478 History of the Shire Dagon Pagoda at Rangoon. [No. 5. 



Subsequently iu the year 514* Tha-ma-la and Wee-ma-la, two 

 brothers built a city and called it Han-tha-wa-tee. Their dynasty 

 became extinct after twenty-seven generations and the city was 

 abandoned. The city of Martaban was then built, and after seven 

 generations the city of Han-tha-wa-tee was rebuilt. It was not 

 until the reign of Ban-gya-ran in the year 808, t that anything 

 was done to restore the Shwe Dagon Pagoda. The work was con- 

 tinued by his successors and in the Burmese year 863J a female 

 Sovereign Sheng-tsau-boo, having succeeded to the throne, land was 

 set apart, and hereditary servitors were appointed for the perpetual 

 service of the temple. 



At this time the height of the pagoda is stated to have been 86 

 cubits or 129 feet. 



It cannot be credited that during the life of Gautama the 

 Taking people had through their own means, any communication 

 by sea with India ; or that Budhism was introduced into the delta 

 of the Irrawaddy at so early a period. The first building of a pagoda, 

 on the site of the present Shwe Pagon, cannot from the Talaing or 

 Burmese histories be fixed with certainty. Indeed the first reliable 

 accounts connected with the pagoda in native history, are those 

 which relate to occurrences in the reign of the Queen Sheng-tsau- 

 boo, so late as the beginning of the sixteenth century of the Chris- 

 tian era. Since then the pagoda has from time to time been en- 

 larged, and probably did not assume the beautiful form it now pre- 

 sents, springing majestically up to the height of 320 feet, until the 

 reign of Tshen-phyoo Sheng, the son of Alompra. It is certain 

 that in that King's reign the present Htee or spire was placed on 

 the pagoda, about the Burmese year 1130 or A. D. 1768. Pegu the 

 ancient capital of the Talaing kingdom being abandoned, after the 

 conquest of the country by the Burmese under Alompra, it became 

 the policy of the Burmese Kings to increase the splendour of the 



* This era is believed to be the era of religion established from the death of 

 Gautama j 514 will therefore be the year 29 B.C. Han-tha-wa-tee is the old 

 city of Pegu. It received its name from two birds Han-tha or Han-za being 

 seen at the spot selected for the city. The Han-za thence became the emblem or 

 standard of the kingdom of Pegu. 



t A.D. 1446. % A.D. 1501. 



