40 On the History of Arakan. [No. 145. 



The allies of the restored king attempted to carry away the Malm- 

 mu-ni image, whereby it was much injured.* The royal capital was 

 established first at Loung-kyet, but that site proving unhealthy, the city 

 of Ma-rin was built in the year 468. This king reigned six years. 



Four kings followed in quick succession, after whom Gau-la-ya as- 

 cended the throne in the year 495. He is described as a prince of 

 great power, to whom the kings of Bengal, Pegu, Pug-gan and Siam 

 did homage. But his chief claim to distinction rests on his having 

 built the temple of Maha-ti, a few miles south of the present town of 

 Arakan, the idol in which was, in sanctity, inferior only to that of 

 Ma-ha- mu-ni. This temple and image were destroyed during the late 

 war, the height on which the temple stood, being occupied as a posi- 

 tion by the Burmese forces. This king died, after a reign of twenty 

 years, in 515. 



He was succeeded by his son Da~tha-Ra-dza, who upheld his fa- 

 ther's fame, and repaired Ma-ha-mu-ni temple, which since its partial 

 destruction by the Py-u army in Letya-meng-naris time, had remain- 

 ed neglected ; the idol which had been mutilated was also restored, the 

 tributary kings being employed on the work. This king died after a 

 reign of twelve years in 527. 



He was succeeded by his son A-nan-ihi-ri. This prince grievously 

 oppressed his people, and neglecting the affairs of government, passed 

 his days in riot and debauchery. He lost the extensive empire pos- 

 sessed by his father and grandfather, neglected religious duties, and 

 extorted large sums of money from the people, till the whole country, 

 says the historian, cursing him in their hearts, a general rising occur- 

 red ; he was deposed and killed, and his younger brother Meng-phun- 

 tsa, reigned in his stead in the year 529. 



birth been a suppliant for aid; in return for the assistance granted him for the recovery 

 of his grandfather's throne, he was to aid in rebuilding the temple at Budha Gaya, in 

 the name of the Pug-gan sovereign. The archetype of the inscription has evidently 

 been written by an Arakanese, or the stone was engraved by an Arakanese workman, 

 from a peculiarity in the spelling of certain words, still prevailing among the Ara- 

 kanese. 



* The possession of this idol with which the fortunes of Arakan were supposed to be 

 inseparably united, appears to have been long an object with the Burmese monarchs. 

 It was not forgotten when they conquered the country in a.d. 1784. They then 

 succeeded in carrying it to Ava, where it still remains. 



