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142
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1898.
hinsa-ales, from having been surmounted by the figure of a hind, the famous hansa or Brahminee duck, the cognisance of the Kingdom of Pegu.". Latter, Grammar, p. 171.
1882."The standard weights are usually formed with a figure of a sacred hantha on them, or sometimes with the animal representing the royal birthday.". Shway Yoe (Scott), The Burman, Vol. II. p. 299.
1884. "The old native weights, which are still in use here and there for small quantities, are made of brass in the form of the hoong or sacred goose (henga in Burmese) or of an elephant." Bock, Temples and Elephants, p. 159. But among a collection of Herr Bock's weights seen by the present writer were to be found counterparts of figs. 4, 5, 7 and 13.
From the above references it will be seen that stamped standard weights (vide figs. 3, 11, 12 and 13) were issued officially and took the form of various animals, chiefly sacred or mythological.
But the statements go further and tell us that the weights were issued by each king in succession, in forms appropriate to each, based apparently on the animal raling over the royal birthday. This is, however, extremely doubtful. Witness the statements themselves. E. g., Wilson says that the to-alé (fig. 12) was current in 1826, and Latter says that it was still current in 1845. But Bajidò was King in 1826 and Darawadi in 1845. So that the to-alé lasted through two reigns at any rate. Again, Wilson says that the hinta-alé (figs. 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 13) was current in the reign previous to that in 1826, i. e., in B'ôdòp'aya's: and Scott notices its currency in 1882 under Dibò (Thibaw). It certainly was current in 1885-7 to my own knowledge, and I may say that the set given to the Oxford Museum were cast for me in 1888 at Mandalay.
My own information by word of mouth was much that above recorded. That is, I was told that of the weights figured the following were the periods of issue :50
No. 1. The Chinŏdé-alé, temp. B'ôdòp'ayâ (1781-1819).
No. 2. The S'in-alé, temp. Alaungp'ays (Alompra, 1753-60).
Nos. 3, 4, 11.-The Hindá-alé,51 temp. Mindon Min (1852-78) and Thibaw (1878-85).
The Hinoa-alé, temp. Naungdòji (1760-3).
No. 6. No. 10.
The Hindu-alé, temp. Kongbaung-p'ay or Shwebo Min (Darawadi, 1836-46).
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No. 13.
The Ziwàzó-alé,52 temp. Pagàn Min (1846-52).
But on my attempting, with the late Sir A. W. Franks, to identify the collection at the British Museum by means of my information, it became evident that the accuracy of the traditional ideas regarding their historical value was open to the gravest doubt. A careful criticism of the statements of the writers about them also forces one to the same conclusion. My impression is that every now and then the reigning king was advised by those around him to alter the form of the standard weight and did so.
As to Scott's story about the form of the weights depending on the king's birthday, I have been told the same thing repeatedly myself; but I found that the statement would
49 I think we ought to assume that "the old native weights" of Bock were merely stray Burmese weights that had got into the Shân villages he visited.
50 I was also told that these weights had originally the denominations marked on them. It may have been so, but I have never seen any so marked.
61 Popularly known to Europeans in Upper Burma at the time of the conquest as "peacock" weights.
63 The ziwazo was described to me as a variety of hinda: but I see that Stevenson, Bur. Dict., s. v., calls it the Lirundo esculens, the little swift that makes the well-known edible bird's-nests of the Andamans and the Malay Peninsula.
