1847.] Penplus of the Erylhrean Sea, $c 49 



extra Gangem. It is described as bounded by unknown regions on the 

 east, by the sea on the south, and by Serica on the north. The Sinai 

 appear to have been the ancestors of the modern Siamese, of the Shyans 

 of Laos, and other adjoining States, and of the Ahoms of Assam. The 

 Siamese, who are a branch of the Laos, separated from them A. D. 

 813. The Laos civil era, or that of the introduction of Buddhism 

 into that country, commenced A. D. 63S.* The Shyan chronicle pre- 

 served in Munipore states that the ancient territory of the Shyans was 

 called Pong, and that it constituted a kingdom, the capital of which 

 was Mogaung or Mongmaovong, as it is called by the Shyans. Their 

 first king, named Khool-liee, reigned in the 80th year of the Christian 

 era. Chukapha, the first Ahoin king of Assam, of whom there is any 

 authentic information extant, reigned in the 13lh century. It appears, 

 however, from this chronicle, that some centuries anterior to this, As* 

 sam was invaded by Samlongpha and placed by him under the dominion 

 of his brother Sukampha, king of Pong. This is said to have occur- 

 red about the year A. D. 77. f It has been discovered that there are no 

 traces or mention of Buddhism in the religion of the Ahoms, and it is 

 therefore, inferred, that they emigrated to Assam before A. D. 638, the 

 era of the introduction of the Buddhist faith into Laos.! This circum- 

 stance, coupled with the fact of the Ahoms having a list of the names 

 of forty-eight kings descending from the god Indra down to Chukapha, 

 renders it probable that they were in possession of Upper Assam at an 

 early period, or as far back, at least, as the second century — the era in 

 which Arrian and Ptolemy wrote. The name of Thai, which signifies 

 11 free," is supposed by Capt. Low to have been assumed hy the Siamese 

 at the time they separated from the Laos. It seems not improbable, 

 however, that it is of more remote origin, and that Thai is the root of 

 Thinse, while Shyan is that of Sinse — the names hy which the inhabit- 

 ants of the Laos and Siamese territories were known to the ancients. 

 Thai Nai, it may be remarked, is an appellation which is given to the 

 central Siamese, and Thince appears as the name of a town in 23° N. L. 

 98° E. L. in the territory of the Shyans dependent on Ava. The Laos 

 also called their country "Chi Mai," signifying " Priests' dominion," § 



* Capt. Low's History of Tennasserim, Jour. Royal As. Soo. Vol. V. p. 259. 



t Pembei ton's Report on the Eastern Frontier, p. 110. 



t Journal Royal As. Soc. Vol, V, p, 250. § Ibid. 



II 



