130 
Sir Arthur P. Pliayre —The History of Pegu. 
[No. 2, 
king of Pegu on this occasion, but it is mentioned that several ships were 
moored in the river opposite to Muttama, for the defence of the city, which 
were manned by Muhammadans, called on this occasion in the Burmese histo¬ 
ry ‘ Kula-Pantlie.’ # The native histories make the siege occur in the year 
1540, while the Portuguese account places it in 1544. The first is probably 
correct; the dates in the Portuguese history are not to be depended on. 
But the story of the siege is told in simple language, and reveals the dread¬ 
ful doom of the Viceroy and his family, inflicted by the pitiless conqueror, 
which is passed over in silence by the native historians.f The account is 
as follows : “ In the year 1544, the king of the Bramas, by sea and land, 
“ besieged the city of Martavain, metropolis of the great and flourishing 
“ kingdom of that name, whose yearly revenue was three millions of gold. 
“ Chaubainaa was then king, and Nliay Canotocr Queen thereof, who from 
“ the height of fortune fell to the depth of misery. The Brama fleet 
“ consisted of 700 sail, 100 of them great galleys. In them were 700 Por- 
“ tugueses, commanded by one John Cayero, reputed a man of valour and 
tC conduct. After a siege of seven months and five assaults, wherein the 
<£ Bramas lost 12000 men, Chaubainaa found it was impossible to with- 
“ stand that power ; provision being already so scarce, that they had eaten 
“ 3000 elephants. He offered to capitulate, but no conditions were allowed by 
“ the besieger. He, therefore, resolved to make use of the Portugueses, to 
“ whom he had always been very just and serviceable. But man never re- 
“ members favours received in prosperity of those he sees in adversity.” 
The history then narrates how the unfortunate Viceroy entered into 
communication with Cayero, through Seixas, a Portuguese in his service, and 
offered, if supported by all of them, to become the vassal of the king of 
Portugal. But this was rejected, and a large body of men from the city 
having deserted, discovered the design to the besieger. The narrative pro¬ 
ceeds : “ The king thus betrayed, capitulated with the enemy for his own 
i( and the lives of his wife and children, and leave to end his days in retire- 
* The Burmese historian has somewhat carelessly applied the word Pan-the to 
Muhammadans from India and Persia In the present day, it is used to designate the 
Muhammadans of Yunan only. All Muhammadans from countries west of Burma are 
called ‘ Pa-thi,’ which is believed to be a corruption of ‘ Farsi.’ The word Panthe has 
probably a different origin. The Burmese became acquainted with the Muhammadans 
of Yunan several centuries ago, from the caravans of those people trading to Ava. As 
their religion, and some of their customs, differed from those of the Chinese, they, to 
avoid the hateful name of foreigner, spoke of themselves as being Pan-ti or Pun-ti 
= indigenous, and thus, it is believed, the name originated in Burma. 
f In the paper on the History of the Burma race, J. A. S. Bengal, Yol. XXXVIII, of 
1869, it was stated that the governor of Martaban was pardoned by the conqueror. 
I am now satisfied that this was not the meaning of a somewhat obscure sentence in 
the Burmese history. 
