The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c23.s1: Arakan

The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c23.s1

Language: English

Arakan

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SHUT off from Burma by a hill range, Arakan has a separate history, but it is the same in kind. She seldom had a strong central government, and until 1437 Sandoway was independent.

The ease of sea communications renders it possible that Buddhism reached Arakan earlier than the interior of Burma, and, although unproved, the tradition which assigns the Mahamuni image to the reign of one Sandathuriya A.D. 146–98 is not incredible. But accessibility from the sea brought other things than Buddhism. Thus Brahmanism is indicated by the word Sanda (Chandra), which ends the name of every traditional king from 783 to 957, and by the fact that medallions ascribed to these kings bear Shiva's trident and Nāgarī script.¹ After the tenth century the country was professedly Buddhist, notwithstanding the spread of Islam, which by the thirteenth century had dotted the coast from Assam to Malaya with the curious mosques known as Buddermokan.² Doubtless it is Muslim influence which led to women being more secluded in Arakan than in Burma.

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¹ Phayre, "Coins of Arakan, Pegu and Burma", in *International Numismata Orientalia*; Vincent Smith, *Catalogue of Coins in the Indian Museum, Calcutta*; Duroiselle, *Catalogue of Coins in the Phayre Museum*.

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² Temple, "Buddermokan", in *Journal Burma Research Society*, 1925.

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The capital was successively Thabeiktaung, Dinnyawadi and Vesali down to the tenth century, Pyinsa (Sambawut) till 1118, Parin 1118–67, Hkrit 1167–80, Pyinsa 1180–1237, Launggyet 1237–1433 and Mrohaung (Mrauk-u) 1433–1785. All are in Akyab district, Thabeiktaung on the Yochaung river, the others on or near the Lemro river.

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Like the rest of Indo-China, the country suffered chronically from raids. Akyab district was exposed to the hill tribes and in the tenth century Shans temporarily overran it. Settled government was the exception. In the middle of the twelfth century even the Mahamuni image could not be found, for it had been overgrown with jungle in the prevailing anarchy. The Burmese under the Pagan dynasty 1044–1287 successfully established their suzerainty over north Arakan but not over the south, and even in the north the kings merely sent propitiatory tribute and continued to be hereditary kings, not governors appointed by Pagan.

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Between 1287 and 1785 there is not even the pretence of Burmese The scanned page is entirely blank (no text, printed numbers, running heads, figures, or other content).