To this long list, we have to add the works mentioned on pp. 25 to 27; the majma' unnafáis, a tadzkirah of Persian poets, alphabetically arranged according to the takhalluç ;* and the less nawálir i aljáz, a dictionary of those Hindi words whose equivalents are rarely met with in Arabic and Persian.

Page 30.

Line 21, read fifteen years' labour, for fifteen years, labour.

Line 4. Read 17, for 27.

Page 32.

Page 39.

Line 15. I do not know, whether Jannatástání, or Jannatáshyání, or both, be correct. In some historical books both terms are used promiscue, in many áshyání, in others ástání. In the MS. of the Maásirulumará, mentioned in the note of p. 65, áshýaní has every where been carefully corrected to ástání. Even in Akbar's laqab, I have found ástání, for áshyání. There is no doubt that áshyúni conveys a better meaning, than ástání. Line 5 from below, read of Akbar's mother, for of one of Akbar's wives.

Line 3 from below, read teacher, for pupil. The pious are attracted by God.

Page 37.

To the Indian pronunciations mentioned in i., add—vsjli

دادار بخش Didarbakhsh for دیدار بخش ; ghazi uddin, for ghaziddin

Dádarbakhsh;

baghichah, for 8

bágchah. The Indian pro

nunciation, for, is said to be Chagatái.

ح

* The MS. of our Society, No. 129, goes only to the letter hé; nor do I know, whether Arzú completed the work. I may mention that this MS., to judge from a marginal remark which the binder has half cut away, is written by Sayyid Ghulám 'Alí of Belgrám, Arzú's nephew. He was himself a poet, and Arzú has mentioned him under his takhalluç Azád.

From this book, it also appears that the Surmah i Sulaimání, the twentyfourth dictionary of p. 5, was compiled by the poet, Taqi Auhadí of Içfahán, the well-known author of a Tadzkirah. He came to India during the reign of Jahángír (1605 to 1627), and must not be confounded with the poet Taqi, of Shustar, one of Akbar's nobles; vide A. A. p 230, No. 352. The concluding chapter of the Mir-át ul 'Alam gives a few of their verses.

Line 19, remove the asterisk after the word kóh.

Page 50.

In conclusion I may mention that this paper is an extract of a larger work written by me, entitled "Contributions to Persian Lexicography." About six years ago, Major Lees asked me to compile a Persian Dictionary. A part of it has been completed. But as the costs of the undertaking appeared too great, in proportion to the assistance which the Government of India then granted, the work was not proceeded with, though a specimen sheet had been issued.

Since then I have been comparing the Persian Dictionaries written by natives, and correcting various lexicographical MSS. in my possession. I trust in a short time to have sufficient leisure, to see the whole of my "Contributions" through the press, though I should prefer the compilation of a Persian Dictionary itself, if the Government or a learned Society were inclined to defray the printing charges.

H. Bl.

JOURNAL

OF THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY.

PART I.-HISTORY, LITERATURE, &c.

No. II.-1868.

On the History of the Burma Race.-By Colonel SIR ARTHUR PHAYRE, K. C. S. I., C. B., Bengal Staff Corps.

[Received 25th July, 1868.]

In the thirty-second volume of the Journal of the Asiatic Society, for the year 1864, the present writer, following the Mahá-rádzáweng, traced the history of the Burma race from the earliest time, down to the arrival of the two sons of the king of Tágúng at the site of the present town of Prome. The national chronicles from that time proceed with the history of the monarchy established at Thare-khet-ta-rá to the east of Prome. It is proposed in the present paper to condense into a brief narrative the principal events of that monarchy, and of the succeeding dynasties of Burman kings, which reigned at Pugán on the Irrawaddy river, about one hundred and eighty miles above Prome.

The elder of the sons of the king of Tágúng, named Maháthambawa, was married to his cousin Bhedári, daughter of the hermit, who lived in a cave or cell, near a small stream which runs into the Irrawaddy river below the town of Prome. The king of the Pyú tribe, named Táp-bú-lá, who with his people dwelt in the land around Prome, had been exposed to attacks by tribes coming from Southern Arakan. He had either been killed or taken prisoner. His queen still ruled. But the Kán-rán tribe from Arakan attacked her also.

The Pyú repelled the attack. The Kán-rán fled and returned to, or then established themselves at, Thán-dwai, (Sandoway), and in the seven hill districts lying along the eastern side of the Arakan mountain range in that neighbourhood. The queen of the Pyú then established herself at the Thaggá lake. After a time, she resigned the sovereignty of her people to Maháthambawá. She was of the true Sákya race, descended from Mú-dú-tseit-ta, son of Kán Rádzágyí, who, as before related, had been made by his father king over the tribes Pyú, Kánrán, and Thek or Sák. Maháthambawá made the Pyú queen his second wife. This was in the year 60 of religion. The Pyú queen gave birth to a daughter, and soon after died Maháthámbawá died in the year of religion 66, aged twenty-six years. At the time of his death Queen Bhedárí was pregnant with the son to whom she afterwards gave birth, and through whom the royal race was continued. He was called Dwot-ta-búng.

Maháthámbawá was succeeded, by his brother Tsú-la-tham-bawá. Bhedarí became his queen also. He reigned thirty-five years and died in the year 101 of religion.

Dwot-ta-búng now became king. The time had come when the predictions of Gaudama were to be fulfilled. The city of Tha-rekhet-ta-rá was, with the help of the heavenly beings termed Nát, built on an extensive plain, to the eastward of the present town of Prome. This was in the year 101 of religion. This king had great power and authority. He married two wives; first, his half sister born to his father by the queen of the Pyú people, and named Tsánda-de-wí; and second, Bhe-tsan-dí, the daughter of the king of the Ná-gás or dragons. His reign is described as glorious, and he built many pagodas. A cave and a well of water, are still shown by the people of Prome, as those of the great and good king Dwot-tabúng. He ruled over many countries adjoining his native kingdom. But he was guilty of one act of injustice which diminished his power and shortened his days. A poor woman, who sold bread, bestowed five pai of land on the Raháns of a monastery. The king, wishing to possess the land, confiscated it. His good fortune at once abandoned him. His celestial weapons no longer had any power and his glory declined. He then restored the land. But the evil result of his sin could not be shaken off. His tributary kings withheld

their tribute. He went himself to demand it, throughout all Dzambu-di-pa or the continent of India. But misfortune followed him. The sea dragons were offended, and carried his ship to their own regions. In other words his ship foundered at sea. This happened after a reign of seventy years when he was one hundred and five years old. Reflecting," observes the writer of the Mahá-rádzáweng, "on the story of king Dwot-ta-búng, the lords of great "countries should remember, that it is not proper to take so much as a single fruit, or a single flower, of those things which pertain "to the three precious jewels."

Dwot-ta-búng was succeeded by his son Dwot-ta-rán in the year 171 of religion. He reigned twenty-two years.

No particular event is related of the succeeding kings until Thi-rirít came to the throne in the year of religion 424. He had a deep regard for religion, and the people during his reign were happy. But with him the race of Dwot-ta-búng came to an end, and another dynasty succeeded.

The story is thus told. A certain man of that country placed his young son with a Rahán at a monastery, where he became a Thá-mane or probationer for the higher degrees of the order. The Rahán liked him and taught him the Bí-da-gát and Be-deng. The Rahán had a cock who, when he crowed, seemed to say, "Whoso eats my head will be king hereafter." The Rahán, hearing this, called the youth and told him to prepare the cock for food. The probationer did so, but in the preparation the head accidentally touched the hinder parts of the bird. Thinking this rendered it unclean for the Ralán, he ate it himself. The Rahán asked him where the head was, and the probationer told him. The Rahán thought, "Now we shall see if the animal's crowing comes true." He had the young man educated in every branch of knowledge, and then entrusted to the care of a nobleman. At length he was introduced into the palace, and the king retained him there. The king, having no son of his own, adopted the young man, and created him crown-prince. Eventually he succeeded to the throne, and reigned fifty-one years. This king was called Nga-ta-bá, because the cock in crowing seemed to utter those words; and also because he was of another lineage and not of the existing royal race. No explanation is given in the history re