132 
Sir Arthur P. Phayre— The History of Pegu. 
[No. 2, 
he collected an army to advance against Prome, where Meng Khaung was tri¬ 
butary king under the Shan king of Ava, Thohanbwa, whose daughter he 
had married. Tabeng Shwe hti proceeded with his army up the Erawati, 
Bureng Naung being the general in command. He invested Prome by land 
and water, but did not make any assault, as the place was strong and well 
defended with guns. While thus engaged, news arrived that the Shan king 
of Ava was marching down with a large army to the relief of Prome. Half 
of the army was sent to meet this force. It was under Bureng Naung, who 
attacked the Ava force with his accustomed vigour and utterly defeated it. # 
A force from Arakan also, brought to assist the besieged, was compelled to 
fly. The besieging force having sustained heavy loss, was compelled to trust 
to famine for the surrender of the city. The unfortunate king of Prome was 
at length forced to surrender, and proceeding to his conqueror’s camp, atten¬ 
ded by the superior of the Budhist monks, implored mercy for himself and 
family. The native histories place this event in the year 901, or June 1512, 
the siege having lasted for seven months. The king and queen, it is stated 
in the Burmese history, were sent as prisoners to Taungu, and no more men¬ 
tion is made of them. The Portuguese history states that the siege occurred 
in 1546. This is incorrect, but the events recorded may, no doubt, be relied on. 
The queen of Prome, who was older than her husband, appears to have had 
the direction of affairs in the city. She offered to pay tribute, and hold the 
crown from Tabeng Shwe hti. But “ the king insisted that the queen 
“ should put herself into his hands with all her treasure ; but she knowing 
“ how perfidious he was, resolved to defend herself. He gave several assaults, 
“ and by the sword and a plague that raged in the army, lost 80,000 
“ men, among which were 500 Portugueses.” It is also stated that a mount 
was raised overlooking the town, and being well armed with cannon left no 
place of safety to the besieged. But in a sally, the besieged destroyed the 
mount, and carried off 80 cannons. Tabeng Shwe hti on this occasion was 
wounded, and “ in a rage slew 2000 Portugueses that were upon the guard 
as negligent of their duty.” Probably there is an error here in the number ; 
200 artillery men being more likely intended. The savage treatment of the 
king and queen is very different to what is narrated by the Burmese his¬ 
torian. “ The queen was publicly whipped and delivered up to the lust of 
* The Portuguese history has caused some confusion regarding the events which 
led to this siege by stating —“ The king of Brama was alarmed by him of Siam, who 
attempted to recover the kingdom of Tangu, which had been wrested from him.” 
For Siam here must be understood the northern Shan or Shian confederation, now 
led by the king of Ava. This king did claim the allegiance of Taungu, which state 
had formerly been subject to his predecessors. It was never claimed by Siam. The 
Siamese and Shians both belong to the Thai race, and the early European writers may 
thus occasionally have confused the two. In Father Sangermano’s work on Burma, the 
Shan people are always called * Sciam ’ 
