1868.] On the History of the Burma Race. 93 



Pu-gan. There he married, and had two sons, named Shwe-byin-gyi 

 and Shwe-byin-nge. They were taken into the king's service, and 

 became very useful to him. It appears that at this time communica- 

 tion between southern India and the coast of Pegu had become frequent. 

 By the preaching of the lord Ara-han, king A-nau-ra-hta learnt that, 

 in order to enjoy the full benefit of religion, it was requisite that the 

 great scriptures, the Bi-da-gat, should be obtained ; and also a true 

 relic of the Phra. The whole of the Bi-da-gat was to be had at Tha- 

 htun, and even relics, which the kings had worshipped for many 

 generations. A-nau-ra-hta therefore sent to Ma-mi-ha, the king of 

 that country, a man of high rank and ability, to ask politely for a 

 complete copy of the Bi-da-gat. The king of Tha-htun answered 

 haughtily that he would give nothing. A-nau-ra-hta then was very 

 wroth ; and collecting a large army, advanced by land and water against 

 Tha-htun. There were four generals, of whom the king's son Kyan- 

 tsit-tha was one. Notwithstanding his large army and his great 

 generals, the king was foiled in his attempt to take Tha-htun. His 

 astrologers informed him that the obstacles arose from the enchant- 

 ments of powerful magicians and evil spirits. The king, by means of 

 counter-enchantments and contrivances, devised by the Indian who 

 had fled to him from Tha-htiin, overcame the enchantments, and the 

 city was then taken. King Ma-mi-ha, his whole family, and court, 

 were captured and brought before A-nau-ra-hta. There were found 

 the holy relics preserved in a jewelled casket, which had been 

 worshipped from ancient times by the kings. These and thirty com- 

 plete copies of the Bi-da-gat were brought to the king, laden upon 

 thirty-two white elephants. These all with painters, builders, and 

 artificers of every description, and the soldiers, were carried away to 

 Pu-gan. At the same time the Ba-hans, learned in the Bi-da-gat, 

 were respectfully invited to accompany the king. At Pu-ga-ra-ma 

 he allotted separate places to the soldiers and the various artificers to 

 live in. The holy relics were put into a shrine studded with rubies, 

 which was placed at the head of the royal couch. The books of the 

 Bi-da-gat were deposited in a building beneath a lofty spire, adorned 

 with jewels, where the Ba-hans studied them. King Ma-mi-ha was 

 placed with his followers at Myin-ka-ba. 



After this A-nau-ra-hta, being a man of great piety, desired to 



