Broken Glass Palace Chronicle of Burma

Hla Shwe (M.A)

12/28/2008

I had a master degree in history from Rangoon University and I also learnt that the academic
who specialized in Burma historiography has biased when they had concluded the Burmese
history. Most of Burmese academic paper had been produced under the inspired of Burmese
nationalism. So we have to ask some question to Burmese history like that it was based in
politics, isn't it? If it is sure the history of Burma can be changed when the political situation
changed.

This article is based so many academic papers those peoples are professor G H Luce, Professor
Naing Pan Hla, and U Aung Thaw director general of archaeology, and Michael Aung Thwin
splendor historian of pre Burma. Professor Luce assumed that in his achievement "Old Burma
Early Pagan" the Burmese civilization inherited from Mon of lower Burma. Burmese script
comes out after conquering the Thaton by King Anawrahta in (1057). But prominent academic
Charles Durosisel acclaimed that earliest Burmese script was the southern Indian script. And then
Mon also had used the type of southern Indian script Palawa script. During that time Arakan
western coastal of Burma civilization had zenith and then they had being used Brahmahi script
for a (800) years ago and Pyu had being used script for a (600) years ago. So Burmese language
may directly come from Pyu (or) Arakan it is needed to ask question about this. We have to look
forward to this hypothesis.

On the side of Mon in Dvaravati, Thailand had used Palawa script of southern India and Pyu
used Kandampa origin? Academic Duroiselle accepted that the Burmese original might have
come from Dvaravati .In contrast, a Burmese scholar U Tha Myat, suggested that Burmese script
might have come from the Pyu script. U Tha Myat attempted to show the relation between the
Pyu script and without the explicitly concluding that they must have been related. They leave us
and makes confuse to approach the problem of history. Aung Thwin, professor suggested that the
origin of Burmese script might have come from Pyu. But in my historical point of view is that
during that flourishing of Pyu literature was very weak. According to the historians Burmese
script might have come from Mon but the reason that if a kingdom or polity exited in lower
Burma earlier than the rise and development of Pagan, there should be some archaeological
evidences of its, such as early human remains, urban sites, agricultural and commercial vestiges,
and in general in infrastructure of a state or polity but such evidence has nothing more. In lower
Burma so called Mon civilization flourished could not find Palawa Dvaravati script form.

The earliest of Mon script can be founded in Shwesandaw pagoda inscription by king Kyansitha
graved in (1093) but it is very later than King Anawrahta's inscription in (1058). And then very
earlier of (13) inscriptions also found which may have very earlier than Shwesandaw pagoda
inscription. These are direct come from Brahmahi alphabet. According to the Dr Naing Pan Hla
said that the earliest of Mon inscription had founded at Pharapathon (30) miles away of western
Bangkok. This is the weak point of Burma culture, which is inherited from Mon but in contrast
Michael Aung Thwin suggested that Mon received their literacy after relationship with upper
Burma. According to the remaining of archaeology Mon might have came into Burma during the
10th century AD. According to the Mon paradigm there is nothing can be found in Urban and
historical sites etc. Most of votive tablet during the Anawrahta reigned can be found in lower
part of Burma. Subject for their merit used those votive tablets so we should clear assume that
the subject of Burmese had used scripts before Mon original came into Burma. Indeed, the
earliest dated original evidence of old Mon writing in Burma is King Kyanzitha's Prome
inscription of 1093, which is later than four, original dated old Burmese inscriptions, one of
them, by forty years. There are approximately 13 others Burmese inscriptions found during or
previous to Amaranth's reign. According to the historical evidence Burmese were able to do
writing before the Anawrahta conquest of Thaton as we can conclude that it is not possible to
think that Burmese script derived from Mon.

According to the academic U Tha Myat's view on Mon paradigm is life long research on the Pyu
script from where, he contends, the Burmese script probably came. This suggestion is historical
more major tenable for several reasons. First it is well known that the culture of the Pyu people
dominated the major plain of Burma from about the first century AD to the mid ninth, when their
power was broken by the most powerful kingdom in the northern mainland Southeast Asia at the
time: Nanchao based in Yunan. It is well known that the Pyu of Beikthano myo were using a
Brhami script datable in India to about the second century AD.

Following the attacked by the Nanchao of the Pyu and deportation of 3000 to Yunan in (828)
AD. More over the Pyu did not completely appear as a people and culture remained in Pagan and
mixed with the Tibeto Burman who came into Burma and founded the Kingdom of Pagan in
(849) AD was suggested by historians. So Burmese were relationship with literate Pyu before the
meeting of Mon culture for 200 years ago. We might have to look at the Myazedi inscription in it
one page of Pyu Language it is mentioned that Pyu were at the climax of their writing knowledge
during the Pagan period. Before that time, Pyu were very weak using in writing language.
That many of King Kyanzitha's inscriptions were in Mon is either surprising is it evidence to
support the Mon paradigm. That is, it say nothing about the presence of Ramannadesa in lower
Burma prior to the 13the century, or the alleged conquest of Thaton by Anawrahta.And then the
only question come out to raise that why did King Kyanzitha grave inscriptions by Mon script?
We might have to consider the King Kyanzitha he was not a member of royal family and did not
learn statecraft as well when he came to the throne, most of king's advisers were Mon educated.
The survival of nearly 800 old Burmese inscriptions of Pagan and Ava compared to only about
53 are old and middle Mon inscriptions. So during the reign of the King Kyanzitha used Mon
script as a official language is impossible to conclude. During the over 400 year the totally out of
one percent is concerned with Mon.

On the side of historical point of view, during the reign of King Anawrahta there was an only
kingdom in western coastal of Burma was Arakan. Arakan were using Brahmi script at the
beginning of the second century AD. According to the chronicles King Anawrahta annexed
Arakan Kingdom and presented one of King daughters named "Pyinsakalayani" was achieved as
a queen of Pagan soon. And that time Buddhism totally flourished in Arakan and civilization was
also at the zenith. So we might have to conclude that the Burman received script from Arakan.

In conclusion, the pioneer western historian GH Luce had took the western historiography to
replace in Burma's historiography. The conquest of the old Mon capital Thaton was a critical
moment in Burmese history in the way that the Roman conquest of Greece was in the history of
Rome. In each case the conquered nation imparted to the conqueror many things, which he
lacked and he eagerly accepted.
References

Historical sites in Burma, Aung Thaw, Rangoon University Press, Burma.

Old Burma Early Pagan, GH Luce, Rangoon University Press, Burma.
The Origin of Mon and Their Literature, By Naing Pan Hla, The new light of Myanmar.
The Legend That was Lower Burma, By Michael Aung Thwin.
The Outline Of History, HG Wells.
Rakhinerazawinthit Kyan, Ahin Sandamalinkara.
Rakhinmahrazawindawgri, U Tha Tun Aung.