________________
100
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1994.
MISCELLANEA. SOME REMARKS ON THE KALYANI but as the political ascendancy of these three INSCRIPTIONS
countries often passed from one to the other prior (1) Ramannadega.
to the 14th century, the appellation appears to
have been loosely applied. The above identifica. The Kingdom of Ramannadóss "comprised
tion is supported by the following extract from originally only the region between the Sittang
Forbes' Legendary History of Burma and Arakan, river and the Salween;" but in the 15th century
p. 20 :A.D. it included the provinces of Kusimamandala (Bassein), Hansavatimandala (Pega), 1. "In A. D. 746 Ponenareekaraza, who was on and Muttimamandala (Martaban): that is to say, 'the throne, rebuilt the ancient town of Rama. it extended from the Arakan Yôma on the west nago, afterwards called Dagone. The Talaing to the Salween river on the east, and from history says that this town was originally built Kadut, now called Myânaung, on the north to by Arammanaruza, and called after him AramMaulmain on the south.
manamyo, but in time the name became cor.
rupted to Ramanagomyo." The country stretching to the south as far as Tenasserim, in the Mergai district, had frequent- According to tradition, Thaton was the ori. ly been, in the previous century, the bone of oon- ginal seat of the Talaing race in Indo-China, and tention between the Muns, or Talaings, and the
was built in the 17th century B. C. This high Siamese, and was retained, or taken possession of antiquity claimed for the foundation of the city by either nation, according as either happened to
is, however, vitiated by the fact that no mention be the viotor. The following extract from Bow
is made of it in the Kalyani Inscriptions, which ring's Kingdom and People of Siam, Vol. I. p. 43 relate that Sonathôra and Uttarathdra landed at shews that Martaban, Maulmain, Tavoy, and Gāļa mat tikanagara (Ayetbema) in the 3rd century Tenanserim were subject to Siamese rule in the
B. C. middle of the 14th century A. D. :
Muttima (Martaban) and Hansavati (Pegu) "Christian era, 1350. King Uthong assumes
were founded, I think, in the 6th century A. D. 1 the name Phra Ramathibodi; appoints his son but the former was of not much importance til: Phra Ramesuén, King of Lõphaburi. At that
1167 A. D., when it was made the seat of a protime, the following kingdoms were subject to the vincial government by Narapatisiba (Nampati. King of Siam :-(1) Málaka; (2) Xava; (3) Tanaosi jayasura). Kusima (Bassein) is mentioned in the [Tenasserim); (4) Nákhonsịthămărat (Ligor);
Talajng histories 48 forming part of the kingdom (5) Thăvai;' (6) Motamă (Martaban]; (7) Mo- of Pegu in the 7th century A. D. lámlóng (Maulmain)."
(2) Ramadhipati. But the historical records of both countries,
The latter half of the 15th century A. D. is however, appear to be silent as to whether this tract of country was under Siamese or Talaing
& brilliant epoch in the history of Burmese rule in the 15th century.
literature. The profound peace, that was due to
sheer exhaustion induced by foreign wars and The appellation Ramanna, or Remanya, internal dissensions, was eminently favourable to apparently points to an Indian origin, as do the cultivation of high literary culture. The frethose of Ramapura (Maulmain), of Råmmåvats or quent intercourse with Ceylon, and the liberality Råmavati (near Rangoon), and of Râmri, and with which monastic institutions were supported seems to have been originated by colonista from by Burmese Kings in the previous centuries, had India,
made their capital the seat of learning and a The country of Arramana, mentioned in the
stronghold of Buddhism. The long subjection of Sinhalese Chroniclea, may be held to refer to
Råmasiñadêsa to Burmese rule from the 11th to RAmaññadêsa, rather than to Siam or Cambodia,
the 13th centuries had caused all political, reli
1 Forohhammer's Notes on the Early History and Geo. graphy of British Burma, I. The Shwe Dagon Pagoda, page 3. • Tavoy.
S RÅmanagara. • Now Rangoon. • Rard is the corrupted form of raja in Talaing and Burmese.
• Myo is the Burmese equivalent for nagara. (I am
inclined to think that Arramana came from Ramañía and not vice versa. Cf. Ansiam and Asion=Siam: Ancomorin
Comorip-Comar=Al-Qum&r=KhmerCambodia, etc. This Anor Ar==(P) Arabic article al in such names. Such cnsul prefixes must always be looked out for in place. names, when found corrupted in foreign languages. Cf. Dávå for Ava, or correctly for 'of Ava,' in Nicolo Conti's Travels: Hakluyt Society's Ed. p. 11.-ED.]
