1873.] Sir Arthur P. Phayre —On the History of Pegu. 87 
he built the city of Ka-tha in the mountains. King Wimala died not long 
after, and the young prince then became king with the title of Katha Kum- 
ma. His reign was prosperous, but lasted only for seven years. Thirteen 
kings are represented as succeeding these founders of the kingdom, but the 
hereditary succession was broken by usurpers. The monarchy, however, gra¬ 
dually established its power over the whole country of Bamanya, from 
Puthin (Bassein) on the west, to Mutamau on the east. Tha-htun appears 
to have gradually declined, and remained merely as a city and sea port with 
little territory. The sixteenth king of Pegu, an usurper, is named Punna- 
rika, or brahman-heart, which indicates religious strife as introduced at this 
time (A. D. 746). Tie is said, however, to have been eminently religious, 
and even to have listened daily to the preaching of the Budhist Italians. 
But he is represented as inclined towards the ancient Hindu traditions ; for 
he built, or re-established, the city of Aram&na, which is said anciently to 
have occupied the site of the present city of Ban-gun. He called this city 
Kamanago, or city of Kama. At this time, says the Talaing historian, as if 
anxious to save the king’s character as a Budhist, the land of the Shwe Ta- 
kun (Dagon) was not distinctly marked off, so that no impious encroachment 
was made. To the north of this city was built another, which was called 
Bamawati, now Mengaladun. This king died after a reign of fifteen years. 
Both his name and the occurrence of Bama in the name of two cities he 
built, indicate an actual or attempted revival of Hinduism. 
Punnarika was succeeded by his son Tiktlia or Tissa, who was very 
different in his religious views, but who was at length converted and became 
a sincere believer. In the early part of his life, he was ensnared in the here¬ 
tical doctrines of Dewadat, rejected the Biclagat, and would neither worship 
the pagodas, nor listen to the preaching of the Balians, nor follow the learn¬ 
ing of the Brahmans. Not content with this, he destroyed the pagodas, 
mutilated the holy images and flung them into the river ; he prohibited by 
proclamation the worship of these or of holy relics, and threatened with the 
punishment of death all who should dare to disobey his decree. The people 
were dismayed, and remained helpless, but were rescued from peril by a mira¬ 
culous occurrence. There was a young girl in the city of Han-tha-wa-ti, the 
daughter of a wealthy merchant, who had been religiously brought up by 
her mother, and from the age of ten years had listened to the preaching of 
the law. Badra Devi was sincerely devoted to the worship of the three 
treasures. She was sixteen years old when the order went forth to throw 
the holy images into the water. One morning, she went, as was her custom, 
surrounded by her attendants, to hatlie in the stream, and seeing a golden 
image which had been flung into the water, she drew it out, saying, “ Who 
has done this wicked deed ?” The chief attendant replied, “ Lady, the king 
“ lias ordered this, and will put to death any one who worships the holy 
