16 
Sir Arthur P. Phayre —On the History of Pegu. 
[No. 1, 
shipped not this sacred building, nor the holy relics enshrined therein. 
The chief Budliist monk, therefore, from the gifts of the people prepared a 
new hti, and placed it on the summit of the pagoda with such ceremonies, 
as in the absence of a native king, could be solemnized. But the people 
were deeply dissatisfied with the foreign rule, and murmuring said, should 
this continue long, our race and religion will come to an end. Indeed, the 
mention by the Portuguese historian of a hundred thousand converts to 
Christianity, without any explanation of the means by which their conver¬ 
sion was effected, suggests that Nicote in the midst of his worldly strife, 
vainly thought to strengthen his government, and perhaps to atone for 
his sins, by pressing Budhists to become nominal Christians. 
The history of Pegu now becomes so mingled with that of Burma, 
that the two can most conveniently be combined in one narrative. A power 
was rising in the country of the upper Erawati, which was destined to 
avenge the intrusion of foreigners and again to unite the two countries 
under one crown. Ngyaung Bam Phra, brother to the Emperor Nanda 
Bureng, who, as we have seen, was in A. D. 1594 governor in the upper 
country, reduced it to order from the confusion into which it had fallen on 
the breakup of the empire. The whole country north of Pugan submitted 
to him. The deposed emperor’s son, Meng kyi nhaung, who ruled at 
Prome with the title of Thado Dhamma Badza, saw danger to himself from 
this new power to the north of him. He therefore applied to his uncle, the 
king of Taungu, suggesting that they should combine against a power 
which when strong enough, would certainly attack them. This was agreed 
to, and the king of Prome assembled an army to march on Ava. He went 
on board his barge of state to move up the river, but was assassinated in 
the month of October, 1597, by one of his officers styled Ban-naing-tsa. 
The murderer then put to death all the members of the royal family whom 
he could lay hands on, and declared himself king of Prome. Some of the 
murdered king’s family fled to Arakan, and one son, Meng-re-uzana, to 
Ava. The king of Taungu, who had set his army in motion to march 
on Ava, now recalled it, and held it in readiness for service against 
Hanthawati. 
Ngyaung Bam Meng, being thus relieved from the threatened danger, 
rebuilt the palace, repaired the pagodas and completed the defences of his 
capital. He also assumed the title of Nu-ha-thu-ra Maha Dhamma Badza, 
In 1599, he marched against the Shan states of Monyin and Mogaung, the 
Tsau-bwas of which had refused to pay tribute. He was obliged to with¬ 
draw without effecting his object. The following year, he attacked Bame- 
tlien, which had been occupied by the king of Taungu. This town he took 
without difficulty. In the year 1601, he was successful in an attack on the 
Shan state of Ngyoung-rwd. He next marched against Ba-mau, the chief 
