Legendary History of Burma and Arakan

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LEGENDAKY HISTOBY

BURMA AND ARAKAN

Captain C. J. F. S. Forbes,

LATE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, BRITISH BURMA.

1PUBL.ISHED BY AUTHORITY OF GOVERNMENT.!

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CONTENTS

Preface

Legendary History of Burma and Arakan

Legend ary Talaing History . . .

Buddhism and its introduction into Burma

Second Tagoung Dynasty. — B. C. 543—444
The Prome Dynasty.— B. C. 444 : A. D. 107
The old Pagan Dynasty— A. D. 107—841
The Pegu Kingdom.— A. D. 403—781 ...

The Dynasty of new Pagan A. D. 841—1284

The Martaban Kingdom.— A. D. 1281—1370

The Shan Dynasty and Foundation of Ava. — A. D. 1284—1555

The Kingdom of Pegu.— A. D. 1370—1542

Page,

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jPREFACE.

The history of the Burman and Talaing countries has been
already narrated by several writers. Crawfurd and Burney were the
first to bring before European readers the annals of the Burmese,
but these writers only incidentally deal with their neighbours the
Talaings, and there are great discrepancies in the chronological
tables furnished by each of them. Next Dr. Mason, in his valuable
compendium of everything relating to Burma, has given two
abstracts, one of Talaing, the other of Burmese history. Sir Arthur
Phayre, to whom British Burma owes so much, has published, in
the journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, two valuable essays on
the " History of the Burma Kace " and on the " History of Pegu/'
There are besides slight historical sketches in other works such as
those in Father Sangermano's Burmese Empire and Yule's Embassy
to the Court of Ava. But there is no short history embracing in
one connected series a general and comprehensive view of the events
happening contemporaneously within the area of what was known
before the English occupation of Pegu as the " Burman Empire."

Dr. Mason's dates are often confused and his facts incorrect
in the earlier parts of the history. Sir Arthur Phayre' s interesting
essays are incomplete and, moreover, treat of Arakanese, Burmese,
and Talaing history separately in scattered numbers of a scientific
journal not generally accessible.

In framing the following slight sketch, while advantage has
been taken of the labours of all the above authors, and the opinions
of Sir Arthur Phayre especially have been given their due weight,
the actual facts have been taken from the existing Talaing and
Burmese histories, and the dates obtained by checking one with
the other.

There exist a number of local chronicles of the petty dynasties
which have at various times established themselves in different

11. PBEFACE.

parts of the country. Thus there is a Thatone history, a Martaban
history, a Prome history, a Pagan history, and several others. The
commencement of all these is generally a mixture of fable and fact,
not always easy to separate, tending to glorify the founder of the
city or dynasty, but each helps to confirm or check the others in
points where they mutually converge. The writer has collated by
means of translations from the original Talaing manuscripts several
of these epochal histories of the Talaing nation, and has compiled
the Burman portion of the history from the works above mentioned
corrected in some cases from a copy of the Razawingyolce, or
" Compendium of the chronicles of the Kings," belonging to a
Mandalay ponegyee.

With regard to the wonderful fables with which the earlier
parts of these records are filled, should any deem on their account
the whole narrative untrustworthy, we would ask whether on the
same grounds we should also blot out several pages of early
English history, the authorities for which are the equally fable-
mongering " early chronicles."

No national traditions are without their meaning, if we could
find it, and because we cannot do so at once to dismiss them as
utterly useless and false is both unwise and unscholarly.

C. J. F. S. F.

LEGENDAKY HISTORY OF BURMA AND

ARAKAN.

All Talaing and Burmese chronology depends on the era of
the nirvana of Gaudama. On this point all Buddhist nations are
not agreed, the Tibetan, the Chinese, and the Japanese having each
a date differing from the other and also from that adopted by the
Singhalese, the Burmans, Talaings, Shans, and other nations of
Indo-China.

European scholars have been equally divided, but the date
now generally accepted by them is that used by the Buddhists of
Burma, which will place this event in the year 543 before Christ.
This is the year 1 of the sacred Buddhist era, so that the present
year, A.D. 1878, answers to the year 2421 of the Burman sacred
era.

Late researches in India seem, however, to prove that there is
an error of 65 years in this date. Among the ruins at the ancient
famous Buddhist temple of Buddha-Gaya has been discovered an
inscription in the words " in the year 1819 of the emancipation of
" Bhagavata, on Wednesday, the 1st day of the waning moon of
" Kartik." According to the Burman reckoning this date answers
to A.D. 1276. But the day of the week and the day of the moon
being both given, it is by calculation easy to tell whether in any
given year they so coincide. This calculation has been made by a
learned Hindu astronomer, and it is found that the 1st day of the
waning moon of Kartik in A.D. 1276 fell on a Friday, but in AD.
1341 it fell on Wednesday, the 7th October, which would place the
beginning of the Buddhist era, that is, the date of the nirvana of
Gaudama, in the year 478 B. C.

We shall, however, in the following pages use the commonly
received date in order to prevent confusion or mistake.

The countries which by Europeans are often confused and
comprehended under the general name of " Burma " consist of the
three great divisions of Arakan, Pegu, and Burma, which formerly
constituted three distinct empires, even when at times sub-divided
into several petty States.

Arakan comprised what now forms the British division of Ara-
kan, and as far as Cape Negrais. Pegu, or the Talaing Kingdom,

2 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN.

seems in ancient times to have extended from a little below the
city of Prome to the south coast as far as the Martaban Point.
Burma comprehended the country north of Pegu, and eastward from
Arakan, Cathay or Munipur, and Assam to the borders of China
and Northern Siam. Its northern boundaries in early times would
be difficult to define. This description is not of course intended as
an accurate geographical definition of each of these countries.

The Burmese and Arakan Razawin, or History of Kings, goes
back to the origin of the present world, even .alluding to those
before, as taught in the Buddhist religious books. There is nothing
to interest any reader, as may be seen from the commencement
of the second part of the so-called history, which thus sums up
what has gone before : —

" In the first part we have narrated the history of the Kings,
" commencing from Maha Thamada up to the time of the Excellent
" Para Gaudama, there being 334,569 Kings in regular succession/'

This is the fabulous part of the history and is merely copied
from the Buddhist books brought together with the religion from
India. The next part may be termed the legendary history of
Burma, that is, it consists of a series of ancient traditions, which,
although we cannot accept all the details as true, seem to contain
some of the important facts of the early history of the race handed
down from the earliest times in the shape of legends or stories.
This portion commences at an indefinite date before the birth of
Gaudama. But as a line of 31 Kings are enumerated from the
foundation of the monarchy to the latter event, if we only allow an
average of ten years to each reign, this will carry us back to the
ninth century before Christ.

" At this time," says the Native history, " there was a war
" between the King of Kawthala (or Oude) and the Thakya Princes
" of Kawleeya, Daywadaha, and Kappeelawoot (the country around
"Fyzabad). The Thakya Kings were subdued, and one of them,
" the Prince of Kappeelawoot, Abeeraza by name, with his army left
" the Myitzeemapyee (or middle country) and marched eastward.
"Having crossed the Thallawadee river (the Chindwin river)
" they rested on the west bank of thelrrawaddy river, and crossing
" over that settled in Thingatharata, the city now called Tagoung."

This traditionary origin of the Burman race from the country
of central Gangetic India has been ridiculed by most European
writers, even by Sir A. Phayre, as utterly unfounded. The subject
is too uncertain and surrounded with difficulties to admit of being
treated of here, but it may be remarked that all our latest infor-
mation tends to show that the Burmans and Takings came into their
present countries from the westward, and probably through the

LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN. 3

valley of the Ganges. Until therefore the contrary can be 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 historians go on
to connect their first Kings with the Kajput Princes who reigned
in the States of Kawthala and Kappeelawoot at the time Gaudama
was born, and believe the Burman people to be of the same race
as the inhabitants of that region of India, they only show their
utter ignorance of any countries or people except themselves. The
Bajputs and their subjects belong to the Indo-Germanic race, to
which also the English, the French, the Germans and other
nations of Europe belong, while the Burmans are of the Mongo-
lian race, of which the Takings, Shans, Siamese, and Chinese form
also a part. Both their bodily characteristics and their language
when compared prove the utter want of connection between the
Burman and Kajput races. This pretended origin of their Kings
was no doubt the invention of courtly historians to flatter the
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
doubting that it was the earliest seat of the Burman monarchy.
After the death of Abeeraza his two sons, Kanrazagyee and Kan-
razangeh, disputed the crown, but agreed as a means to settle the
question that each should build a religious edifice, and that he who
first completed the work should succeed to their father's throne.
The younger brother, Kanrazangeh, had recourse to stratagem,
and in one night with bamboos and plastered cloth erected a pagoda,
on seeing which, without examination, Kanrazagyee departed at
once with his adherents westward and settled at Kalaydoung on
the west bank of the Chindwin river. Here they were joined by
the kindred tribes of the Pyoo and Thet, who seem to have been
at that time in possession of the middle Irrawaddy valley. The
remains of this latter tribe may probably be found in a people bear-
ing a somewhat similar name inhabiting the northern part of
Arakan .

Having placed his son, Moodooseikta, over those who remained
here, Kanrazagyee with the rest of his followers pushed on again
westwards and founded a city on the Kyoukpindoung mountain
in the north of Arakan, the ruins of which city are still to be seen.
Thus, according to both Burmese and Arakanese history, was found-
ed the nation and kingdom of Arakan. Following this tradition
the Burmans have always acknowledged the Arakanese as the
elder branch of the race and style them " Bya'magyee. " Kan-
razangeh and his descendants reigned for thirty-one generations

4 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAff.

in Tagoung. During the reign of the last King, Beinnaka, the
whole country was overrun by invaders from the country of Ganda-
larit, the Buddhist classic name of the province of Yunan.

The King of Tagoung retired to Malay choung on the Irrawaddy
above Amarapoora, and on his death the people separated, one part
emigrating eastward into what are now the Shan States, another
part going southward and uniting with those of the former emi-
gration under Kanrazagyee in the country of the Pyoo and Thet
tribes, while the remainder with the Queen, Nagasein, continued
to occupy Malaychoung.

As the Tagoung royal race ended with Beinnaka, the chroni-
cles have recourse to a fresh emigration from Middle India to sup-
ply a new dynasty.

We here touch a firm point in chronology, " At this time/'
says the historian, " the Lord Gaudama, appeared in the Myitzee-
" madaytha, or middle country/' The King of Kawthala or Kosala
(Oude) asked in marriage the hand of a daughter of Mahananda,
King of Kappeelawoot. This Mahananda succeeded Thokedawdana,
the father of Gaudama, and was cousin of the latter. The King of
Kappeelawoot, instead of a royal Princess, sent the daughter of a
beautiful slave. The Kawthala King married her and had a son who,
when grown up, went to visit his relations in Kappeelawoot. Being
insulted, by them on account of his mother's birth, the young
Prince vowed revenge. After his father's death he attacked the
Thakya Princes of Kappeelawoot, overcame them, and utterly des-
troyed their country.

That this legend so far has been derived direct from Indian
sources is evident, as we find it narrated in almost the exact words
by the Chinese traveller Hiouen Thsang and alluded to by another,
Fa Hian.

On the final overthrow of the Thakya dynasty of Kappeelawoot,
one of the Princes, Dazaraza, "with his followers, imitating his
alleged ancestor Abeeraza, made his way eastward and settled first
in Mawreeya, now Mwayyin. Thence, after a time, he moved
southwards to Malaychoung, where he finally married Queen Naga-
sein, the widow of Beinnaka and of the same royal Thakya race as
himself. This is the alleged origin of the second Tagoung
dynasty.

To glance for a moment at the probable truth or otherwise of
this story. We know that the early traditions of all the great
nations of Indo-China represent them as at the beginning mere
broken tribes and clans in a state of savage independence, much
resembling that of the hill tribes of Arakan at this day. Most of
them, as the Talaings, the Siamese, and the Cambodians, ascribe

LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN. 5

the origin of their civilization and first royal race to the advent of
colonists from the coast of India. Indian history informs us that,
after the death of Gaudama, desolating wars and revolutions pre-
vailed among the numerous petty Princes of Middle India. There
does not then seem to be any impossibility, or even improbability,
in the idea that one of these fugitive Princes, wandering eastwards
in search of a new country wherein to establish himself and his
followers, may have found his way through the passes of the Mani-
pur hills into the valley of the Irrawaddy, and either subjected the
semi-savage native tribes to his sway, or have been received by
them as a civilizer and chief. We may then accept this legend of
the second emigration of the early Burman 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 his marriage Dazaraza and his Queen founded the
city of Upper Pagan, near Tagoung. They subsequently removed
to the mother capital of the race, old Tagoung, which they re-built,
and the whole country received the Sanskrit name of Pyinsalarit.

The actual history of the Burman race and empire may be
said to begin from this second founding of Tagoung, although the
narrative is still much obscured by fable.

LEGENDARY TALAING HISTORY.

There is one great difference between the annals of the Taking
and Burman races. The Talaing national historians do not pretend
to account for the origin of their race. While, like all other nations,
their earliest traditions are largely mixed, with fable, they do not
extend these back into a mythical antiquity, and go no further
back than the era of Gaudama, that is, about 600 years before
Christ. They have no tradition of ever having occupied other than
their present localities, or of any changes or migrations of their
race. The starting point of their history is not even national, but
connected with a foreign country and people. It is thus told in
the Talaing books : —

" The two Princes, Teiktha and Zayyakonema, sons of the King
" of Thoopienna in the Karannaka *country, became hermits and
' ' resided on the Zingyike mountain (between Thatone and Martaban) .
" After some time the younger brother moved to the Zwehgabin
" mountain (east of the Salween) and lived there. The elder brother,

*A country on the east coast of India.

6 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN.

" walking one day by the seashore at the foot of Zingyike, found two
" e ggs> from which in time two boys were produced. One of these,
" who the hermit gave to his younger brother, died of small-pox at the
" age of ten years. When the other had attained the age of seven-
" teen, with the advice of his foster-father the hermit, he called
"together the people around, — Moons (or Takings), Yoons, Brah-
min Kalas (or foreigners from India), Kyaypazawas, Shans, Chins,
Lawas, and Toungthoos, — and founded a city called Thatone. He
" assumed the name of Theeharaza. The boy who had died was
' ' born again in the Meiktheela country, and when seven years old
" met the Lord Gaudama and became the Eahanda Gawonpaday. "

Y*. In this wonderful and at first sight absurd story of the found-

ation of Thatone, the earliest seat of the Talaing or Moon people as
a nation, closer examination will disclose some important facts.
The founder is a Prince whose origin is fabulous, represented
as born of a nagama's or female dragon's egg and brought up and
educated by a princely hermit belonging to the country of Karan-
naka. This latter, as well as Thoopeinna and other localities men-
tioned in these early Talaing traditions, have been clearly identified
as parts of the ancient Dravidian kingdom of Teelingana on the
east coast of India. The inhabitants of Thatone are also said to
have been composed of several races, among whom we find Brah-
min Kalas, that is, foreigners from the coast of India.

We may, without any distortion of facts, read between the

y lines of the fable a true history of the events as they actually
occurred. The country around Thatone and Martaban was inhabit-
ed by the Moons represented by their own history as then a wild,
barbarous race. A trading colony of the civilized natives of the
Teelinga coast arrived, and after some time they or their offspring by
the women of the country, typified by the nagama, founded the
city of Thatone. In all Indian tradition the Nagas represent the
aborigines of a country. One point of the story is confirmed by
geological evidence, viz., that the sea once washed the foot of
Zingyike and reached to the walls of the city of Thatone instead
of being as now twelve miles distant. The early trading inter-
course between the Hindu kingdom of Teelingana and the coun-
tries on the east of the Bay of Bengal is a fact well known.

As in all Buddhist countries Gaudama is alleged to have
personally visited and preached in them, he is said to have so done
in Thatone. But there are two versions of the legend. Accord-
ing to one this visit took place in the reign of Theeharaza him-
self, according to the other in that of his son Theereemathawka.
This will give us two dates to select from for the founding of Tha-
tone. The first account places the visit of Gaudama in the thirty-

>

LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN. 7

seventh year before he attained neikban, and as Theeharaza is
said to have died in the same year, having reigned sixty years, this
will give B. C. 603 as the date of the foundation of the city. If, on
the other hand, we accept King Theereemathawka as the contempo-
rary of Gaudama, the date of Theeharaza's reign and of the
founding of Thatone will be thrown back some sixty or eighty
years. It is hardly to be expected that we can do more than
approximately fix the commencement of the history of Thatone
and of the Talaing people between 600 and 700 B. C.

There was evidently at this early period a close connection
between Pegu and the eastern coast of India. Everywhere we
meet traces of it, nor are the records of it confined to the traditions
of Talaing history. We find in the religious books of Ceylon
accounts of merchants from Suvarnabhumi (the Sanskrit name of
Thatone) trading in Central India. This legend of the offering
made to Buddha by the brothers Tapassu and Bhallaka (in Bur-
mese Tapoketha and Paleeka) is the one alluded to in the inscription
on the great bell on the platform of the Shway Dagone pagoda in
Rangoon. The eight hairs from his head that the Para gave them
are the sacred relics enshrined in that the most venerated of the
Buddhist edifices in Burma. There is no reason, however, to
suppose that these merchants were Takings or Moons. They were
most probably from the Teelinga settlement of Thatone. The con-
stant commerce carried on by the Hindus of the Coromandel coast
with the regions to the east is an established fact. The name of
Teelinga or Kalinga is as familiar in the early annals of Java and
Sumatra as in those of the Talaing country. This gives us the
most probable origin of the name by which the inhabitants of Pegu
are known to their neighbours the Burmans and to the English.
The word " Talaing " is a foreign appellation, and not the national
designation of the people (which is Moon), and was probably first
applied to the descendants of the Teelinga colonists and afterwards
to the whole people. To the Siamese and Anamese they are known
as Moons.

After the foundation ©f the city of Thatone the Native history
contains nothing but a dry list of Kings and their Queens, with a
few notices of their building religious edifices. The names may
be real or merely fictitious ; they are but names and have no real
interest for the student.

The first really important event after the foundation of the
kingdom of Thatone was the first introduction of Buddhism into
these Eastern countries. This subject had best be treated of in a
separate chapter, with a short account of the Buddhist religion and
its founder Gaudama, of whom the youth of Burma, whether Bud-

8 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN.

dhists or otherwise, have very little clear idea in a historical
sense.

BUDDHISM AND ITS INTRODUCTION INTO BURMA.

About six centuries before Christ the religion of the people of
Central India in the countries watered by the Ganges was Brah-
minism. This name was derived from the deity Brahm (the perfect
one), whose priests and ministers were the Brahmans. But it was
a religion very different in practice from that which bears the same
name to-day. The Brahmans thought that the deity must be
propitiated by the sacrifice of great numbers of helpless animals
and even in some cases of human beings.

At that time the country now forming the provinces of Oude
and Allahabad was divided into a number of petty kingdoms, one
of which was Kappeelawoot, the modern Fyzabad. Here Princes of
the Thakya race ruled, and about 600 B. C. T.hokedawdana is said
to have been King. His eldest son, described as a most accom-
plished young Prince, was suddenly struck with an intense desire
to become a religious teacher and alleviate the sorrow and misery
he saw around him in the world. He forsook the pomp and luxury
of his royal state and for forty-five years wandered from city to
city with his disciples, ever preaching and teaching lessons of love
and mercy. This young Prince was Gaudama, and the religion he
taught is called Buddhism, that is, ' ' the religion of Buddh," because
his chief doctrine was that the law which he taught men to observe
could only be fully known to and preached by a perfectly wise and
benevolent being, which is the meaning of the word "Buddh. "
He taught that already three other Buddhs had appeared at differ-
ent times on the earth, that he himself was the fourth, and that
after him at a long interval should come a fifth and last, for whose
appearance the Buddhists still look. The doctrines which Gauda-
ma taught cannot be explained here, but the five great command-
ments of his religion may 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
the Buddhists of Ceylon and Burma, the great teacher Gaudama
died, or, to use the Buddhist expression, " attained nirvana " or
neikban, that is, the cessation of existence.

LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN. 9

We see then that Gaudama is not a God as is foolishly said
by some who do not understand his religion, but merely a great
teacher. His religion is that now professed not only in Burma
and Siam, but in Ceylon, China, Thibet, Japan, and Tartary, and
numbers over 340 out of the 900 millions of the earth's inhabitants
among its votaries. We can here only consider the history of its
introduction into the Burman countries.

After the death of Gaudama three great synods or councils
famous in Buddhist religious history were held in India to collect
and revise the Buddhist sacred books. The last and moct important
of these was held in the great city of Palibothra or Patalipiitra (the
modern Patna) under the protection of the celebrated Asoka or
Dhammathawka, Raja of Magadha. This took place according to
the Burmese dates 235 years after the death of Gaudama, that is,
B.C. 308. But an examination of Indian history leads to the
belief that the real date was some time later, in B. C. 241. In
this, the last and greatest council, the Buddhist sacred books were
revised with the greatest care and labour and collected in the
Beedagat.

From this council went forth into all lands bordering on Hin-
dustan zealous Buddhist missionaries, and it is really from this
date that the historical introduction of Buddhism into the various
trans-Indian countries of Asia can be traced. Every people which
has embraced the faith of Gaudama has fondly endeavoured to
ascribe their first conversion to the personal teaching and preach-
ing of the great founder himself, and the supposed traces and local
legends of Buddha are found in every Buddhist country. There is,
however, not the slighest reason for believing that Gaudama ever
travelled beyond the limits of the upper Gangetic provinces, nor
even that Buddhism itself had spread much beyond those limits
before the date of this last council. Educated Burman Buddhists
should reflect that their own sacred books which contain the life of
Gaudama make no mention of his visiting any places but those in
the upper valley of the Ganges.

According to the great Mahawanso chronicle of Ceylon, nine
of the most pious and learned rahans (or religious men) were
chosen to go forth and preach the faith of Gaudama in the
neighbouring countries. To each the council assigned the scene
of his labours, and we are told " the eighth priest, Soneke Maha-
" terrunnanse, went to the land called Swarnewarna and established
" the religion of Budhu there."

In an inscription still existing in the island of Bamree, made
about a hundred years ago, we find, " In the sacred era 236 religion
" was established by the venerable Thawna and Oketara in Thoowoon-

10 LEGENDARY HISTORY OV BURMA AND ARAKAN.

" nabonemee, the Thatone country." Thawna is the Burmese way
of writing the Sanskrit Sona or Sone, and Thoowoonnabonemee
Suvarnabhiimi.

Of the country of Suvarnabhumi Thatone was then the capital,
not, however, so much of the native Moon race as of the foreign
settlers who had colonized the coast from the ancient kingdom of
Teelingana on the east coast of India.

According to tlief Talaing legend, the Buddhist missionaries on
their arrival met with great opposition from the local teachers,
probably Brahmins, being denounced and reviled by them as
heretics. Gradually the new doctrines gained ground, pagodas
arose, and the faith of Buddha or Gaudama established itself in
Thatone, to flourish amid all vicissitudes for over 2,000 years to
the present day, on the spot where the great Thagya pagoda lifts
its worn and ancient head, probably the oldest architectural monu-
ment of Buddhism in Burma.

The Burman historians have endeavoured to appropriate a
missionary to themselves at the same period, but th£y can offer
nothing but their own uncorroborated legend in support of their
statements. It is most probable that the upper countries of the
Irrawaddy river derived their first knowledge of the Buddhist faith
from the south, either by Indian teachers passing up from the coast
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 India before
the time of the third council in the reign of Asoka or Dhamma-
thanka. The intercourse between the Indo-Chinese countries and
India was conducted by the natives of 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 Gaudama was first introduced at this very time by Prince
Maheindara, the son of King Dhammathawka.

SECOND TAGOUNG DYNASTY.— B. C. 543—444.

FroM the second foundation of the city of Tagoung by Daza-
raza seventeen Kings are enumerated, but little if anything of
their lives or acts is recorded till we come to the last, Thadomaha-
raza. At this point the history contains another long and won-
derful legend, which tells of the end of the Tagoung kingdom and
the rise of a new one. It is as follows : —

Thadomaharaza having no son adopted the brother of his
Queen, Keinnareedaywee, as his heir.

LEGENDARY HISTORY OP BURMA AND ARAKAN, II

A monstrous boar having appeared and devastated the whole
country, the Prince Labadooha went forth to slay it. In his
eager pursuit of the chase he got separated from his attendants,
followed the boar down the Irrawaddy, and finally killed it at a
place still known as " Wettogyoon " (boar-pierced island) near
Prome. The incidents of this and the following legend have given
names still current to several other places on the Irrawaddy river
above Prome. The story continues. Prince Labadooha finding
himself alone and unwilling to return dwelt as a hermit near the
site of the future city of Prome, thence sometimes called Yathay-
myo, or hermit city. In his wanderings in the jungle he found a
female child miraculously born of a doe and brought her up as his
adopted daughter.

The same year that Prince Labadooha had left Tagoung in
pursuit of the boar the Queen gave birth to two sons, who were
both born blind. Their father, ashamed of this misfortune,
ordered them to be killed, but the Queen managed to conceal and
bring them up till they wer,e nineteen years old. They were
named Mahathanbawa and Soolathanbawa. The King at length
discovered their existence and again ordered them to be killed,
but their mother placed them on a raft and committed them to the
Irrawaddy river. As they floated down a Beelooma took pity on
them and restored them to sight. This point in the legend is still
commemorated by the names of the two villages of Mopone and
Myaydeh just above the town of Thayetmyo. They are said to
derive their names from the first exclamations of wonder by the
Princes on obtaining their eyesight, — mopone, "the sky covers,"
myaydeh, " the earth is spread out."

Following the stream the two young Princes at length arrived
near the place where stands the modern city of Prome. Here they
encountered drawing water Baydaree, the adopted daughter of
the hermit Prince Labadooha. She led the young men to her
father, and from their explanations he learnt that they were the
sons* of his sister, the Queen of Tagoung. He then gave the dam-
sel Baydaree in marriage to the elder of the brothers.

The Prome local history here narrates that at this time the
country around was inhabited by the Pyoo tribe, who, we have seen,
were amalgamated with a part of the dispersed inhabitants of old or
first Tagoung. The people suffered from the constant attacks of
their kindred tribe on the Arakan side, the Kanrans, and, in con-
sequence, to obtain a chief, the Queen of the Pyoos married Prince
Mahathanbawa and made him King. Their son was the famous
Doottaboung, though some of the chronicles make him the son
of Baydaree. However this may be, he was one of the celebrated

12 LEGENDARY niSTOUY OF BURMA AND ARAKAff.

monarchs of Burman history, and founded the great city of Tharay-
kittara, or old Prome, the ruins of which still exist about two miles
east of the present town. This took place in B. C. 444, the year
after the second great Buddhist council was held in the city of
Vaisali or Waythalee.

Doottaboung is said to have reigned for seventy-two years
over a large empire. As nothing more is mentioned in the Native
histories respecting the Tagoung kingdom, it is probable that it
merged into that of Prome after the death of Thadomaharaza r
the grandfather of King Doottaboung, and that the dominions
of this latter monarch comprised the whole upper valley of the
Irrawaddy.

THE PROME DYNASTY.— B. C. 444 : A. D. 107.

Doottaboung was succeeded in his kingdom by his son
Doottayan. During the reign of the grandson of this latter King:
occurred two great events in the contemporaneous history of India.
The first was the invasion of Alexander the Great, B. C. 327 ; the
other the third great Buddhist council already alluded to, B. Or
308.

A succession of Kings of the line of Doottaboung reigned in?
Prome, of whom little worth notice is recorded except their cha-
racters as pious monarchs or otherwise. The last of them was
Theereerit, with whom ended the royal race that was supposed
to be derived from the Thakya Princes of India. He was suc-
ceeded by one Ngataba, of whom the following story is told : —

" While he was a student his teacher, who understood the
" language of birds, hearing a cock one day cry out 'he that eats my
" head shall be a King,' ordered Ngataba to kill and cook the fowl
for him. While doing so the boy accidentally dropped the cock's
head on the ground, and then not venturing to present it to his
" teacher undesignedly eat it himself. In time the omen was ful-
" filled and Ngataba became King."

This absurd legend offers nothing to account for the rise of
this new dynasty, and we must remain in ignorance of the events
or causes that placed Ngataba on the throne. The Burman chro-
nicles state that in the seventeenth year of this King's reign, about
B. C. 88 — 76, the sacred books were committed to writing in Ceylon.
This, however, is a point disputed by many scholars, who believe
the teachings of Gaudama were collated long previous to this date.

Ngataba was succeeded by his son Papeeyan, in whose time
the Burmese history states religion (that is Buddhism) was
greatly oppressed in India. He reigned during the last fifty years

LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN. 13

before the Christian era, and we know that about that time occur-
red the great wars of Vikramaditya, the Brahmin monarch of Ujjain,
and the establishment of the great Brahmanical Andhra dynasty
in Magadha and in the Deccan. Or, if we apply the correction of
sixty-five years before alluded to by adding it to the Burman date,
we arrive at a still more closely corresponding era, that of Sali-
vahana, the Deccan King and noted persecutor of the Buddhists,
who flourished about A. D. 77.

From the Burmese chronicles it would appear that the strug-
gles for the ascendancy which began about this time in India
between Brahmanism and Buddhism affected these countries also,
for it is noted of some of the Kings that they had no regard for
religion, which always means in this case Buddhism.

One Prince, Bayreinda, is said to have gone for his education
to Tetkatho, the Sanskrit Takhshasila, one of the most celebrated
cities of ancient India, the ruins of which are situated about 32
miles east of the Indus. This story, if true, shows a connection
and 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
any remarkable events being recorded, until the reign of Nagara-
seinda, or Thoopyinnya, under whom the glory of the kingdom of
Prome culminated. He invaded and subdued Arakan, and
attempted to convey to Burma the famous golden image of Gau-
dama from the temple of Mahamyatmanee.

This highly venerated object of worship has been thus
described : —

" The image of Gaudama is made of brass and highly burnished.
" The figure is afeout ten feet 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 the
" original resemblance of the Bishi (Gaudama) 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 Gaudama is acknowledged to pay their devotions at the
" foot of his brazen representative. "

Although the Burmans failed at this time, they were destined
several centuries later to obtain possession of this coveted treasure,
which is now enthroned in the ancient city of Amarapoora.

After the death of Thoopyinnya the empire which he had
established was broken up. Civil war appears to have ensued
between the various races who formed it, — the Pyoos, the Kanrans,
and the Burmans, — that is, the people of the countries of Prome,
of Arakan, and Tagoung.

14 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ABAKAN,

Thamoodarit, the nephew of the last King, endeavoured tcf
settle in a position south of Prome, but he was driven thence by
the attacks of the*Talaings from the south and fled to Mindone,
and the city and kingdom of Prome were destroyed A, D. 104.
Thamoodarit finding himself still harassed by the Kanrans, re-
treated northwards across the Irrawaddy and established a new
dynasty and kingdom in the old city of Pagan near Tagoung, for-
merly founded by Dazaraza. He is said to have been joined by
Pyoomindee, Prince of Tagoung, who married his daughter.

THE OLD PAGAN DYNASTY.— A. D. 107—841.

Thamoodarit was succeeded by his son-in-law Pyoomindee,
thus uniting the kindred royal lines of Tagoung and Prome. The
reign of the third King of this dynasty is signalized by an invasion
of "the Chinese" according to the Native history. The invaders
were completely defeated at Kawthanbee. Although styled " Chi-
nese " it is more probable they were the Shans of Yunan. At this
time the Chinese had not conquered the province of Yunan, which
was possessed by the Shan race. The Chinese were, however, about
this period, A. D. 161 — 241, extending their empire southward of
the Yangtsekiang, and their attacks on the Shan kingdom of
Yunan may have forced the latter to endeavour to trespass in
turn on^ their Burman neighbours.

Eighteen Kings reigned in Pagan from Thamoodarit to the
year A. D. 638, when the throne was occupied by Pokepasaw, a
rahan or monk, who had by some means usurped it. It is noted
of him that he was a learned man and skilled in astrology. He
established the common Burman era which continues in use at the
present day, beginning in the year A. D. 638.

This era is common to the Siamese, Shans, and Cambodians,
and was probably fixed by a singular astronomical coincidence at
the time. On the 21st March A. D. 638 the new moon coincided
with the entrance of the sun into the first sign of the zodiac and
produced an important eclipse. The monk-King was succeeded by
several others, of whom nothing particular is recorded. In the
year A. D. 847 the reigning King, Pyinbya, removed his capital
and founded the present 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

* By Colonel Horace Browne among others.

\

^

LEGENDARY HISTORY OP BURMA AND ARAKAN. 15

the upper or lower when mentioning them, we have no record or
hint of any change of the capital from the time of the founding
of a Pagan city by Pyinbya to the reign of Anawratamin, who
reigned in the same city of Pagan, which Pagan we know to have
been the lower one, and which therefore must be the later of the
two.

THE PEGU KINGDOM.— A. D. 403—781.

After the mention of the mission of Thawna and Oketara
(the Sanskrit Sona and Uttaro) to the land of Suvarnabhumi, the
Talaing chronicles of Thatone record nothing except a dry list of
Kings until the Buddhist year 943, answering to A. D. 403. In
this year occurred one of the most important events in the history
of these countries. This was the introduction of the whole of the
sacred Buddhist books from Ceylon by the famous teacher Bud-
dhaghosa or Bokedagawtha.

It is very probable that the first Buddhist missionaries had
either handed down the law of Buddha orally and traditionally, or
that among a rude and uncivilized people, as the native races of
Pegu and Burma then undoubtedly were, the faith had declined,
and the sacred writings, for want of care and increase of new copies,
had almost disappeared.

It is singular that at the same period, A. D. 400 — 414, a Chinese
learned man named Fa Hian was making a weary pilgrimage from
China through India to Ceylon to obtain a clearer knowledge of the A,
faith and to take back copies of the Buddhist scriptures to his
native land. His account of the state of things in China would pro-
bably answer for the Burman countries. He says " he was distress-
ed to observe the precepts and the theological works on the point
" of being lost and already disfigured by omissions/ ' Possibly the
two sages might have both been engaged at the very same time in
the monasteries of Ceylon in transcribing the Beedagat, the one into
Chinese, the other into Pali. The Talaing historians claim their
great teacher as a countryman and native of Thatone, but there
is no doubt that he was, as stated in the Mahdwanso of Ceylon, a
native of India, who, treading in the footsteps of the former great
missionaries of Buddhism, devoted himself to spreading the know-
ledge of the law and copies of the sacred books among the nations
of Indo-China.

It seems almost certain that '*it was at this period that the
Talaing language was reduced to writing and an alphabet introduced,
possibly by Bokedagawtha himself. The Talaing alphabet is derived
from that in use in India about the third century of the Christian

16 LEGENDARY HISTORY OP BURMA AND ARAKAN.

era, and it is evident that the Burmese has been borrowed at a later
period from the Talaing, which contains some forms older than, and
wanting in, the Burman alphabet.

From this period there is no doubt that Buddhism was firmly
established in at least the Talaing country, and completely supplant-
ed the old natworship, which was the earliest belief of the Moons
as of all the races of Burma.

The Native history continues after recording the above event
as dull and uninteresting as before until the Buddhist year 1116, or
A. D. 573, when we reach the era of the foundation of Pegu.

The traditionary account of this event is long and overlaid
with fabulous details, but the main points are worth noting, for
they doubtless contain a confused account of the events of the time,
which is valuable since we possess no other.

The legend commences at a period when the whole plains
around Pegu were broad sea, and the site of the future great city of
Hanthawaddy or Pegu was only a little bank of sand in the middle
of the sea. An alleged prophecy of Gaudama that that little shin-
ing speck should in future times be the site of a great city is then
given. At the moment this prophecy was supposed to be uttered
two. "* hinthas ' (a large kind of wild duck) were resting on this small
sand islet, whence the sacred name of Pegu, " Hinthawadee, "
the country of the hinthas. Some one thousand years after this
the waters of the sea receded and left a large island around what is
now the town of Pegu.

Here the legend and facts undoubtedly agree. At an early
period the sea covered all the present southern plains of the Bur-
man peninsula from Martaban to Cape Negrais, and the sea gradu-
ally receding left first small sandbanks, which in time grew into
large islands, and these again by the continued rising of the soil
and further retreat of the water united to form the great plains of
Martaban and Pegu.

This island in the sea was, the story states, discovered by a ship
V belonging to the Teelinga coast trading between the city of Beeza-
nagaran (Vizianagaram) and Thatone. The King of the former city
sent a ship to take possession of the island and buried there a
smooth iron pillar engraved with his name, titles, and signet. So
things remained for another 160 years. At that time, about
A. D. 573, Adeinnaraza, a powerful and religious monarch,
had succeeded his father, Theinnaginga, on the throne of Thatone.
Strange to say neither of these Princes are mentioned, at least
under these names, in the list of Kings of Thatone. The Pegu
chronicle relates that in the reign of Theinnaginga there lived on
the Zingyike mountain a hermit named Lawma. On this hill a

LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN. 17

liagama having taken a human form wandered about gathering
fruits and flowers. She was met in the forest by a weikzato, or
.magician, and the result of their union was that the nag&ma after
the manner of her race brought forth an egg. This egg was found
by the hermit Lawma, who took it home, and in seven days from
the egg was produced a female child endowed with every charm
and grace. When she had attained her sixteenth year a hunts-
man of the King of Thatone one day met her, and struck by her
surpassing beauty reported it to the King. Theinnaginga accord-
ingly begged her in marriage from the hermit and made her his
Queen. Two sons were born to her, who were named Thamala and
Weemala, and were much beloved by their father. After some time
it was observed that numbers of the attendants and those around
the Queen died suddenly. The reason of this, though not known,
was that, being sprung from the powerful Naga race, her anger
proved fatal to any who in any way incurred it. The nobles and
people complained to the King in vain. At length the secret was dis-
covered by the King's teacher, and by means of a magic ointment
the Naga origin of the Queen was made manifest and she died.

The Bang sent her two sons to the old hermit on Zingyike
mountain, by whom they were brought up and instructed in every
kind of learning. In the meanwhile their father die<J and their half-
brother, Adeinnaraza, with the consent of the nobles and people,
succeeded on the throne. When the two young Princes were
sixteen years old the hermit sent them to the Court of their half-
brother the King, and there Thamala by his beauty and accom-
plishments won the heart of the King's daughter Badyakonemaree.
Soon after, however, the King learnt that the two Princes were
conspiring against him and attempted to seize them, on which they
fled back with the Princess to the old hermit,

Lawma, who was acquainted with the ancient prediction
respecting the resting place of the golden ' hinthas/ now become a
large island, advised the Princes to fly to the westward and found a
kingdom there. One hundred and seventy families joined them,
and seventeen rafts of bamboo were prepared, there being no boats.
Taking farewell of the old hermit they embarked and floated
down the stream to its mouth. This river being full of laterite
boulders they called Gawoon Yinnyein, and the latter part of the
name it retains to this day. From the mouth of the river an
easterly wind carried the rafts across, after they had sustained a
violent storm, to near the spot where formerly the Indian ship of
Beezanagaran had anchored.

Here the Princes and their followers disembarked arid were
soon after joined by 330 Moon families who had already settled on

3

18 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN.

the island. They then began to search for a suitable site on which
to found a city.

Then follows a long and fabulous account of their dispute,
with the natives of India, whom the King of Beezanagaran had at
this time sent to colonize the island. The Indians rested their
claim on the possession taken by them 160 years before, the proof
of which was the iron pillar they h^d buried as a record. Instructed,
however, by the Thagyamin (the chief of the nats) who assumed
the guise of a venerable old man, the Talaing Princes disputed : *:
the claim and offered to put it to a trial. Accordingly the spot
pointed out by the Indians was excavated and there was their
iron pillar inscribed with a date a c^ntury-and-a-half old.
But the disguised Thagyamin calling on the Takings to dig ?
further, lo ! ten fathoms below the iron pillar was found a
golden one inscribed in the Moon language with, a far older date.
This, however, was only a deceit effected by the power of the Thagya-
min, who had during the night placed or created the false golden
pillar. The Indians owned themselves defeated, and, ashamed to
return to their own country, are said to have embarked on a raft
which drifted to a point on the coast where they agreed to settle,
and which to this day is called in Talaing ' Kallaytai,' in Burmese
'Kalatike/ or '.Tikekala,' 'the dwelling of foreigners/ and lies
about five miles east of the present town of Kyiketo.

The Takings now proceeded to found a city on the spot where,
the ' hinthas ' had rested, and in the centre built a pagoda, in which
the golden pillar together with a sacred hair of Buddha were en-
shrined. This is the Kyikesannee pagoda, which still exists in
the old town of Pegu. The date given in the history for the find-
ing of the golden pillar is Monday, the 1st of the waxing moon of
Tabodweh in the common year 514, the sacred year 1116, or A. D.
573.

All these wonderful details may be regarded like the " string
" of pearls with which Prince Thamala marked out the boundaries
" of the city" as the poetic embellishments of actual facts. We
may now endeavour to extract these latter. It has been already
said that the kingdom of Thatone was not purely Moon, but was
partly Indian, founded by Princes of Indian race. Probably the
royal family, the nobles, and merchants were the descendants of
the original settlers from the Teelinga coast of India, while the mass
of the people were Moons and other native races.

The legend just related begins, like that of the origin of Thatone
itself, with a hermit living on the Zingyike mountain who finds a
nagama's egg. This Zingyike mountain is a remarkable peak in
the Martaban range, and was evidently a sacred spot to the early

>

LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ABAKAN. 19

Moon race. It means in the Talaing language a the foot of God."
The lovely daughter of the Naga lineage born of the egg may be
taken as the poetic embodiment of a beautiful maiden of the native
Moon race who captivated the King's heart. By his excessive
affection for her and her sons he induced dissension among the
half-Hindu nobles and members of his own family, which ended
in the violent death of the Queen and the banishment of her sons.
On the death of the King one of his other sons was placed on the
throne by the Hindu faction to the exclusion of the two rightful
young heirs. Finding themselves unable to assert their claims,
they collected around them a number of adventurers of their
mother's race and emigrated westward in search of a new settle-
ment and established themselves on the low fertile shores of Pegu.
Such are the simple and probable facts which this wild and roman-
tic legend seems to shadow forth. It points to a revolt of the now
partly civilized Moon people against the rule of their civilizers and
afterwards masters, the semi-Hindu colonists of Thatone, and the
establishment of a national independence. It is worthy of remark
that the mother State of Thatone never increased, never at any
time in its history attained any power or influence, but remained
merely a highly civilized and flourishing trading port. The young
settlement of Pegu, on the contrary, representing the real Moon or
Talaing nationality, rapidly extended its boundaries.

The elder of the two Princes was solemnly invested as the
first King of the new city of Hanthawaddy and assumed the name
of Maheemoo Thamala Konemara. He sent out parties from the
parent city and is said to have founded the towns of Kyoukmaw,
Ban, Donezarit, and Singoo in the Shwaygyin district. These towns,
of which traces still exist, would seem to have been fortified enclo-
sures protected by deep fosses within which a village or town was
built and cultivation carried on by the inhabitants. We can hardly
imagine that an area of four square miles, which was the general
size, was required for the habitations simply of from 350 to 400
families, which was the average strength of these colonies.

Twelve years after the founding of the city of Pegu Weemala
rebelled against his elder brother, put him to death, and assumed
the sovereignty with the title of Weemala Konemara, A. D. 585.
Three years after his accession he built the town of Sittoung, which
was anciently called in the Talaing language " Kadaing," a
14 point " or " promontory/' Two years after this the whole of
Hanthawaddy was alarmed by the appearance of seven large vessels
which anchored off Syriam. They had been sent by the King of
Beezanagaran to drive out the Takings and take possession of the
country. The strangers offered to settle the matter by a single

20 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ABAKAV.

combat between their champion and one on the part of the Talaings*
After some delay the son of King Thamala, who had been secretly
brought up after his father's murder, appeared and slew the Indian
champion. The invaders then retired. King Weemala offered to
resign the crown to his nephew, who declined and only asked per-
mission to build a town near the place where he had been brought
up.

Taking with him 330 families he built a town at the foot of the
hills about seven miles east of Sittoung. Here he also erected &
pagoda called by his name, which survives in the present existing
village of Kyikekatha just outside the walls of the old town.

On the death of Weemala, this Prince succeeded him under
the title of Kathakonema. His reign was marked by peace and
increasing prosperity. He concluded treaties and encouraged
trade with all the neighbouring countries. He repaired and placed
a new " tee " on the Shwaymawdaw pagoda in Pegu, and built
many kyoungs and religious edifices.

After his death, A. D. 599, there was a succession of eight
Kings, of whose reigns nothing special is recorded. With the last
of these, Maheemoo Anoomaraza, the royal race seems to have died
out, for we are told that the next King, Metgadeikpa, A. D. 712, was
not of royal extraction, but was the son of a noble, and was elected
King by general consent.

His successor founded the town of Kabin on the site of the
present town of DaJa opposite Eangoon. He added the province
of Bassein to the Pegu kingdom and placed a garrison on 4 Haing-
gyeekyoon, ' at the mouth of the Bassein river.

In A. D. 746 Ponenareekaraza, who was on the throne, re-built
the ancient town of Bamanago, afterwards called Dagone. The
Taking history says that this town was originally built by Aram-
manaraza, and called after him Arammanamyo, but in time the
name became corrupted to Bamanagomyo.* This appears to have
been the beginning of the present city of Rangoon, The towns of
Bamawadee, north of Dagone, Hlaing, and Hmawbee were also
built or enlarged.

This King was distinguished for his great zeal for religion
and his constant observance of the Buddhist law.

* Note. — Sir A. Phayre, in his history of Pegu, conjectures a revival of Brahmin-
ism at this time from the name of this Xing, and from his calling his new city after the
deity Bama. But we see the name of the city was simply the old one and was a cor-
ruption of that of the founder and not given in honour of Bama. " Ponenarika, " it is
true, means * Brahman-heart, ' but at this date the great struggle between Brahmanism
and Buddhism had hardly commenced. It is, moreover, the law of Gaudama thai
this King is so praised for observing.

LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN. 21

He was succeeded, A. D. 761, by his son, Thameinteiktharaza,
who was as great a persecutor of Buddhism as his father had been
a zealous follower of it. He pulled down the pagodas, monasteries,
and sacred edifices. He threw the images of Gaudama into the
river and forbade any under pain of death to follow his law. " All
" the people of Hanthawaddy trembled before the orders of the
u King, and not one person was found who dared to worship or
" make offerings."

But there was in the city a young damsel, named Badya
Day wee, the daughter of a Thatay (rich man), who had been carefully
brought up by her mother in the faith of Buddha. One day this
maiden while bathing with her companions found one of the
images which the King had ordered to be thrown into the river.
She carefully drew it out of the water and mud and proceeded to
wash it in a zayat. This disobedience of his orders being reported
to the King he commanded the girl to be brought before him and
furiously ordered her to be trampled to death by a mad elephant.
But the story says the elephant refused, though goaded on by his
keeper, to touch the gentle maiden. Next a mountain of straw was
heaped round her to burn her to death, but lo, in spite of all
efforts, the straw could not 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
presence. The story then contains a marvellous account of how,
by the maiden's prayers, the image together with eight others came
through the air and hung suspended over the King's palace. At the
sight of this miracle the King was confounded, he forsook his for-
mer teachers, and returned to the religion of Buddha, which ever
after he zealously followed. The damsel Badya Daywee he made
his chief Queen.

If we put aside the miraculous parts of this story, we have
probably an account of the great struggle in the kingdom of Pegu
between the rival religions Brahmanism and Buddhism. In India
the contest ended in the complete subversion and destruction of
the Buddhist faith. But in Pegu, very possibly, as the story tells,
owing to the influence of some pious woman, the faith of Gaudama
finally triumphed and has maintained the victory to the present
day.

After a reign of twenty years King Teiktharaza died, A.D. 781.
With him ended the royal dynasty of Hanthawaddy or Pegu. The
Talaing kingdom, which appeared so flourishing, suddenly disappears
from the history. Neither the Talaing nor the Burmese records
afford any explanation of this mysterious event. For 500 years the
history of Pegu is a blank. All is contained in these few lines : —

22 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN.

According to a supposed prophecy of Gaudama, " after seventeen
"generations of Moon Princes had reigned in the great country of
" Hinthawadee, another race, the Burman, possessed the land for
" three generations : the country of Hinthawadee was a* suburb of
" Pagan, and paid tribute to the King of Pagan."

No cause can be assigned for this sudden destruction of the
Talaing kingdom, and though, strange to say, no mention of the fact
is actually made in the Burmese history, it is certain that for five
centuries the Burmans kept possession, as far as appears, peaceably
of the country.

The mother city Thatone continued to exist for a much longer
period.

THE DYNASTY OF NEW PAGAN.— A. D. 841—1284.

After the foundation of Lower or New Pagan forty monarchs
reigned in succession. No important events are recorded con-
cerning them. In the beginning of the eleventh century of the
Christian era one of the most famous of the Burman Kings came
to the throne. This was the great Anawrataminzaw, the forty-
first monarch of Pagan. The date of the commencement of his
reign is uncertain as the chronicles differ from each other, but it
may be placed between A.D. 1010 and 1020.

The reign of this monarch is in every way one of the most
remarkable in Burman history and occupies a considerable space
in the Native record. During this period Buddhism was for the
first time definitely established as the national religion of Burma.
Then was commenced that magnificent series of temples, whose
ruins attest to this day the former splendour of Pagan, and then
the foundations of the powerful Burman empire of future times
were laid. The first of these events constitutes naturally in the
eyes of his countrymen Anawrata's chief glory.

It is evident that if Buddhism had ever obtained any footing
previous to this in the upper countries of the Irrawaddy, it had
now completely died out. It would be difficult to decide what the
system of religion that at this time prevailed in Burma can be
termed. It was certainly not Brahmanism. The Native records
state that King Sawrahan built five hollow temples. In each
temple was placed an image resembling neither nat nor para.
To these morning and eveniDg food and spirits were offered and so
they were worshipped and propitiated.

The priests or teachers of this religion are called the thirty
great Arees and their disciples. Their doctrines are represented as
a complete subversion of all moral law. They taught, it is said,

s

<<

LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN. 23

" whosoever shall commit murder he is freed from his sin by repeat-
ing a prayer or invocation ; whosoever shall kill his parents by
repeating a prayer he is freed from the punishment due to the five
greatest sins." These teachers also were addicted to the practice
of gross immorality.

Anawrata, whose mind naturally revolted against these degrad-
ing doctrines, was fully converted to Buddhism by the preaching of
a rahan or holy man, who came from Thatone. He zealously set
to work to root out the former evil doctrines and to establish the
law of Gaudama. To this end he desired to obtain some holy
relics and a complete copy of the Buddhist scriptures which did
not exist in Burma. He despatched an embassy to Manooha, the
King of Thatone, to request these, but was haughtily refused. Indig-
nant at such conduct, he invaded the kingdom of Thatone, com-
pletely destroyed and razed the ancient city to the ground, and
carried off priests, people, and everything moveable to his capital.
This event is recorded thus in a stone inscription existing in
Arakan : — " In the year of Keligion 1600 (A.D. 1057) King Anaw-
' ' rata having great regard for religion brought rahans and priests
" well versed in the sacred books from Thatone to Pagan." Keligious
zeal may have in the first instance brought on the war, but the
complete desolation of the mother city of Burman Buddhism,
Thatone, and the destruction of her pagodas and ancient buildings
must be ascribed to another motive. Doubtless the conqueror,
intending to copy the magnificent edifices which he found there
in his own capital, destroyed the models so that his newer erection
might be without rivals. The thought and act are quite consonant
with the feelings of an Eastern despot.

Anawrata employed the captive people of Thatone in building
the first of those splendid temples at Pagan now in ruins, others of
which were erected by his son and successors. The Burman
empire seems at this period to have comprised the whole upper
country of the Irrawaddy and the Talaing provinces to the Salween.
Anawrata is said to have married an Indian Princess, the daughter
of the King of Waythalee. He invaded China, or rather the province
of Yunan, in the hope of obtaining possession of the tooth-relic of
Buddha said to be kept in that country.

After a reign of forty-two years Anawrata was succeeded by
his sons, Sawloo and Kyanzittha. The latter was the builder of
the beautiful Ananda paya or temple in Pagan.

His grandson, Aloungseethoo, was a powerful monarch and
added much to the strength and glory of the empire. He sent an
expedition into Arakan to assist the rightful King Letyaminpan,
who had been expelled by an usurper, and replaced him on his throne.

24 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN.

He built the Shwaygoo and Thapyinnyoo pagodas in Pagan. After a
long reign of seventy-five years he was, it is said, murdered by his
son Narathoo, who succeeded after also poisoning his elder brother.
This King is better known as " Kalagyamin," that is, " the Prince
destroyed by foreigners/' Among his many acts of cruelty he put
to death, it is stated, with his own hand an Indian Princess, daughter
of the King of Bengal, or of some State in Bengal, whom his father
had married. Her father, incensed at this murder, sent eight men
disguised as Brahmans, who gained admittance into the palace and
slew the tyrant and then killed themselves to avoid being taken.

The great unfinished pagoda of Dhammayangyee at Pagan was
begun. by this Prince, and the work caused great misery by the
enforced labour of the people.

He was succeeded (A.D. 1164) by his two sons, the elder of
whom after a reign of four years was murdered by his brother,
Narapadeeseethoo.

Under this monarch the empire of Pagan attained its highest
prosperity. His name occurs in most of the local annals of the
towns of the Burman peninsula as a founder or restorer. Toungoo,
Tavoy, and Martaban date their origin from him. He appears
from the histories to have been a powerful but peaceful and religious
ruler, who devoted himself to traversing with his court and army
the extensive dominions under his sway, founding cities, building
and restoring pagodas and religious edifices.

He is said to have sent a mission to Ceylon, A.D. 1171, and
during his reign several learned rahans came from Ceylon and
settled in Pagan. There was at this time considerable intercourse
between the Burman countries and the island of Ceylon, and pro-
bably the east coast of India. After the death of Narapadeesee-
thoo in A.D. 1204, three Kings followed, of whose reigns little of
interest is recorded.

About A.D. 1270 the ill-fated Naratheehapaday, or " Tarok-
pyaymin" (that is, "the prince who fled from the Chinese"), came
to the throne. The beginning of his reign was prosperous, but he
was of a timid and luxurious disposition.

In the year A.D. 1281 the Governors of the southern pro-
vinces of Pegu and Martaban threw off their allegiance. The
Takings rose and under the guidance of Wakaroo, who made him-
self master of Martaban, laid the foundation of a new Peguan
empire.

But more disastrous still was the war with China. The Chinese
Emperor sent ambassadors to demand gold and silver vessels as
tokens of homage. The Burman King, in spite of the entreaties of
his ministers, put the ambassadors to death. It is said this was

LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAEAN. 25

brought aboiut by their insolent conduct. The Emperor sent an
immense army to avenge this insult.

The Burman army was driven from its entrenchments near
Bamo and defeated in a fierce battle. Meanwhile the King had
fled from Pagan to Bassein, at the very extremity of his dominions.
The victorious Chinese army pursued the flying Burmans as far as
Tarokemaw, below Prome. They then returned laden with spoil
to their own country.

The capture of Pagan took place, according to the dates in the
Burman history, A. D. 1284, but there appears to be an error of
seven years* and the true date of the event to be A. D. 1277.

The King now commenced his progress back to his capital. An
instance of his selfish and luxurious disposition is recorded. While
making his way through the devastated country his servants one
day could only provide for the royal table 150 dishes instead of the
usual number of 300 covers. On seeing this the king covered his
face with his hands and wept, saying " I am become a poor man."
He arrived only as far as Prome and there he was poisoned by
one of his sons, A. D. 1284.

Kyawzwa, another of his sons, succeeded to the vacant throne.
But the flourishing empire which his father had inherited was now
broken in pieces. All the southern provinces of his dominions had
become independent under different rulers.

Three Shan brothers, sons of the Chief of Myinzaing, possessed
great authority in the northern part of the kingdom. His own
chief Queen conspired with these powerful nobles against her hus-
band, and the wretched Kyawzwa was seized, forced to become a
ponegyee, and confined in a monastery, A. D. 1298.

With this event ends the dynasty of new Pagan. The Bur-
man empire ceased to exist, and the upper valley of the Irrawaddy
was parcelled out for some years among various Shan Princes.

THE MARTABAN KINGDOM.— A. D. 1281—1370.

After the founding of Martaban by Narapadeeseethoo, about
A. D. 1167, it was ruled by Burman Governors. It is evident that
at this period the whole of the Pegu and the Tenasserim province
were subject to the rule of the Burman dynasty of Pagan. The
Shans seem to have possessed the country east of the Salween
river, for Martaban is described as bounded on the east " by the

" country of the Shans."

. ■ ■ — ' ... i ■ i ■ .■ . i , ■ < I. ■ ■. I. 'i.

* Pbayre.

26 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ABAKAN.

In the reign of ' Kakbyaymin,' King of Pagan, Aleinma was
Governor of Martaban, and Tarabya Governor or Viceroy of Pegu,
At this time a certain adventurer named Magadoo, said to be a
Taking, but more probably of half Shan extraction, had established
himself as a petty chief near Martaban. He had formerly been in
the service of the King of Thokekaday , a Shan State lying east of the
present province of Yahaing. Magadoo assembled around him a
number of Shan followers and in the Burmese year 643,
A. D. 1281, by a mixture of boldness and treachery, he murdered
the Burman Governor and made himself master of Martaban
city.

He then declared himself King and assumed the name of
Wakaroo.

Tarabya, Governor of Pegu, about the same time rebelled
against the King of Pagan and entered into an alliance with Waka-
roo. The Burman forces were completely defeated, and all the
Taking cities freed from the Burman rule. Wakaroo then, on
account of the real or alleged treachery of Tarabya, turned his
arms against his former ally, defeated and made him prisoner.
He thus became master of Pegu, and the whole southern Taking
country except Bassein was now again independent. Its subjec-
tion to the rule of the Kings of Pagan had lasted since the death
of Teiktharaza, A. D. 781.

Wakaroo appears to have been a wise and fortunate sovereign,
and after a reign of 22 years he was murdered by the two sons of
Tarabya, whom he had generously brought up and cherished.
This took place in the Burmese year 668, A. D. 1306. Konelaw,
the brother of Wakaroo, succeeded. He was a weak and incapable
Prince, and after a reign of 14 years was killed in a general con-
spiracy of the nobles and people. In his reign Donewoon, on
the Beelin river, and Moulmein were captured by the Zimmay
Shans. This is the first mention of Moulmein in history.

Sano, the nephew of the last King, assumed the vacant
throne. During his reign of 14 years " the people enjoyed peace
" and prosperity." He was succeeded by his brother Sanzeik, who
after three years was murdered by Zeikpoon, an officer of his
Shan guards.

Zeikpoon attempted to seize the throne, but Sandaminhk,
the Queen, was supported by the nobles, and after seven days the
usurper was put to death.

Sandaminhk then associated Sanaygangoung, a nephew
of Sanzeik, with herself in the sovereignty. After a short reign
of 29 days he was poisoned by the Queen, who then married Ehlaw,
a son of Konelaw. He assumed the name of Byinnya Ehlaw,

LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN. 27

In his reign a dreadful famine prevailed in the provinces of
Martaban and Sittoung. He was succeeded after a reign of 22 years
by Byinnyaoo, a son of Sanzeik.

This Prince assumed the title of " Sinbyooshin" (Lord of
the white elephant). There is a romantic story connected with
his marriage with a poor but beautiful damsel whom he raised to
the position of chief Queen. In the third year of his reign a for-
midable invasion of the Zimmay Shans took place, and the towns
of Sittoung, Tikekala, and several others were destroyed. The
Shans were at last completely defeated.

The King in gratitude sent an embassy to Ceylon and procured
a relic of Buddha, which he carefully enshrined in the Kyikepoon
pagoda, which stands on the hill behind the town of Martaban.

Three years after this the white elephant, which had been
presented by the King of Thokekaday to Wakaroo, the founder of
the Martaban kingdom, died. In his eagerness to obtain another
Byinnyaoo, on the report that a white elephant had been seen in
the forest, left his capital and was absent in search of the animal
for 14 months. On his return he found that Byattaba, the
Governor of the city, had rebelled. The armies sent against the
rebel were defeated. The King fixed his abode in Donewoon on the
Beelin river, and remained there six years. At the end of that
time the King's chief minister died and all the people of the town
shaved their heads in token of grief. Byattaba took advantage of
this, caused seven hundred soldiers to shave their heads in like
manner, who mingling with the townspeople undetected sud-
denly seized the town. Byinnyaoo fled to Pegu and settled there,
restoring the city.

The Native chronicle states:— " In the year 732 (A. D. 1370)
" Sinbyooshin Byinnyaoo began reigning in Pegu. From the time
" of King Teiktha the line of its Kings had been broken, and it
" remained only a large village. But after Byinnyaoo became King it
" was known as the great Bazatanee country. At this time Minkyee-
" zwa was King of Batanapoora or Ava. The two Kings having met
" on the frontier exchanged presents and a treaty of friendship."

On the death of Byattaba's son the people of Martaban and
Donewoon shaved their heads in mourning, and Byinnyaoo' s General
turning the tables recovered possession of Donewoon by a stratagem
like that by which it had been formerly taken from the King,
After this Byattaba, although retaining possession of Martaban,
acknowledged himself the vassal of the King of Pegu.

From this date the history of the Martaban kingdom merges
in that of Pegu.

28 LEGENDARY HISTORY OP BURMA AND ABAKAN.

THE SHAN DYNASTY AND FOUNDATION OF AVA.— A. D.

1284r- 1555.

Previous to the destruction of the Pagan monarchy in A. D.
1284 the Tai race, of which the Shans form a branch, had been
gradually forced out of their original seat in the province of Yunan
by the advance of the Chinese power under the great Emperor
Kublai Khan. It was about this time that a portion of this race,
settled about the country of Zimmay, pressed by their brethren
from the north, pushed southwards and formed the kingdom of
Siam. 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 Bama.
At this period they doubtless received large additions owing to the
advance of the Chinese, and thus came to dominate the native
Burman population in that part of the country.

After the deposition of Kyawzwa, the last King of Pagan, the
three Shan brothers, who seemed to have held the whole power of
the kingdom in their hands, divided the empire between them.
A few years afterwards, by the death of one brother and the murder
of the other, Theehathoo, the youngest, obtained the sole power.

He then founded a new city called Panya or Pinya. His
son, who had been appointed Governor of the province of Sagaing,
declared himself independent, so that for half-a-century two rival
dynasties ruled, one at Pinya, the other at Sagaing.

In the year 726, A. D. 1364, Thadominbya, a young Prince
of the Sagaing branch, conquered and put to death the two reign-
ing Kings of Pinya and Sagaing, and thus united both kingdoms
in his own person. He at once commenced to found a new capi-
tal, and the same year the city of Inwa or Ava was built. The
sacred Pali name bestowed on it was Ratanapoora (the city of gems).
Thadominbya is said to have been a direct descendant of the
Burman Kings of Pagan, but there is no proof of this and the "fact
is very doubtful. At all events the Princes who ruled in Ava
until its conquest by the King of Pegu in A. D. 1551 were of un-
doubted Shan extraction.

Thadominbya left no children, and Minkyeezwa, a Prince of
the royal race, was elected to fill the throne, A. D. 1367. He en-
tered into a treaty of friendship with Sinbyooshin, or Byinnya-
oo, the King of Pegu.

On the accession of Razadeerit, the son of Byinnyaoo, war
broke out between the States of Ava and Pegu. This was the com-
mencement of the fierce struggle between the Burman and the
Talaing races, which lasted with varying fortunes for two hundred
years and ended in the ruin of the latter. Minkyeezwa reigned

LEGENDARY HISTORY OP BURMA AND ARAKAN. 29

thirty-three years, and was succeeded by his son Sinbyooshin,
who was murdered after seven months. His brother, Mingoung,
ascended the throne in A. D. 1401 , and for twenty-one years his
reign was occupied with constant wars with all the neighbouring
kingdoms. Neither the Burman nor the Taking State gained any
permanent advantage in these struggles, which but served to ex-
haust their strength and render both an easy prey to some other
rising power.

The petty kingdoms of Toungoo and Prome were also a con-
stant source of trouble to the monarchs of Ava. Euled generally
by a younger son or brother of the King of that country these tri-
butary Princes again and again, openly or by intrigues, sought to
throw off their allegiance.

The son and grandson of Mingoung succeeded him. The
latter, an infant, was murdered by a Shan Chief, who usurped the
throne for seven months, when he in turn was put to death by
the Sawbwa or Chief of Mohnyin, who claimed the throne as the
representative of the royal family. He was succeeded by five
Princes of his house, during whose reigns a series of petty wars took
place with the rebellious provinces of the kingdom.

In the year 807, according to the Burman record, that is, A. D.
1445, the Chinese invaded the kingdom 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
give up his guest. But the Sawbwa took poison and died. His
body was given up to the Chinese, who dried it with fire and took
it away to present to their Emperor.

The Chinese histories confirm this account, though there is a
difference of three years in the dates. They state that in A. D.
1438 " a certain Native (of Yunan) took the title of Fofa (Sawbwa),
" which was that of the Kings of Yunan, and at first obtained several
" successes over the Chinese arms. After diverse changes of for-
tune he was obliged to take refuge with the King of Burma in A. D.
" 1448. When he learnt that his host wished to deliver him up to
" his enemies he committed suicide/'

During the reign of Dooteeyamingoung the King of Toungoo
became practically independent. The Ava monarch sent to
the then ruler of Toungoo, Maha Theereezayathoora, the white
umbrella and other regalia. This was the commencement of the
Toungoo dynasty that was in a few years to become supreme in
these countries.

The kingdom of Ava was now reduced to the position of a
petty State, consisting of a small territory immediately round the
capital. In the reign of Shwaynanshin Narapadee constant re-

SO LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ABAKAN.

bellions and invasions completely broke up the kingdom. At length
the Sawbwa of Mohnyin attacked the city of Ava itself and the
King was killed.

The Sawbwa placed his son Thohanbwa on the throne. This
Prince reigned sixteen years and was murdered by his guards.

Three short reigns followed. In the last of these, that of See-
thookyawdin, Ava was taken in A. D. 1555 by the King of
Pegu and an end put to the Shan dynasty of Ava.

KINGDOM OF PEGU.— A. D. 1370—1542.

The capital of the Talaing kingdom had been now fixed by
Byinnyaoo at Pegu, which he improved and beautified. The rest
of his reign appears to have been peaceful, and he was succeeded,
A. D. 1385, by his son Kazadeerit. This was one of the most warlike
Kings of Pegu. His whole reign is a record of expeditions against
the Burman monarch and his allies, or of battles fought in his own
dominions to repel invaders. He conquered Martaban and Moul-
mein, and after a severe struggle Myoungmya, the Governor of
which place, Loukbya, had become very powerful.

During one of his expeditions he suspected his eldest son of
conspiring against him and had him put to death.

The King of Siam, impressed with the growing power of the
Peguan State, sent an embassy to Kazadeerit with a present of a
white elephant. For a short time there was peace with Ava. But
in the reign of Mingoung the contest again commenced. Ba-
zadeerit with an immense fleet and army proceeded up the Irrawad-
dy and laid siege to Ava. It is said that a learned and pious
monk, by his representations of the wickedness of war and of the
destruction of human life, prevailed on the victorious monarch to
give up the siege and retire with his army to his own dominions.
Before he left he broke up his golden warboats and with the ma-
terials erected a monastery at Shwaygyetyet below Ava.

Next year Kazadeerit laid siege to Prome. Several minor
engagements were fought in which success inclined first to one
side and then the other. At length the two monarchs of Ava and
Pegu had an interview on the great pagoda of Prome, in which
they made peace and swore mutual friendship.

War, however, soon broke out again, and Mingoung, King of
Ava, advanced with a large army to invade Pegu. At first he
gained some slight success, but the Burmans were soon forced to
retreat.

LEGENDABY HISTORY OP BURMA AND ABAKAN. 31

The history of the following years is a record of similar events.
Neither nation gained any permanent advantage in these contests,
which only served to weaken both and drained their very life blood.
In A. D. 1413 the most formidable invasion that Pegu had sus-
tained took place. The Crown Prince of Ava, Minrehkyawzwa,
was General-in-Chief. He defeated the Talaing army in a great
battle on both land and water and took their General, Thamein-
paran, a prisoner. Bassein and Myoungmya surrendered and
Eazadeerit alarmed for his own safety fled to Martaban.

At this time a Chinese army had attacked Ava. The Generals
on both sides agreed to settle the dispute by a contest between
their respective champions. The Talaing General, Thameinparan,
who had been sent prisoner to Ava, chivalrously offered himself as
the Burman representative, and in the combat slew the Chinese
warrior. The invading army then retired.

In the meanwile the Talaing garrison of Dala had resisted all
the assaults of the Burman forces. On the approach of the King
with an army the Burman Prince retired followed by the TalaiDgs.
A pitched battle ensued, in which the Burmans were defeated and
the Crown Prince received a mortal wound. Eazadeerit caused his
body to be interred with royal honours.

The next year King Mingoung again led an army against
Pegu, but the expedition failed. After this the remainder of Ka-
zadeerit's reign was free from wars and he endeavoured to promote
the prosperity of his people. He is said to have married a daughter
of the King of Ceylon. He was killed accidentally while out
elephant-hunting in A. D. 1421 after a reign of 38 years.

Dhammraza, the son of the last King, succeeded, but the au-
thority was chiefly exercised by his two brothers, the elder of whom,
Byinnyaraw, was made Crown Prince. Their sister, Sawbonemeh
was given in marriage to the King of Ava. After three years, on the
death of his brother by poison, Byinnyaraw succeeded to the crown.

During his reign hostilities again broke out between Pegu and
Ava. They soon ceased and Byinnyaraw married a daughter of
the King of Ava. The country appears to have been prosperous
during his reign of 20 years.

The various copies of the Talaing histories differ in the dates
of the several monarchs reigning in Pegu at this time, between
710 and 900, or A. D. 1370 — 1538. The discrepancies are not easy
to reconcile, but do not seriously affect the record of the events
which occurred. Three short reigns followed that of Byinnyaraw,
viz., those of Byinnyawaroo, of Byinnyakoon, and Byinnya-
mandaw. The last monarch was a cruel tyrant, and the whole of
the. people and nobles rose against him and put him to death.

32 LEGENDARY HISTORY OF BURMA AND ARAKAN.

There was now no male heir to the throne. It has been
mentioned that the Princess Sawbonemeh sister of Byinnyaraw,
had been married to the King of Ava. For some reason she had
fled with the assistance of two ponegyees and returned to Pegu.
She appears to have possessed great influence and was more
generally known as Sbinsawboo.

She was now entreated by all the nobles and people of the
country to assume the sovereignty. She was consecrated Queen,
and is called in some histories Byinnyadaw. During her reign
Pegu attained to a high state of prosperity and remained /Undis-
turbed by war.

In order to provide a successor, one of the monks who had
assisted the Queen in her escape from Ava was chosen, and having
become a layman was made Crown Prince and married to the
Queen's daughter. He assumed the name of Dhammazaydee. The
Queen then placed him in charge of the kingdom and herself
retired to Dagone (Kangoon), where the site of her palace is still
pointed out, and her name still remains a household word in the
mouths of the people.

This famous Queen died at Eangoon at the age of sixty-five
and was succeeeded by Dhammazaydee. This King was famed for
his wisdom, justice, and piety. Embassies from China, Ava, Siam,
and Ceylon are said to have been received by him. Commerce
with foreign nations increased. Pegu was visited by European
merchants, who describe the power and magnificence of the King
of Pegu. Although Dhammazaydee engaged in no wars, he extend-
ed the boundary of the kingdom across the Salween river, and
founded the town of Yoon now called Hmainglonegyee. On his
death he was honoured with all the ancient ceremonies supposed
peculiar to a " Setkyawaday," or universal monarch. A part of these
consisted in the erection of a pagoda over his ashes, gilt and 'tee'd/
or crowned, the same as the sacred pagodas for worship.

Byinnyaraw, the grandson of Queen Shinsawboo, succeeded.
During his long reign of thirty-five years no events of any import-
ance are recorded except an expedition made by the King at the
head of an army up the Irrawaddy as far as Pagan. In the Talaing
history this is said to have been a pilgrimage to the ancient pago-
das. It was more probably the ostentatious march of an Eastern
potentate to display his power. At this time Dooteeyamin-
goung was King of Ava, and that State had sunk to be little more
than a petty principality.

On the death of Byinnyaraw in A. D. 1526, or A. D. 1530,
according to another account, his son Tagarootpee, a youth of
about fifteen, was placed on the throne.

LEGENDARY HISTORY

BURMA AND ABAKAN

Captain C. J. F. S. Forbes,

LATE DEPUTX COMMISSI BURMA.

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1

RANGOON;

f'KfNTRD AT TB