I 08 On the Bistort/ of the Burma Race. [No. 2, 



of the kings of Burma with Bengal, is the rebuilding of the 

 temple at Buddha Gaya under the orders of A-lmig-tsi-thu at 

 the beginning of the twelfth century. 



In the reign of Na-ra-thi-ha-pa-te occurred the invasion, by the 

 Mogul or the Tartar army under the orders of the Emperor Kablai 

 Khan, which is mentioned in the travels of Marco Polo. As 

 far as I know, this is the first mention of Burma, at least in modern 

 times, by any European author. It will be well therefore briefly to 

 compare his account of the invasion of the Moguls with what is 

 stated in the Burmese history. In the edition of the great traveller 

 by Hugh Murray, what relates to Burma is contained in chapters 

 49, 50, and 51. From the first of these, it appears that in the 

 year 1272, the great Khan sent an army of Tartars in the province 

 of Caraian or Karazan, which is understood to be northern Yunan. 

 The king of Mien or Burma, thinking he was going to be attacked, 

 assembled a large army, advanced to the city of Vociain, and took 

 post in a plain at the distance of three days' journey. There a 

 great battle was fought, in which the Burmese were defeated. 

 Afterwards the Tartar Khan conquered the country of Mien. 

 Chapter 50 describes the route from Caraian into Burma, which 

 may be either that leading down the Bamau river to the Irrawaddy, 

 or that leading nearly direct south to Thein-ni. Both are followed 

 by caravans at the present day, and no doubt were formerly. But 

 the route taken by the army of invasion was that leading down to 

 Ba-mau. Chapter 51 refers to the capture of the city of Mien 

 or Pu-gan by the Tartar army. This, as related by Marco, may 

 either result from an immediate march on the capital, after the 

 battle described in Chapter 50, or may possibly refer in part to 

 the proceedings of a subsequent expedition. 



I think it must be admitted that the Burmese account, as regards 

 the localities of the campaign, is more likely to be correct than 

 Marco's, who wrote his narrative long after the transactions referred 

 to, and perhaps without even notes to assist his memory ; considering 

 that his general correctness is marvellous. The city of Vociam is 

 generally understood to refer to Yung-chang, called by the Burmese 

 Wun-shen, which lies about a day and a half's journey east of the 

 Salwin river. Now the Burmese would scarcely be so imprudent, 



