28 
Sir Arthur P. Phayre —On the History of Pegu. 
[No. 1, 
or monsters, the name here bestowed upon heretics and scoffers. They 
were violently opposed and beaten with sticks. But the mild demeanour of 
the Rahandas gradually made their authority prevail. The people were 
won over to believe them, and new-born children were named after them. 
The pagodas which had long been neglected and round which jungle had 
grown up, were repaired. Pleasant gardens were now planted for the resort 
of the religious, and the reformed doctrines were triumphant. 
The only other event of importance which is mentioned in the history 
of Tha-htun is the introduction of the Pi-ta-kat, or books of the Budhist 
scriptures, by Budhaghosa. This event, so important to all the Indo-Chinese 
nations, is noticed by the Right Reverend Bishop Bigandet in his valuable 
“ Life or Legend of Gautama,” and the date therein ascribed to it, from 
Tabling or Burmese authority, is A. I). 400. Up to a recent period, the his¬ 
tories written by Tailings or Burmans represented Budhaghosa as a great 
Rahan of Tha-htun, who went to Ceylon, and brought from thence the 
sacred books to his native land. This statement has, however, been corrected 
in the latest edition of the Burmese national history (Maha Radzaweng), 
which was written, or revised, in the palace at Amarapura about forty years 
ago. The story of Budhaghosa is therein correctly told, and has apparently 
been derived from the Mahavanso of Ceylon. The date assigned for Budha- 
ghosa’s voyage to Tha-htun is A. D. 403. # Even the Tailing writers, long 
jealous for the honour of their country, seem now to acknowledge their error 
as to the birthplace of their great teacher. In a late paper by a learned 
Tabling which I have perused, it is acknowledged that there are two accounts 
regarding Budhaghosa ; and it is only argued that in returning from Ceylon 
to the continent of India, he may have come by ship to Tha-htun, and re¬ 
vived by his presence the drooping flower, religion. That Tha-htun was his 
native place, seems to be silently abandoned. 
All that can be gathered of the early history of Tha-htun has now been 
noticed. The only explanation which can be offered for the entire absence 
of trustworthy ancient documents, and the want of details with any historic 
value, is the ruthless destruction of everything by Anaurahta, king of Burma, 
in the eleventh century of the Christian era.ff All that was moveable and 
worth removing, was then carried away to Pugan, and though Tha-htun 
still remained as a port, to which perhaps a few foreign ships resorted, the 
bulk of the trade passed to the city of Pegu; or was two or three centuries 
later established at Mut-ta-ma (Martaban). 
# In Max Muller’s introduction to Captain Sogers’ parables of Buddhaghosa, tbe 
period between A. D. 410 and 432 is stated as being that of the literary activity of 
the great teacher in Ceylon. 
f See Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, for 1868, on 1 History of the Burma 
race.’ 
