Ancient Indian Colonization in South-East Asia c7.37

c7.37

In contrast to all these stories, where the foundation is ascribed to individual heroes, the Burmese chronicles record a regular military expedition. We are told that Abhirāja, a prince of the Śākya clan of Kapilavastu, marched with an army to Upper Burma, founded the city of Sankissa on the Upper Irawadi, and set himself up as the king of the surrounding region. It is worthy of note that in all these traditions current from one end of the region to the other, such a story is told of the only country where it was not beyond the range of possibility. For the military conquest of a region in Upper Burma by an Indian chief was not a very difficult operation even in those early days.