g southward and uniting with those of the former emi gration un der Kan razagy ee in th e coun try Of the Py oo and Thet w u e Na asein i d tribes , while the remainder ith the Q e n , g , cont nue

to occupy Malay ch oun g . ro r B ein n k a chron i As the Tagoung yal ace ended with a , the cles hav e recourse t o a fresh emigration from Middle India t o sup

ply a new dynasty . r We he e touch a firm point in chronology . At this time , L Gau dam a M it z ee says the historian , the ord , appeared in the y ’

m ada th a . Kawthal a Kosala y , or middle country The King of or Mah an an da (Oude) asked in marriage the hand Of a daughter of , Ka e l o Mahan an da e e Th ok edawdan a e awo t . s King Of pp This ucce d d , f n f Ki of o O . the father Ga dama , and was cousin the latter The ng Ka eelaw oot n s Of r r a pp , i tead a oyal P incess , sent the daughter Of l . Kawth a a an d wh o beautiful slave The King married her had a son , i K e w a e lawoot . hen grown up , went to v sit his relations in pp Being ’ i n Of nsulted by them o account his mother s birth , the young ’ fte hi d th e Prince vowed revenge . A r s father s eath he attacked h ak a Ka eelawoot m d es T y Princes of pp , overcame the , and utterly

troy ed their country . That this legend so far h as been derived direct from Indian e al th e a s sources is evident , as we find it narrat d in most ex ct word a Hiou en Th san by the Chinese tr veller g and alluded to by another ,

Fa Hian . n n r Th ak a Ka eelawoot O the fi al ove throw of the y dynasty of pp ,

‘ th e Dazaraz a e his on e Of Princes , , with his follow rs , imitating o Abeeraza r t alleged ancest r , made his way eastward and settled fi s a n ow Mwa in f i aw ree . d in M y , y y Thence , a ter a t me , he move Mal a ch oun m southwards to y g, where he finally arried Queen Naga Of B ein n ak a sa Th ak a r as sein , the widow and of the me royal y ace is e of himself. This the all ged origin the second Tagoung

dynasty . To glance for a moment at the probable truth or otherwise of t s Of this story . We know that the early tradi ion all the great nations of In dO- China represent them as at the begin nin g mere n r e an d a s a e Of d broke t ib s cl n in stat savage in ependence , much b Of of resembling that of the hill tri es Arakan at this day . Most as th e n S mes an d the m s sc e th em , Talai gs , the ia e , Ca bodian , a rib EGEN R STORY OF U M AND 5 L DA Y HI B R A ARAKAN . t h e origin of their civilization and first royal race to the advent of f d o . colonists from the coast India In ian history informs us that, Gaudam a after the death of , desolating wars and revolutions pre f vailed among the numerous petty Princes o Middl e India . There or l d oes not then seem to be any impossibility , even improbabi ity , on e Of s in the idea that these fugitive Princes , wandering eastward in search of a new country wherein to establish himself and his m a u his followers , y have fo nd way through the passes of the Mani ur ll d th e p hi s into the valley of the Irrawad y , and either subjected

- his or e semi savage native tribes to sway , have been rec ived by m a them as a civilizer and chief. We y then accept this legend of the second emigration of the early Burm an royal dynasty from

India as at least credible , even though we discredit the first , and those who entirely reject it have in no way accounted otherwise for the commencement of civilization and order among the tribes

which afterwards formed the Burman race . After hi s marriage Daz araza an d his Queen founded the

U a a . city of pper Pag n , near T goung They subsequently removed

m of Old r - to the other capital the race , Tagoung , which they e built , n a an d the whole cou try received the S nskrit name of Py in sal arit . The actual history of the Burman race and empire m ay be n of un said to begi from this second founding Tago g , although th e i u u narrative s still m ch obsc red by fable .

L L EGE N DAR Y TA AI N G H IS T OR Y .

THERE is on e great difference between the annals of the Talain g n n an d Burman races . The Talai g natio al historians do not pretend

for c . n to account the origin of their ra e While , like all other natio s , m their earliest traditions are largely ixed with fable , they do not r e xtend these back into a mythical antiquity , and go no fu ther Gau d am a 600 back than the era of , that is , about years before

Christ . They have no tradition of ever having occupied other than of their present localities , or any changes or migrations of their of race . The starting point their history is not even national , but

connected with a foreign country and people . It is thus told in the Talaing books Teikth a Z a ak on em a The two Princes , and y y , sons of the King ' Th oo ienn a Karan n ak a of p in the country , became hermits an d resided on the Zin gy ik e mountain (between Th at on e and Martaban) After some time the younger brother moved to the Z wehgabin

mountain (east of the Salween) and lived there . The elder brother ,

A country on the east coast of India. r M AND K N 6 LEGENDARY HISTORY o BUR A ARA A .

n f of Zin ike f u t o walking o e day by the seashore at the oot gy , o nd w

m w m . of eggs , fro hich in ti e two boys were produced One these ,

his m al - ox who the hermit gave to younger brother , died of s l p at the of age of ten years . When the other had attained the age seven

d his - d teen , with the a vice of foster father the hermit , he calle — Yoon s together the people around , Moons (or Talaings) , , Brah a K a azawas min Kal s (or foreigners from India) , y y p , Shans , Chins, Toun th oos — That on L e . awas , and g , and founded a city called He r z who assumed the name of Theeha a a. The boy had died was Meikth eela Ol born again in the country , and when seven years d L Gaudam a e Rahan da Gawon ad m et the ord and b came the p ay . \L In this wonderful and at first sight absurd story of th e found h t n e i or a ation of T a o , the earliest seat of the Tala ng Moon people s e a nation , closer xamination will disclose some important facts . i is f The founder s a Prince whose origin abulous , represented ’ ’ as born of a n agam a s or female dragon s egg and brought up and educated by a princely hermit belonging to the country of Karan as Th oo ein n a naka . This latter , as well p and other localities men n tion ed in these early Talai g traditions , have been clearly identified as parts of the ancient Dravidian kingdom of Teelin gan a on the Th aton e east coast of India . The inhabitants of are also said to r have been composed of seve al races , among whom we find Brah

a is . mi n Kal s , that , foreigners from the coast of India of f h We may , without any distortion acts , read between t e u of as y lines of the fable 3. tr e history the events they actually Thaton e occurred . The country around and Martaban was inhabit Own ed by the Moons represented by their history as then a wild , n barbarous race . A tradi g colony of the civilized natives of the Te elin a m m ff g coast arrived , and after so e ti e they or their o spring by th e of a women the country , typified by the n gama , founded the h at on e al l a city of T . In Indian tradition the N gas represent th e of aborigines of a country . One point the story is confirmed by the o v iz . ge logical evidence , , that sea once washed the foot of Z in gy ik e and reached to the walls of the city of Th aton e instead f n o being as ow twelve miles distant . The early trading inter course between the Hindu kingdom of Teelin gan a and the coun on e tries the ast of the Bay of Bengal is a fact well known . AS in all Buddhist countries Gau dam a is alleged to have s personally vi ited and preached in them, he is said to have so done Th at on e . of in But there are two versions the legend . Accord ing to one this visit took place in the reign of Th eeharaz a him his Th eeree m athawk self, according to the other in that of son a. This will give us t wo dates to select from for the founding Of Tha un th e f d tone . The first acco t places visit o Gau am a in the thirty

8 LEGENDARY HI STORY or BURMA AND ARAxAN . dhist s or t r ri l otherwise , have very lit le clea idea in a histo ca sense .

B U DDH I SM AN D IT S I NTR O DU C TION I NTO B U R M A .

ABOU T six centuries before Christ the religion of the people of Central India in the countries watered by the Ganges w as Brah i t m n ism . This name was derived from the deity Brahm (the perfec

on e w m m . was ) , hose priests and inisters were the Brah ans But it a religion very different in practice from that which bears the sam e

m - be na e to day . The Brahmans thought that the deity must propitiated by th e sacrifice of great numbers of helpless animals human bein s and even in some cases of g . At that time the country n ow forming the provinces of Oude a f and Allahab d was divided into a number o petty kingdoms , one h Ka elaw r of e oot d . of w ich was pp , the modern Fyzaba Here P inces Th ak a a 600 T ok edawdan a is the y r ce ruled , and about B . C . h said m . s as acco to have been King His elde t son , described a most lish ed was k h p young Prince , suddenly struc wit an intense desire to become a religious teacher and alleviate the sorrow and misery h e u saw around him in the world . He forsook the pomp and lux ry of his royal state and for forty - fiv e years wandered from city to city with his disciples , ever preaching and teaching lessons of love

. u n and mercy This yo ng Prince was Ga dama , and the religion he ' ” s u taught is called Buddhi m , that is , the religion of B ddh , because his chief doctrine was that the law which he taught men to observe could only be fully known t o and preached by a perfectly wise and

u . benevolent being , which is the meaning of the word B ddh ff He taught that already three other Buddhs had appeared at di er, th e ent times on earth , that he himself was the fourth , and that

after him at a long interval should come a fifth and last , for whose u appearance the Buddhists still look . The doctrines which Ga da m a m taught cannot be explained here , but the five great com and m ents of his religion m ay be mentioned : they are (1) not to take life ' (2) not to steal ( 3) not to commit adultery ' ( 4) not to drink intoxicating things

(5) not to lie .

At the age of eighty , and according to the date accepted by s r the Buddhi ts of Ceylon and Burma , the g eat teacher Gau dam a d ' die , or , to use the Buddhist expression , attained n irvana or is neikban , that , the cessation of existence . 9 LEGENDARY HIS TORY OF BURMA AND Aq AN .

We see then that Gau dam a is n ot a God as is foolishly said n hi s i b y some wh o do not u derstand rel gion , but merely a great e u teacher . His r ligion is that now professed not only in B rma hi ' and Siam , but in Ceylon , C na , Thibet , apan , and Tartary , and ’ numbers ove r 340 ou t of the 900 milli ons of the earth s in habitants can e of among its votaries . We here only consid r the history its

introduction into the Burman countries . After the de ath of Gandama three great synods or councils famous in Buddhist religious history were held in India to collect - n d and revise the Buddhist sacred books . The last a m ost important of these was held in the great city of Paliboth ra or Pat alipfit ra (the modern Patna) under the protection of the celebrated Asoka or

h am m th awk a of Ma adh a. c ac D a , Raja g This took pla e cording to ’ 235 n the Burmese dates years after the death of Ga dama , that is , B 08 . ut B C . 3 an examination of Indian history leads to the 241 a . . belief that the real d te was some time later , in B C . In hi d t s , the last and greatest council , the Bud hist sacred books were revised with the greatest care and labour and collected in th e B eeda at g . From this coun cil went forth into all lands bordering on Hin s dustan zealous Buddhist missionaries , and it is really from thi date that the historical introduction of Buddhism into the various

- trans Indian coun tries of Asia can be traced . Every people which has embraced the faith of Gan dama h as fondly endeavoured t o ascribe their first conversion to the personal teachin g and preach f ing of the great founder himsel , and the supposed traces and local f dh s n o u . legends Buddha are found in every Bud i t co try There is , n ot sli he st n m however , the g reason for believing that Ga da a ever l t e travelled beyond the imits of the upper Gange ic provinc s , nor even that Buddhism itself had spread much beyond those limits e r before the date of this last council . Educat d Bu man B uddhists should reflect that their own sacred books which contain the life of Gau dam a make no m ention of his visiting any places but those in the upper valley of the Ganges . Mahawan so of n According to the great chronicle Ceylon , ni e of the most pious and learned rahans (or religious men) were chosen to go forth and preach the faith of Gan dama in th e To neighbouring countries . each the council assigned the scene ' of his On ek e labours , and we are told the eighth priest , S Maha t errun n an se t o warn ewarn a , went the land called S an d established

the religion of Budhu there . R In an inscription still existing in the island of amree , made h s era 236 n about a undred years ago , we find , In the acred religio was established by the venerable Thawna and Chotara in Th oowoon 2 Y o B M AND A K N 10 LEGENDARY HISTOR r UR A RA A .

i n b n em ee Th at on e r . s m se wa a o , the count y Thawna the Bur e y an a or On e an d Thoowoon n ab n em of writing the Sanskrit S S , o ee

Suv arn abh dmi . c Su v arn abhfimi Thaton e a l Of the ountry of was then the c pita , e S O t of not , how ver , much of the na ive Moon race as the foreign settlers wh o had colonized the coast from the ancient kin gdom of f Teelin gan a on the east coast o India . c n th e a m r Ac ordi g to T laing legend , the Buddhist issiona ies on s fr their arrival met with great oppo ition om the local teachers , ah an d as probably Br mins , being denounced reviled by them c u s heretics . Gradually the new do trines gained gro nd , pagoda n m e arose , and the faith of Buddha or Ga da a stablished itself in n al l e s for That o e , to flourish amid vicissitud over years to on the at t s the present day , the spot where gre Thagya pagoda lif hi c its worn and ancient head , probably the Oldest arc te tural monu a ment Of Buddhism in B urm . The Burman historians have endeavoured to appropriate a a e can ff missionary to themselves at the s me period , but th y o er n othing bu t their own un corroborated legend in support of their r t the th e statements . It is most p obable hat upper countries of Irrawaddy river derived their first knowledge of the Buddhist faith f the c t from the south , either by Indian teachers passing up rom oas

or by intercourse with their Talaing neighbours . There is really no reason for supposing that Buddhism had taken root or even been preached in ultra - Gangetic Indi a before the time of the third council in the reign of Asoka or Dhamm a

k n - n n than a. The intercourse between the I do Chinese cou tries a d of India was conducted by the natives the Coromandel coast ,

among whom Buddhism had certainly not then been established . Even in the sacred isle of Lanka (Ceylon) we know that the faith of Gau dam a was first introduced at this very time by Prince

i d r son of Dhammath awka. Mah e n a a, the King

T U — — S EC O N D AGO NG DYNAS TY . B . C . 5 4 3 4 4 4 .

F roM the second foundation of the city of Tagoung by Daza u n raza seventeen Kings are en merated , but little if any thi g of or Thadom aha their lives acts is recorded till we come to the last ,

raza . At this point the history contains another long and won d erful of in legend , which tells the end of the Tagoung k gdom and f the rise of a new one . It is as ollows Th adom aharaza having no son adopted the brother of hi s

u K in n areeda wee r. Q een , e y , as his hei LEGENDARY HISTORY or B URMA AND ARAxAN . II

A monstrous boar having appeared and devastated the whole c u Lab dooh a a . his o ntry , the Prince a went forth to sl y it In e s s ager pur uit of the chase he got eparated from his attendants , f l a d an d fi ll a o lowed the bo r own the Irrawaddy , na y killed it at place still known as Wett ogy oon ( boar - pierced island ) near c an d the ol n Prome . The in idents of this f lowing legend have give nam es still current to se veral other places on the Irrawaddy river a i n e Labadooha bove Prome . The story cont nues . Pri c finding himself alone an d unwilling to return dwelt as a hermit near the s of th e of m al Yatha ite future city Pro e , thence sometimes c led y m o or hi s In th e y , hermit city . In wanderings jungle he found a female child miraculously born of a doe and brought her up as his a dopted daughter . The same year that Prince Labadooha had left Tagoung in two pursuit of the boar the Queen gave birth to sons , who were b i . r at a of n oth born bl nd Thei f her , ash med this misfortu e , em n e Ordered th to be killed , but the Queen ma aged to conc al and u ni bring them p till they were neteen years old . They were m Mah ath n ba h na ed a wa and Soolat an bawa. The King at length s e is n ain t m d di cover d their ex te ce and ag ordered he to be kille , but their mother placed them on a raft an d committed them to the n Irrawaddy river . As they floated down a B eeloom a took pity o to i In 18 them and restored them sight . This po nt the legend still commemorated by the names of the two villages of Mopon e and M a d eh the of t o y y just above town Thayetmyo . They are said derive their names from the first exclamations of wonder by th e

e on e - mo ane sk Princ s obtaining their ey sight , p , the y covers , ” m a dek e d e . y y , the arth is spr a out Followin g the stream the two young Prin ces at length arrived near the place where stands the modern city of Prome . Here they e n e B a daree d of encounter d drawi g wat r y , the adopted aughter Labadooh the hermit Prince a. She led the young men to her an d n th e father , from their explanations he lear t that they were D S ' Of h SO t e . his Sister , Queen of Tagoung He then gave the dam l B daree se ay in marriage to the elder of the brothers . The Prome local history here narrates that at this tim e the c was P oo who ountry around inhabited by the y tribe , , we have seen , were amalgamated with a part of the dispersed inhabitants of old or fi u Th e ff f m t rst Tago ng . people su ered ro the cons ant attacks of on s Kan ran s their kindred tribe the Arakan ide , the , and , in con s of P oos equence , to obtain a chief, the Queen the y married Prince Mahathan bawa r son and made him King . Thei was the famous Doottaboun of m g , though some the chronicles ake him the son of a d re a on e f th d B a e . H e i m a be w s o e e y owev r th s y , he e c l brate 12 EGEND R TORY OF M ND L A Y HIS BUR A A ARAKAN.

n s of B m a s d the of Thara -r mo arch ur n hi tory , and foun ed great city y kittara or old Pi om e of two s , , the ruins which still exist about mile

w . 44 r o e In . 4 east of the present to n This t ok plac B C . , the yea after the second great Buddhist coun cil was held in the cit y of Vaisali or a th W y al ee . Doottaboun g i s said to have reigned for seventy - two years e m A i i m in th e a e over a larg e pire . s noth ng more s entioned N tiv h r n n d it istories especting the Tagou g ki g om , it is probable that m n of th Th ad m ah araza erged i to that Prome after e death of o , h of n Doottabou n an d m s the grandfat er Ki g g, that the do inion of this latter m onarch comprised the whole upper valley of the

Irrawaddy.

— T H E P R OM E D YNA S TY . B . C . 4 44 : A . D . 107 .

DOOTTAB OUNG was succeeded in his kingdom by his son a an Doott y . During the reign of the grandson of this latter Ki ng two r of occurred great events in the contemporaneous histo y India . s Al wa th . h e . 327 t e The first the invasion of exander Great , B C

r c u r a u . other the thi d great Buddhist o ncil al eady ll ded to , B C .

308 . A succession of Kings of the line of Doottaboun g reigned in o h c r d r Prome , of wh m little wort noti e is ecorde except thei cha er o r s h f m w ract s as pi us monarchs or othe wi e . T e last o the as h eereerit w m d T , ith who ended the royal race that was suppose r Thak a u to be derived f om the y Princes of India . He was s c d on e of o ceede by Ngataba , whom the f llowing story is told ' r who t t While he was a student his teache , unders ood h e of c out language birds , hearing a co k one day cry he that eats my ’ ' be N c th e l head shall a King , ordered gataba to kill and ook fow ' ’ e dr s for him . While doing so the boy accid ntally opped the cock on u h t o it hi head the gro nd , and t en not venturing present to s e teacher undesignedly eat it hims lf. In time the omen was ful

filled and Ngataba became King . This absurd legend Offers nothin g to account for the rise of r of n this new dy nasty , and we must emain in ignorance the eve ts d N a on r B or causes that place gat ba the th one . Th e urman ob ro ’ e s t n icles state that in the s venteenth year of this King reign , abou — 8 6 o r r n . . 8 7 B . C , the sacred b oks we e committed to w iti g in Ceylon m e This , however , is a point disputed by any scholars , who believ s of Gau dam a the teaching were collated long previous to this date . Pa ee an e Ngataba was succeeded by his son p y , in whose tim the Burmese history states religion (that is Buddhism ) was In I ur f r greatly oppressed ndia . He reigned d ing the last fi ty yea s G HI T OF B U M AND K N LE ENDARY S ORY R A ARA A . 13 bef h t tim e ore the Christian era , and we know t at about tha occur of Vikram adit a of U red the great wars y , the Brahmin monarch jjain , and the establishment of the great Brahmanical Andhra dynasty

Ma adh a In . if r of in g and the Deccan Or , we apply the co rection

- fiv e a ur sixty years before lluded to by adding it to the B man date , i d al we arrive at a st ll more closely correspon ing era , that of S i a u i v hana , the Deccan King and noted persecutor of the B ddh sts , ur who flo ished about A . D . 77 . From the Burmese chronicles it would appear that the stru g gles for the ascendancy whi ch began about this time in Indi a m ffe between Brah anism and Buddhism a cted these countries also , for it is noted of some of the Kings that they had no regard for r hi eligion , which always means in this case Budd sm . n B a rein da t o for his One Pri ce , y , is said have gone education Tetkath o r Tak shasila of d to , the Sansk it h , one the most celebrate of I of 32 cities ancient ndia , the ruins which are Situated about

m of . c n iles east the Indus This story , if true , Shows a onnectio an d intercourse existing between Burma and Upper India at this period , which , however , is not supported by any other facts . Several Kings of the same race occupied the throne without m d of any re arkable events being recorde , until the reign Nagara c Thoo in n a i f s inda , or py y , under whom the glory of the k ngdom o an Prome culminated . He invaded and subdued Arakan , d attempted to convey to Burma the famous golden image of Gau m of Mah am atm an ee da a from the temple y . This highly venerated Object of worship has been thus described I of Gau dam a Is of h ur The mage made brass and hig ly b nished . 18 b f The figure a out ten eet high , in the customary sitting posture ,

with the legs crossed and inverted , the left hand resting on the

lap and the right pendent . This image is believed to be th e of R Gau dam a original resemblance the ishi ( ) taken from life , and is so highly venerated that pilgrims have for centuries been accustomed to come from the remotest countries where the supre macy of Gau dam a is acknowledged to pay their devotions at the f of oot his brazen representative . m n Although the Burmans failed at this ti e , they were desti ed s u of h everal cent ries later to Obtain possession t is coveted treasure , is n ow t Am ara oora which enthroned in the ancient ci y of p . After th e death of Th OOpy in n y a the empire whi ch he had

established was broken up . Civil war appears to have ensued u — P oos Kan ran s between the vario s races who formed it , the y , the , an d — Is of u i m the Burmans , that , the people the co ntr es of Pro e , of r ou . A akan , and Tag ng EGEN ARY HISTORY or B MA A D K 14 L D UR N ARA AN.

Tham oodarit of to , the nephew the last King , endeavoured settle in a position south of Prome , but he was driven thence by c of th a Talain s f Min don e the atta ks g rom the south and fled to , t m of m 4 . 10 . and the ci y and kingdo Pro e were destroyed A . D Tham oodarit m s b Kan ran s re finding hi self till harassed y the , treated northwards across the Irrawaddy an d established a new m in u dynasty and kingdo the old city of Pagan near Tago ng , for f Daz araza a merly ounded by . He is s id to have been joined by f T P omin dee O ou m i his h . y o , Prince ag ng, who arr ed daug ter

— — TH E OL D P AGAN DYNASTY A . D . 107 8 4 1 .

HAMOODARIT was e his - in - P oomin dee T succeed d by son law y , of thus uniting the kindred royal lines Tagoung and Prome . The reign of the third King of thi s dynasty is signalized by an invasion ' ” d of the Chinese accor ing to the Native history . The invaders h n Al t were completely defeated at Kawt a bee . though s yled Chi o nese it is more probable they were the Shans f Yunan . At this e time the Chinese had not conquered the provinc of Yunan , which

e . b was possessed by the Shan rac The Chinese were , however , a out 1— 24 n r t . . 16 1 ar his period , A D , extendi g their empi e southw d of Yan t sekian t on th e i of the g g, and their at acks Shan k ngdom Yunan may have forced the latter to endeavour to trespass in turn omth eir Burman neighbours . Eigh teen Kings reign ed in Pagan from Tham oodarit to the P k . . 638 o e asaw a year A D , when the throne was occupied by p ,

or k m . rahan mon , who had by some eans usurped it It is noted was l of him that he a learned man and ski led in astrology . He established the common Burman era whi ch continues in use at the b e in inn 63 r . 8 p esent day , g g in the year A D . . hi T s era is common to the Siamese , Shans , and Cambodians , and was probably fixed by a sin gular astronomical coincidence at

2l st c . 638 the tim e . On the Mar h A D . the new moon coincided with the entrance of the sun in to the first Sign of the zodiac and

- produced an important eclipse . The monk King was succeeded by of hi is several others , whom not ng particular recorded . In the

. 4 K n r . 8 7 m l yea A D the reigning i g , Pyinbya , re oved his capita an d foun ded the pre sent city of Lower Pagan below Mandalay and

Ava . ’' There have been doubts expressed as to the respective dates of . these two Pagans But , though the history does not specify

B C l n el H e B ne n y o o orac row amo g others.

T Y 1 6 LEGENDARY HIS OR OF BU RMA AND ARAKAN .

r rm e a, and it is evident that the Bu ese has been borrowed at a later f f period rom the Talaing , which contains some orms Older than , and

wanting in , the Burman alphabet . From this period there is no doubt that B uddhi sm was firmly u e stablished in at least the Talaing co ntry , and completely supplant e d n tworshi hi was th e f of s the Old a p, w ch earliest belie the Moon

as Of all the races of Burma . The Native history continues after recording the above event ull u 1116 as d and uninteresting as before until the B ddhist year , or

5 3 h er f u . A. D . 7 , when we reac the a of the o ndation of Pegu The traditionary accoun t of this event is long and overlaid s are w ith fabulous details , but the main point worth noting , for u of s of the me t hey do btless contain a confused account the event ti ,

which is valuable Since we possess no other . The legend commences at a period when the whole plains an d of f e a around Pegu were broad sea, the site the uture gr t city of Han thawaddy or Pegu was only a little bank of sand in the mi ddle An of n of the sea. alleged prophecy Ga dama that that little shin in g Speck should in future tim es be the site of a great city is then was e t o given . At the moment this prophecy suppos d be uttered t wo hinthas (a large kind of wild duck) were resting on thi s small m of u Hin thawadee sand islet , whence the sacred na e Peg , , f hin h as on e ft t h e country o the t . Some thousand years a er this th e waters of the sea receded and left a large island around what is of n ow the town Pegu . f Here the le gend and acts undoubtedly agree . At an early period the sea covered all the present southern plain s of the Bur r man peninsula f om Martaban to Cape Negrais , and the sea gradu n t a a ally recedi g lef first small s ndb nks , which in time grew into ‘ of large islands , and these again by the continued rising the soil and further retreat of the water united t o form the great plains of u Martaban and Peg . was the s hi This island in the sea , tory states , discovered by a s p belonging to the Teelin ga coast tradin g between the city of B ecza an d Th aton e of nagaran (Vizianagaram) . The King the former city sent a ship to take possession Of the islan d and buried there a smooth iron pillar engraved with his name , titles , and Signet . SO

n for 160 . thi gs remained another years At that time , about 5 3 Adein n araz a ul an d u A . D . 7 , , a powerf religio s monarch , h d hi s e Th ein n a in a Th at on e a su cceeded fath r , g g , on the throne of . n of m Stra ge to say neither these Princes are entioned , at least K f Th O at on e . under these names , in the list of ings The Pegu chronicle relate s that in the reign Of Th ein n agin ga there lived on n i L m a the Zi gy ke mountain a hermit named aw . On this hill a D ARA LEGENDARY HIST ORY OF BU RMA AN xAN . 17 n agam a having taken a human form wandered about gathering ik z at o . we fruits and flowers She was met in the forest by a , or m an d th e ul h a f agician , res t of their union was t at the nag ma a ter th e h e r e hi was f d manner of race brought forth an gg . T s egg oun b e Lawma wh o in s y the h rmit , took it home , and seven day from t h e egg was produced a female child endowed with every charm d sh e d te an grace . When had attaine her six enth year a hunts m an of Of Th aton e on e m et h er an d uc h er the King day , str k by u h Th ein n a in s rpassing beauty reported it to t e King . g ga accord in gly begged her In marriage from the hermit and made her hi s

. s wh o n Th am al n d Queen Two ons were born to her, were amed aa Weem ala an d re c ft s m e , we mu h beloved by their father . A er o e tim it was observed that numbers of the atten dants an d those around th e u d e l . i n ot k Q een died su d n y The reason of th s , though nown , was s ran u a a r that, being p g from the powerf l N g race , her ange f an h e proved atal to y who in any way incurred it . T nobles and c m l e o l n h h di people o p ain d t the King in vain . At e gt t e secret was s ’ c m of a m ic t overed by the King s teacher , and by eans ag Ointmen th e a i th e was a if t n d sh e d d Nag orig n of Queen m de man es a ie . The King Sent her two sons to th e old hermit on Zin gy ike m b u u te In ountain , by whom they were ro ght p and instruc d every kind of learning . In th e meanwhile their father died and their half b Ad ein n araza an d rother , , with the consent of the nobles people , on u succeeded the throne . When the two yo ng Princes were sixteen years old the hermit sent them to the Court of their half b Tham ala his e au and e rother the King , and there by b ty a com ’ lishm en t s won art of th e s B ad ak on em aree p the he King daughter y . S e the t wo e oon after , how ver , King learnt that the Princes wer c r an d z on t e onspi ing against him attempted to sei e them , which h y fled c the to h ba k with Prince ss the old ermit. Lawm a was t n , who acquainted with the ancient predic io ’ r n e the n hin th as n ow especting the resti g plac of golde , become a n large isla d , advised the Princes to fly to the westward and found a kin . re e a gdom there One hund d and sev nty f milies joined them , an d e ft f m r n o o a e a e e . sevent en ra s b boo were pr p r d , th e being boats Taking farewell of the old hermit they embarked and floated d f own the stream to it s mouth . This river being full o laterite b c l Gawoon t e oulders they a led Yinnyein , and the la t r part of the n et ai h n ame it r ns to this day . From the mout of the river a e as c f h ad a terly wind carried the rafts a ross , a ter they sustained v t f iolen storm , to near the spot where ormerly the Indian ship of B eezan a arari g had anchored . Here the Princes and their followers disembarked and were soon after joined by 330 Moon families wh o h ad already settled on 3 18 LEGENDARY HISTORY or BURMA AND ARAxAN .

th n ui the island . They e began to search for a s table site on which t o foun d a city .

Then follows a long and fabulous accoun t of their di spute. th e n of B zan a ran had at with atives India , whom the King of ee ga c n r r this time sent to olonize the islan d . The India s ested thei c m th e s si ta b em 160 r e f lai on po ses on ken y th yea s b fore , the proo

f w was h d r d . s u o hich the iron pillar they a bu ie as a record In tr cted , Tha amin hi th e a wh o su d however , by the gy (the c ef of n ts) as me th e e Old d guis of a venerable man , the Talaing Princes dispute ff th e t the claim and O ered to put it to a trial . Accordingly spo pointed out by the Indians was excavated an d there was their

a in r w u - an d - a- lf iron pill r sc ibed ith a date a cent ry ha Old . But the disguised Thagy amin calling on the Talaings to dig f 10 f h m s e l was a urther , ten at o b low the iron pi lar found n far golden one inscribed in the Moo language with a older date . T w was nl e ff his , ho ever , o y a d ceit e ected by the power of the Thagya in n the h d or c s n m , who had duri g nig t place reated the fal e golde i l . to pi lar The Ind ans owned themselves defeated , and , ashamed r u own o i on ft et rn to their c untry , are sa d to have embarked a ra w t to a hich drif ed a point on the coast where they greed to settle , ’

an d hi in Kalla tai u e . which to t s day is called Talaing y , in B rmes ’ ’ Kal atik e or ‘ the d f e i , welling of oreign rs , and l es mi a t of f K ik t o about five les e s the present town O y e .

The Tal aings now proceeded to foun d a city on the spot where . the hin th as an d a h had rested , in the centre built pagoda , in whic th e golden pill ar together with a sacred hair of Buddha were en i K . s ik esan n ee w in shrined This the y pagoda , hich still exists d f the ol town o Pegu . The date given in the history for the fin d in of is th e l st m of g the golden pillar Monday , of the waxing oon bod h r 1 1 1 6 D Ta we 514 s . . in the common yea , the acred year , or A

573 . All these wonderful details may be regarded like the string of pearls with which Prince Th am ala marked out the boun darie s f f o the city as the poetic embellishments o actual facts . We

m ay now endeavour to extract these latter . It has been already m Th aton e was said that the kingdo of was not purely Moon , but

of . b the partly Indian , founded by Princes Indian race Pro ably r a m e of oyal f mily , the nobles , and erchants w re the descendants t h e Teelin a I i ass original settlers from the g coast of ndia , wh le the m

of the people were Moons and other native races . o Th aton e The legend just related begins , like that of the rigin of f v on Zin ik e a a itsel , with a hermit li ing the gy mount in who finds ’ h Zin ik e i n agam a s egg . T is gy mountain s a remarkable peak in n as the Martaban ra ge , and w evidently a sacred spot to the early E AKA L GENDARY HISTORY OF B URMA AND AR N. 19

f of Moon race . It means in the Talaing language the oot God . The lovely daughter of the Nagalineage born of the egg may be taken as the poetic embodiment of a beautiful maiden of the native ’ a c in hi e Moon r ce who aptivated the K g s heart . By s excessiv affection for her an d her sons he induced dissension among the h - u his own d alf Hind nobles and members of family , which ende of n in the violent death the Queen and the ba ishment of her sons. On the death Of the Kin g one of his other sons was placed on th e throne by the Hindu faction to the exclusion of the two rightful

u . m ai y o ng heirs Finding the selves unable to assert their cl ms , they collected around them a number of adventurers of their ’ m other s race and emi grated westward in search of a new settle m l u ent and established themselves on the low ferti e shores of Peg . Such are the simple and probable facts which this wild and roman ee s to f It n of n ow tic legend s m shadow orth . poi ts to a revolt the partly civilized Moon people against the rul e Of their civili zers and a t mi - u of Th aton e th e f erwards masters , the se Hind colonists , and e n f i f stablishme t o a national independence . It s worthy o remark te f Th t on e that the mother Sta o a never increased , never at any t its i b t d ime in history attained any power or nfluence , u remaine m a vi di o erely highly ci lized an d flourishing tra ng p rt. The young s u on a t r l o or ettlement of Peg , the contr ry , represen ing the ea M on i Tala ng nationality, rapidly extended its boundaries . The elder of the two Princes was solemn ly in vested as th e first King of the new city of Han thawaddy and assumed the name f h em o Tham a n ra s m o Ma e o la Ko em a . He sent out partie fro the is sa K ouk m aw parent city and id to have founded the towns of y ,

Don ezarit an d Sin oo in Shwa in r c . s s Ban , , g the y gy dist i t The e town , Of m f tifi en clo which traces still exist , would see to have been or ed sures prote cted by deep fosses within which a v illage or town was u i on b th e a b ilt and cultivat on carried y inhabit nts . We can hardly m of the i agine that an area four square miles , which was general s w s ui of 350 400 ize , a req red for the habitations simply from to f i was of . amil es , which the average strength these colonies Twelve years after the foundin g of the city of Pegu Weemala hi him rebelled against s elder brother , put to death , and assumed f eem ala K n r t h o W o em a a . . 58 e sovereignty with the title , A D 5. his a u Sitt ou n Three years after ccession he b ilt the town of g , which ” a ai was anciently called in the Talaing language K d ng, a t w Of point or promontory . Two years af er this the hole Han th awaddy was alarmed by the appearance of seven large vessels n f which anchored Off Syriam . They had been se t by the King o B eezan agaran to drive out the Talaings and take possession of th e c un r s ff the t s e o t y . The stranger O ered to settle mat er by a ingl N I OF M KA 20 LEGE DARY H STORY B UR A AND ARA N .

combat between their champion and one on the part of the Tal ain gs. m son Tham ala who c l After so e delay the of King , had been se ret y ’ is e ur h ian brought up after h fath r s m der , appeared and slew t e Ind eem al a ffe to champion . The invaders then retired . King W o red r hi c d an d l s er esign the crown to s nephew , who de line on y a ked p mission to build a town near the place where h e had been brought u p. Taking with him 330 families he built a town at the foot of the h itt ou n e o ills about sev en miles east of S g . H re he als erected a cal l hi s u in the s n t is i pagoda ed by name , which s rvives pre e ex t ng v k th u f th e old n illage of Ky ike a aj st outside the walls o tow . a of Weem ala r n e d him un er On the de th , this P i ce succe de d th e Kathak on m His n was m e ce an d title of e a. reig arked by p a n e d r increasing prosperity . He co clud t eatie s and encouraged a n c n d ed trade with ll the eighbouring ountries . He repaired a plac a on th e hwa m awda a in u n d uilt new tee S y w pagod Peg , a b m k n e any y ou gs and r ligious edifices.

f his a . . 599 h ere was a su c s of t A ter de th , A D , t c e sion eigh

f s c is e . st Kings , o whose reigns nothing pe ial r corded With the la of Mah eem oo An oom araza l ed these , , the roya race seems to have di ou h e in Met ik 12 t we t t ad e a . . was , for are told tha next K g , g p , A D 7 , n ot e but w s th e son b e was e e ed Of royal xtraction , a Of a no l , and l ct en King by general cons t . Hi s successor fou nded th e town of Kabin on the site of th e e n t n f Dal pr se t ow o a opposite Rangoon . He added the province of Bassein to the Pegu kingdom and placed a garrison on Haing f eek oon u o n . gy y , at the mo th the Bassei river

n n areek araza a n h - In . . 746 Po e w s o t n e re t A D , who the ro , buil e of Ram an a o t w s ll d Da on e Th e the anci nt town g , af er ard ca e g . Talaing hi story says that this town was original ly built by Aram m an araza an d l ft him Aram m an am o m th , cal ed a er y , but in ti e e f name became corrupted t o Ram an agomy o This appears to have b f f R n een the beginning o the present city o angoo . Th e towns of Ram awadee r of Da on e an d Hm awbee , no th g , Hlaing , were al so ui b lt or enlarged . This King was distinguished for his great zeal for religi n d hi s of th e d i a constant observance Bud h st law .

— NOT E . Sir A . Pha re in his is r t y , h to y of Pegu , conjec ures a rev iv al of B rahmin t is i fr h Ki a ism a th t me om the name of t is ng , n d from his calling his n ew city after th e d eity Ram a . B ut w e see the name of the city w as simply the old one an d w as a cor ” tion o th t o th ound er an d not iv n in hono r o R n ri m p f a f e f g e u f ama . Pon e a k a, it is

s B r - bu t d r r l true, mean ahman heart , at that ate the g eat st ugg e betw een B rahmanism

n d B d d is h ad rd l d . It i r a u h m ha y commence s, mo eov er, the law of Gan d ama. that i in i o r i d for r th s K g s s p a se obse v ing . K LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARA AN.

61 son Tham ein t eikth araza He was succeeded , A . D . 7 , by his , , who was as great a persecutor of Buddhism as his father had been

f . m r a zealous follower o it He pulled down the pagodas , onaste ies , a Gaudam a the and sacred edifices . He threw the im ges of into f hi river and forbade any under pain o death to follow s law . All the people of Han thawaddy trembled before the orders of the n ot on e was u wh o or King , and person fo nd dared to worship

m ake Offerings . as in th e u m But there w city a yo ng da sel , named Badya Da wee u Thata m an f y , the da ghter of a y (rich ) , who had been care ully f brought u p by her mother in th e faith o Buddha . One day this m aiden while bathing with her companions found one of th e n im ages which the Ki g had ordered to be thrown into the river. She carefully drew it out of the water and mud and proceeded t o his r wash it in a zayat . This disobedience of orders being repo ted to the King he commanded the girl to be brought before him and to furiously ordered her be trampled to death by a mad elephant . hi B ut the story says the elephant refused , though goaded on by s

e u th e m . of was keep r , to to ch gentle aiden Next a mountain straw u heaped round her to b rn her to death , but lo , in spite of all

ff n ot . e orts , the straw could be kindled The King then sent for her and promised to spare her life if the image she had rescued Should fly through the air into his r m f . r o presence The sto y then contains a a vellous account how , ’ e e by the maid n s prayers , the image together with eight others cam ’ u th through the air and h ng suspended over the King s palace . At e Ki w as sight Of this miracle the ng confounded , he forsook his for m er h teachers , and returned to the religion of Budd a , which ever ll D after he zealously fo owed . The damsel Badya ay wee he made hi s chief Queen . m r of is r If we put aside the iraculous pa ts th sto y , we have probably an accoun t of the great struggle in the kingdom of Pegu ah m u between the rival religions Br manis and B ddhism . In India the contest ended in the complete subversion and destruction of

. in as r the Buddhist faith But Pegu , very possibly , the sto y tells , i to m f ow ng the influence Of so e pious woman , the faith o Gan dama nally trium phed and h as m aintained the victory to the present fia y . of Teiktharaza i A D After a reign twenty years King d ed , . . 781 . of Han thawadd T With him ended the royal dynasty y or Pegu . h e in u Tala g kingdom , which appeared so flo rishing , suddenly disappears fr om the history . Neither the Talain g nor the Burm ese records ff m u a ord any explanation of this ysterio s event . For 500 years the is a history of Pegu a bl nk . All is contained in these few lines 22 LEGEN HI T OF U M AND A x DARY S ORY B R A RA AN.

c r to u r of Gaudama f Ac o ding a s pposed p ophecy , a ter seventeen generations Of Moon Princes had reigned in the great country of H mth awadee ur , another race , the B man , possessed the land for

‘ three generations : th e country Of Hin th awadee was a suburb of

Pagan , and paid tribute to the King of Pagan . NO cause can be assigned for this sudden destruction of th e . Talam g kingdom , and though , strange to say , no mention of the fact 18 actually made in the Burmese history , it is certain that for fiv e m s as as centuries the Bur an kept possession , far appears , peaceably of the country . The m other city That on e contin ued to exist for a much longer period .

— — A . . 4 T H E DYNAS TY OF N EW P AGAN . D 8 1 12 8 4 .

AFTER the foundation of Lower or New Pagan forty monarchs reigned in succession . No important events are recorded con inn cerning them . In the beg ing of the eleventh century of the Christian era one of the most fam ou s of the Burman Kings came s was An awratamin z aw to the throne . Thi the great , the forty t Of his first monarch of Pagan . The da e the commencement of ff reign is uncertain as the chronicles di er from each other , but it

1 10 1020. D . A. 0 m ay be placed between and Th e reign Of this m onarch is in every way one of the most remarkable in Burman history and occupies a considerable space n in the Native record . Duri g this period Buddhism was for the as a first time definitely established the nation l religion of Burma . Of Then was commenced that magnificent series temples , whose h S ruins attest to this day t e former plendour of Pagan , and then the foundations of th e powerful Burman empire of future times t of t t t t t t . The firs these even s cons i u es na urally in he were laid ’ eyes of his countrymen An awrata s chief glory . It is evident that if Buddhism had ever obtained any footin g previous to this in the upper countries of the Irrawaddy , it had w ffi now completely died out . It ould be di cult to decide what the system of religion that at this time prevailed in Burma can be

It nl . t termed . was certai y not Brahmanism The Na ive records In state that King Sawrah an built five hollow temples . each n at a temple was placed an image resembling neither nor par . ff TO these morning and evenin g food and spirits were O ered and so they were worshipped and propitiated . Th e priests or teachers of thi s religion are called the thirty e n great Arees an d their disciples . Their doctrines are r prese ted as it ve of l o l law . T , a complete sub rsion a l m ra hey taught, is said

LEGEN HIST or M AND K N 24 DARY ORY BUR A ARA A .

hwa oo Tha inn oo ft He built the S y g and py y pagodas in Pagan . A er a

of - five hi long reign seventy years he was , it is said , murdered by s n Narath oo t so , who succeeded af er also poisoning his elder brother . k Kala amin This King is better nown as gy , that is , the Prince n destroyed by foreigners . Amo g his many acts of cruelty he put t h t n u o deat it is stated , wi h his own hand an Indian Pri cess , da ghter f i of e a or Of t o the K ng B ng l , some State in Bengal , whom his fa her f i had married . Her ather , ncensed at this murder , sent eight men a n n disgui sed as Br hma s , who gai ed admittance into the palace and an d t k to Slew the tyrant hen illed themselves avoid being taken . The great unfinished pagoda of Dham m ay an gy ee at Pagan was b the begun y this Prince , and work caused great misery by the enforced labour of the people .

was su A. D . 1164 s He cceeded ( ) by his two ons , the elder of w m r a u s was u ho afte reign of fo r year m rdered by his brother, th Narapadeesee oo. Under this monarch the empire of Pagan attained its highest n f prosperity . His name occurs in most of the local a nals o the l t u . owns Of the Burman penins a as a founder or restorer Toungoo , h f . s Tavoy , and Martaban date t eir origin rom him He appear from the histories to have been a powerful but peaceful and religious hi ruler , who devoted mself to traversing with his court and army w the extensive dominions under his s ay , founding cities , building u an d restoring pagodas and religio s edifices . v A D 1 . 1 1 is m . He said to ha e sent a ission to Ceylon , 7 , and during his reign several learned rahans came from Ceylon and a settled in Pagan . There w s at this time considerable intercourse n u m n ro betwee the B r an cou tries and the island of Ceylon , and p Of Nara ade ese bably the east coast of India . After the death p e 1204 n A D . t thoo in . , three Kings followed , of whose reig s lit le of interest is recorded .

- f D . 12 d r A . 0 Narath eha a a About 7 the ill ated e p y , o Tarok ' a m in py y (that is , the prince who fled from the Chinese came f hi . o s ou to the throne The beginning reign was prosper s , but he of t was a imid and luxurious disposition . D 12 1 th r In the year A. . 8 e Governo s of the southern pro f u a off v inces o Peg and Martab n threw their allegiance . The un ui OfWak aroo Talaings rose and der the g dance , who made him f t ti self master O Mar aban , laid the founda on Of a new Peguan empire .

But more disastrou s still was the war with China . The Chinese Emperor sent ambassadors to demand gold and silver vessels as f f f o . o o tokens homage The Burman King , in Spite the entreaties his mi s mb s t . is sa s was ni ters , put the a a sadors to dea h It id thi E D L GENDARY HISTORY or BU RMA AN ARAIIAN . 25 brou a t ir h m r r n ght bout by he insolent conduct . T e E pe o sent a imm ense army to avenge this insult . The Burman army was driven from its entrenchments near m an d fi th Ba o defeated in a erce battle . Meanwhile e King had f r mi d fled rom Pagan to Bassein , at the ve y extre ty of his ominions . The victorious Chinese army pursued the flying Burmans as far as Tarok em aw m e r ur n , below Pro e . Th y then et ned lade with spoil t o their own country . The u of c d s the capt re Pagan took place , a cording to the ate in a man B r . 12 4 f . 8 a be r o history , A D , but there ppears to an erro ' s e u Of t o . 12 . ev n years and the tr e date the event be A D . 77 i h The K ng now commenced his progress back to is capital . An i ur is e nstance of his selfish and lux ious disposition recorded . Whil m aking his way through the devastated coun try hi s servants on e day could only provide for the royal table 150 dishes instead of the u u u of 300 r hi i his s al n mber cove s. On seeing t s the k ng covered ” f w hi s an d s m . ace ith hands wept , ay ing I am beco e a poor man He arrived only as far as Prome and there he was poisoned by 4 on e . . 128 . of his sons , A D

of s a r . Kyawzwa , another his ons , succeeded to the v cant th one But the flourishing empire which his father had inherited was now A n n mini s broken in pieces . ll the souther provi ces of his do on had e u ff u become indep ndent nder di erent r lers . f f s d Three Shan brothers , sons of the Chie o Myinzaing , posse se f His own great authority in the northern part O the kingdom . chief Queen conspired with these powerful nobles against h er hu s a was s d o m a band , and the wretched Ky wzwa eize , f rced to beco e d a on e ee an d . . 1298 . p gy , confine in a mon stery , A D t h the of B ur Wi h t is event ends dynasty new Pagan . The man m e pire ceased to exist, and the upper valley of the Irrawaddy t r was parcelled ou for som e years among various Shan P inces.

— — TH E M AR TAB AN K I N GDOM . A . D . 12 8 1 13 7 0 .

f of Nara adeeseeth oo u AFTER the ounding Martaban by p , abo t

116 was . t A . D . 7 , it ruled by Burman Governors It is evident tha at this period the whole Of the Pegu and the Tenasserim province were subject to th e rule of the Burman dynasty of Pagan . The Shans seem to have possessed the country east of th e Salween r is d as u e th e the river , fo Martaban describe bo nd d on east by f ” country o the Shans.

r Phay e. E EN R L G DA Y HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN.

’ In Of Kalab a min of a Alein ma was the reign y y , King Pag n , r Governor of Martaban , and Tarabya Gove nor or Viceroy of Pegu . c t Ma adoo a At this time a er ain adventurer named g , said to be Of d Talaing , but more probably half Shan extraction , had establishe h e i ims lf as a petty chief near Martaban . He had formerly been n Of n Th ok ek ada Of the the service the Ki g of y , a Shan State lying east f Ma o m e present province o Yahaing . gad o asse bl d around him a 64 number of Shan followers and in the Burmese year 3 ,

. . 1281 of r m A D , by a mixture boldness and treache y , he urdered th e Burman Governor and made himself master of Martaban c ity . He then declared himself King and assum ed th e name of Wak ar oo. n of u u r d Tarabya , Gover or Peg , abo t the same time ebelle against the Kin g of Pagan and entered into an al liance with Waka e th . e roo The Burman forces were completely def ated , and all k n m r . Wa aroo on Talai g cities freed fro the Bu man rule then , th e a a r his account of re l or alleged treachery of T rabya , tu ned e ad e r arms against his former ally , defeat d and m him p isoner . as e u n He thus became m t r of Peg , and the whole souther Talaing s country except B assein was n ow again independent . Its ubjec tion to the rule of the Kings of Pagan had lasted since the death T i th raz 1 k a . e a . . 8 Of , A D 7 Wakaroo r b an d n te appea s to have een a wise fortu a sovereign , and after a reign of 22 y e ars he was murdere d by the two sons of

u d . Tarabya , whom he had generously brought p and cherishe

1 06 . n . K la e a 668 . 3 o e w This took place in the Burmese y r , A D , k of Wa aroo . e the brother , succeeded He was a weak and incapabl 14 r w as Prince , and after a reign of yea s killed in a general con D s irac . on ewoon on p y of the nobles and people In his reign , B eelin an d ur Zim m a the river , Moulmein were capt ed by the y r Shans . This is the fi st mention of Moulmein in history . e u c n t Sano , the n phew of the last King , ass med the va a his e 14 e e throne . During r ign of y ars the people enjoyed peac San zeik h s . e w o and pro perity He was succe ded by his brother , f Z eik oon Offi e his a ter three years was murdered by p , an c r of

Shan guards . Z eik oon m San damin hla p atte pted to seize the throne , but , the th e the Queen , was supported by nobles , and after seven days u surpe r was put to death . n d in h San a an ou n a w S a am l a then associated y g g g , nephe of an zeik e . A t S , with h rself in the sovereignty f er a short reign u Ehlaw of 29 days he was poisoned by the Q een , who then married ,

s um am e of B in n a Ehl aw . a son Of Kon elaw . He a s ed the n y y OF D A IIA LEGENDARY HISTORY BURMA AN RA N . 27

In his reign a dreadful fam ine prevailed in the provinces of n e of 22 Martaban and Sittou g . He was succeeded after a r ign years b B in n aoo son San zeik . y y y , a of This Prin ce assumed the t itle of Sin by ooshin (Lord of a the white elephant) . There is a rom ntic story connected with his marriage with a poor but be autiful dam sel whom he raised to f the position of chief Queen . In the third year o his reign a for i Zimm a a m dable invasion of the y Sh ns took place , and the towns k of ittoun Tik e al a er re d . h e S g, , and several oth s we destroye T t e f S hans were a last comple t ly de eate d . The King in gratitude sent an embassy to Ceylon and procured a l c be f l K ik e o re ic of Buddha , whi h care u ly enshrined in the y p on a d on h th e Of r pagoda , which st n s the hill be ind town Ma taban .

e a e h c Three y ars fter this the white lep ant , whi h had been n th e of Th ok ek ada Wakaroo f prese ted by King y to , the ounder of h r e . is a e es the Ma taban kingdom , di d In e g rn s to Obtain another B in n aoo on e t h te y y , the r por t at a whi elephant had been seen in t h e t his c was a e a c t h e fores , left apital and bs nt in se r h of animal 14 m h his he B attaba for ont s . On return found that y , the

f c . Th e a a Governor o the ity , had rebelled rmies sent gainst the n in Don ewoon rebel were de feated . The Ki g fixed his abode on th e i e E l . en d se in river , and rema ned th re six years At the Of that ’ t ime the King s chief m in iste r died and all the pe ople of the town B att b shaved their he ads in token of grief. y a a took advantage of t s se h d e e s he e hi , caused ven un r d soldi rs to have t ir heads in lik m anner , who mingling with the townspeople undetected sud d en l e w . B in n aoo fled u e e y s ized the to n y y to Peg and s ttled ther , r estoring the city . i ta In th e 32 N c n . 1 The ative hro cle s tes y ear 7 (A D . 370) o rei n in in Sin by ooshin B y in ny a o began g Pegu . From the time ' of Teikth a the i of gi l t King l ne its ngs had been broken , and i B ut af B in n aoo remained only a large village . ter y y became King it

was known as t h e great Raz at an e e country . At this time Min ky ee n n zwa was King of Rat a apoora or Ava . The two Ki gs h aving met n n ed d o the frontier excha g presents and a treaty of frien ship . ’ On the death of B y attaba s son the people of Martaban and ’ Don ewoon s e ei e in B in n aoo s hav d th r h ads mourning , and y y General t urning the tables recovered possession of Don ew oon by a stratagem i c had r r n l ke that by whi h it been fo me ly taken from the Ki g . s B attaba s s a After thi y , although retaining po ses ion of M rtaban , a f f n cknowledged himsel the vassal o the Ki g of Pegu . From this date the history of the Martaban kingdom m e rge s in of u that Peg . 28 LE EN G DARY HISTORY or BURMA AND ARAxAN .

- TH E S HAN DY NAS TY AN D F OU N DATION OF AV A . A . D . — 12 8 4 1 5 5 5 . P EVI U h m r . R O S to the destruction of t e Pagan ona chy in A D . 1284 m the Tai race , of which the Shans for a branch , had been gradually forced out of their original seat in the provin ce of Yunan by the advance of the Chinese power under the great Emperor

. was r of e Kublai Khan It about this time that a po tion this rac , s u of Zim m a b n ettled about the co ntry y , pressed by their rethre f th e n r h rom o t , pushed southwards and formed the kingdom of m Sia . Another portion advanced westward and settled in Assam . A large number had gradually emigrated from the eastern parts of

Yunan into the upper valley of the Irrawaddy about Bamo. At this period they doubtless received large additions owing to the a of th e e the e dvance Chinese , and thus came to dominat nativ ur f B man population in that part o the country . r of of th e Afte the deposition Kyawzwa , the last King Pagan , hr S who of t ee han brothers , seemed to have held the whole power th e n m m . ki gdo in their hands , divided the e pire between them r A few yea s afterwards , by the death of one brother and the murder of th e Th eeh ath oo s . other , , the youngest , obtained the ole power His He then founded a new city called Panya or Pinya. son n of , who had been appointed Gover or of the province Sagaing ,

i - a- ur l declared h mself independent , so that for half cent y two riva l on u e th e . dynasties r ed , at Pinya , other at Sagaing 26 1 4 h d m in b u . 6 T a o a e 7 . In the year , A D 3 , y , a yo ng Princ

' of n tw o the Sagaing branch , co quered and put to death the reign i an d n t s ing K ngs of Pinya Sagai g , and thus uni ed both kingdom in his own m a person . He at once com enced to found new capi

m of or ui . Th e tal , and the sa e year the city Inwa Ava was b lt s r R n a o ra f s ac ed Pali name bestowed on it was ata p o (the city o gem ) . Th ad omin by a is said to have been a direct descendant of th e a Ki is of f t Burm n ngs of Pagan , but there no proof this and the ac n Av is very doubtful . At all events the Pri ces who ruled in a u it s . 15 1 of n u ntil conquest by the King of Pegu in A D . 5 were doubted Shan extraction . Th adomin b a hi Min k eezwa a of y left no c ldren , and y , Prince 136 fill . . the royal race , was elected to the throne , A D 7 . He en t ered of in b ooshin or B inn a into a treaty friendship with S y , y y

o n of . o , the Ki g Pegu of Razadeerit son of B in n aoo war On the accession , the y y , broke out between the States of Ava an d Pegu . This was the com m en cem en t of the fierce struggle between the Burman and the two un Talaing races , which lasted with vary ing fortunes for h dred t in k e d years an d ended in the ruin of he latter . M y ezwa reigne I T or B M AND LEGENDARY H S ORY UR A AW . 29

i - ree rs was b hi s son Sin b ooshin th rty th yea , and succeeded y y , wh o was m f . His Min oun urdered a ter seven months brother , g g,

1401 for - ascended the throne in A . D . , and twenty one years hi s reign was occupied with constant wars with all th e neighbouring m B n or n kingdo s . Neither the urman the Talai g State gained an y a i permanent adv ntage in these struggles , wh ch but served to ex haust their strength and render both an easy prey to som e other rising power . The petty kingdoms of Toungoo and Prome were also a con r f R stant source of trouble to the mona chs o Ava . uled generally by a youn ger son or brother of the King of that country these tri t r an d in r u s to bu a y Princes again aga , openly or by int ig es , ought throw off their allegiance . n of Min oun The so and grandson g g succeeded him . Th e was r f who th latter , an infant , mu dered by a Shan Chie , usurped e was throne for seven months , when he in turn put to death by of n th e Sawbwa or Chief Mohnyin , who claimed the thro e as th e representative of the royal fam ily . He was succeeded by five hi h Princes of s house , during w ose reigns a series of petty wars took place with the rebellious provinces of the kingdom . 807 di In the y ear , accor ng to the Burman record , that is , A . D . 4 n 14 5 , the Chinese invaded the ki gdom with a large army to de mand the surrender of the Sawbwa of Mogoung as a rebel against the Emperor . After some hesitation the King of Ava agreed to hi i s . give up guest But the Sawbwa took poison and d ed . His d bo y was given up to the Chinese , who dried it with fire and took it away t o present to their Emperor . hi The Chinese stories confirm this account , though there is a

ff th e . di erence of three years in dates They state that in A . D . 1438 u of a certain Native (of Y nan) took the title Fofa (Sawbwa) , was of which that of the Kings Yunan , and at first obtained several e successes over the Chinese arms . Aft r diverse changes of for ' was t o ur tune he obliged take refuge with the King ofB ma in A . D . 1448 e e hi . When he learnt that his host wish d to deliv r m up to ” his enemies he committed suicide . During the reign of Dooteey amin goun g the King of Toungoo l became practica ly independent . The Ava monarch sent to u of u Th eereeza athoora the then r ler To ngoo , Maha y , the white m umbrella and other regalia . This was the com encement of the Toun goo dynasty that was in a few years to become supreme in c u these o ntries. The kingdom of Ava was now redu ced to the position of a a t r petty State , consisting of small terri o y immediately round th e th e r i of hwa n an shin Nara capital . In e gn S y padee constant re H T D AxA 30 LEGENDARY IS ORY or BURMA AN AR N.

n n bellio s and invasions completely broke up the kingdom . At le gth the Sawbwa of Mohnyin attacked the city of Ava itself and th e

King was killed . oh n The Sawbwa placed his son Th a bwa on the throne . This n hi Prince reigned sixteen years a d was murdered by s guards . In f f . o Three short reigns ollowed the last these , that of See th ook awdin w in . . 1555 K of y , Ava as taken A D by the ing f Pegu and an end put to the Shan dynasty o Ava .

— K I N GDOM OF P EGU . A . D .

THE capital of the Talain g kin gdom had been now fixed by

n aoo u beau tified . B y in y at Peg , which he improved and The rest fu of his reign appears to have been peace l , and he was succeeded ,

138 5 B azadeerit . was on e A . D . , by his son This of the most warlike His Kings of Pegu . whole reign is a record of expeditions against his ll or the Burman monarch and a ies , of battles fought in his own a dominions to repel invaders . He conquered M rtaban and Moul of m ein , and after a severe struggle Myoungmya, the Governor

Loukb a w . whi ch place , y , had become very po erful During one of his expeditions he suspected his eldest son of him conspiring against and had him put to death . m f h The King of Sia , impressed with the growing power o t e t Raz adeerit w Peguan State , sen an embassy to ith a present of a was white elephant . For a short time there peace with Ava . But o Min oun m R in the reign f g g the contest again co menced . a zadeerit with an im mense fleet an d army proceeded up the Irrawad dy an d laid siege to Ava . It is said that a learned and pious his n of th e m onk , by representatio s of the wickedness war and of of m l on n destruction hu an ife , prevailed the victorious mo arch to i give up the siege and retire with his army to his own domin ons . Before he left he broke up his golden warboat s and with the ma r hwa et et t erial s erected a monaste y at S y gy y below Ava . ri Next year Razadee t laid siege to Prome . Several minor engagements were fought in which success inclined first to on e n th e m f side and then the other . At le gth two onarchs o Ava and of i Pegu had an interview on the great pagoda Prome , in wh ch m they made peace and swore utual friendship . s out Min oun of War , however, oon broke again , and g g, King

a . h e Ava , dvanced with a large army to invade Pegu At first i but the urm r f gained som e sl ght success, B ans we e soon orced to retreat .

32 LEGEN Y HI T or RM A D A AxA DAR S ORY BU A N R N .

was m hr h as There now no ale heir to the t one . It been m Sawbon em eh of B i nn araw entioned that the Princess sister y y , t n f F r h had been married o the Ki g o Ava . o some reason s e had fled e on e ees with the assistanc of two p gy and returned to Pegu . She appears to hav e possessed g reat influence an d was more hin generally known as S sawboo. She was now entreated by all the nobles an d people of the

c u r . was o nt y to assume the sovereignty She consecrated Queen ,

an d is called in some hi stories B y in n y adaw . During her reign Pegu attained to a high state of prosperity and remained u ndis ur ed t b by war .

In order to provide a successor , one of the monks who had a ee f ssisted the Qu n in her escape rom Ava was chosen , and having become a layman was made Crown Prince an d m arried to th e ’

e . Dh amm aza d e Qu en s daughter He assumed the name of y e . The Q ueen then placed him in charge of the kingdom and herself to u of retired Dago e (Rangoon) , where the site her palace is still e point d out , and her name still remains a household word in the f mouths o the people . This famous Queen died at Rangoon at the age of sixty - fiv e m z d hi and was su cceeeded by Dham a ay ee . T s Kin g was famed for

his wisdom , justice , and piety . Embassies from China , Ava , Siam ,

and Ceylon are said to have been received by him . Commerce was with foreign nations increased . Pegu visited by European m of merchants , who describe the power and agnificence the King Al Dh mm aza dee of . a Pegu though y engaged in no wars , he extend th e of al ed boundary the kingdom across the S ween river , and f of n ow Hm ain l on e ee his ounded the town Yoon called g gy . On death he was honoured with all the ancient ceremoni es supposed

l Setk awada or n . pecu iar to a y y , u iversal monarch A part of these

consisted in the erection of a pagoda over his ashes , gilt and

a as . or crowned , the s me the sacred pagodas for worship hin B in n araw S sawboo c . y y , the grandson of Queen , suc eeded During his long reign of thirty - five years n o events of any import ance are recorded except an expedition made by the King at th e s a head of an army up the Irrawaddy a far s Pagan . In the Talaing history this is said to have been a pilgrimage to the ancient pago a t m of d as. It was more prob bly the os entatious arch an Eastern i h D oot ee ami potentate to display h s power . At t is time y n as n e s li m re goung w Ki g of Ava , and that Stat had unk to be ttle o than a petty principality.

in 1 6 . 15 of B in n araw . . 52 . 30 On the death y y A D , or A D , his son Ta ar t ee a u of according to another account , g oo p , yo th

f e s a e th e r e . about fi t en , wa pl c d on th on L E GE N D A RY H I S T ORY

RMA AND ARAK

t i n F . rb e s C ap a C . '. S . F o ,

AT E DE UTY C MMISSI N E R B RITIS H B RMA. L P O O , U

'P U B LI S H E D AU T H O R IT Y G OV E R N M E N T .

B A N G 0 ON

RINTED AT THE GOV ERN R P MENT P ES S.