88 On the History of the Burma race. [No. 2 ; 



the king, by the advice of his wily minister Tsm-ta-pyit-gyi, let them 

 fight until they were exhausted and then dominated both. 



In the year 735, Meng-Bhi-lu the king of Arakan died. There 

 being no direct heir, the nobles of the country offered the throne to 

 Meng-kyi-tswa. By the advice of Tsin-ta-pyit, he would not keep 

 that country as a part of his dominion, on account of the difficulty of 

 controlling it ; but he appointed his uncle Tsau-mwun-gyi as a tribu- 

 tary king. That prince proceeded with a force, and established 

 himself in that country. In the following year, messengers with 

 presents arrived from the chief of Zimmay. At this time, the king's 

 elder brother Tsau-ran-noung was governor of the province of 

 Prome, In the year 738, he with much apparent cordiality invited 

 the chief of Toungu, Pyan-khyi-gyi, to a friendly interview and then 

 murdered him. The king derived great satisfaction from this event, 

 and in his joy sent his brother a royal robe and regalia. In the year 

 742, the king of Arakan Tsau-mwun-gyi died. By the advice of 

 Tsin-ta-pyit, the governor of the province of Ta-hip, named Tsau- 

 mi, was selected to succeed him. But he grievously oppressed the 

 people, so that they rebelled. He was obliged to fly, and crossed the 

 mountains to Tsa-gu. The Arakanese then placed on the throne 

 Kyau-tswa, the grandson of Nan-kya-gyi, and remained independent. 



In the year 745, Tsheng-phyu-Sheng-Bingyau, king of Pegu, died. 

 He was succeeded by his son Bingya-nwe, styled Ra-dza-di-rit. At 

 that time, Louk-bya was chief, or king, of Myonng-mya in the province 

 of Pu-thein or Bassein. Mut-ta-ma ("Martaban) was subject to king 

 Byat-ta-ba. In 748, the chief of Myoung-mya proposed to the king 

 of Ava a combined attack on Han-tha-wa-ti (Pegu), begging him as 

 superior to take the kernel of what was acquired, and leave to 

 Myoung-mya the husk only. The king consulted with his great men, 

 and it was determined to invade Pegu. The king's eldest son, the 

 crown prince, led a force down towards Pegu by the Toungu route 

 through the valley of the Poung-loung river. A second column 

 under the king's second son, Meng-Tshwe, marched by the Irawati 

 route, through the province of Tha-ra-wa-ti. The left column ad- 

 vanced, and took the city of Pan-gyau. The right column took the 

 city of Hlaing. But the two princes were not able to combine their 

 forces, and though in some actions they were successful, yet the 



