DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27192#0404
358
FURTHER INDIA.
Book VIII.
forty miles’ travelling distance north from Martaban.1 Since
it ceased to be a place of importance, either by the silting up
of the river or the elevation of the land, it is now no longer
a port; but there can be little doubt that for some centuries
before and after the Christian Era it was the emporium through
which a very considerable portion of the trade between China
and the western world was carried on. The line of passage
was apparently across the Bay of Bengal from the deltas of the
Krishna and Godavari; and it was to this trade route that we
probably owe the rise and importance of Amaravati till it was
perhaps superseded by the direct sea-voyage from Gujarat and
the west coast of India in the 6th century. The place was
sacked and entirely destroyed, according to Sir A. Phayre,
about A.D. 1050, by Anaurahta, King of Pegu ; but long before
that time it had been dwindling, from the growing importance
of Pegu or Hansawati, which was founded about A.D. 633.2
The only description of its ruins is by St. Andrew St. John,
in the second volume of the ‘Phoenix’ above referred to; but
they seem even now to be very extensive, in spite of neglect
and consequent decay. The walls can still be traced for 7700
ft. in one direction by 4000 ft. in another, enclosing a regular
oblong of more than 700 acres. In this enclosure are several
old pagodas, some, unfortunately, recently repaired, but all of
a form we have not yet met with, though we shall presently
when we come to speak of Java.
The principal pagoda here, like all the others, is built of
hewn laterite. Its base is a square, measuring 104 ft. each
way, and 18 ft. high ; the second storey is 70 ft. square and
i6| ft. high ; the third 48 ft. square and 12 ft. high. On this
now stands a circular pagoda, making up the whole height to
85 ft. Mr. St. John fancies this circular part may be much
more modern than the rest, but he adds, “ the whole face of
the pagoda has been carved in patterns ; but the most remark-
able part is the second storey, to which access is given by four
flights of steps, one in the centre of each face. The whole
was apparently adorned with sculptures of the most elaborate
character.”
There seem to be no data to enable us to fix with certainty
the date of this or of other similar pagodas in this place, and
no photographs to enable us to speak with certainty as to their
details, which is to be regretted, as it is just in such an old
city as this that we may expect to find those early forms which
1 R. F. St. John, in the ‘ Phoenix,’ vol.
ii. pp. 204, et seqq. Sir Arthur Phayre,
in ‘Journal of the Asiatic Society of
Bengal,’ vol. xlii. pp. 23, et seqq.
2 In 1116 Buddhavarsha ; ■—Sir A.
Phayre, 1 History of Burma,’ pp. 29, 30 ;
P. W. Schmidt, ‘ Buch des Rajawan,’
pp. 20 and 101.
FURTHER INDIA.
Book VIII.
forty miles’ travelling distance north from Martaban.1 Since
it ceased to be a place of importance, either by the silting up
of the river or the elevation of the land, it is now no longer
a port; but there can be little doubt that for some centuries
before and after the Christian Era it was the emporium through
which a very considerable portion of the trade between China
and the western world was carried on. The line of passage
was apparently across the Bay of Bengal from the deltas of the
Krishna and Godavari; and it was to this trade route that we
probably owe the rise and importance of Amaravati till it was
perhaps superseded by the direct sea-voyage from Gujarat and
the west coast of India in the 6th century. The place was
sacked and entirely destroyed, according to Sir A. Phayre,
about A.D. 1050, by Anaurahta, King of Pegu ; but long before
that time it had been dwindling, from the growing importance
of Pegu or Hansawati, which was founded about A.D. 633.2
The only description of its ruins is by St. Andrew St. John,
in the second volume of the ‘Phoenix’ above referred to; but
they seem even now to be very extensive, in spite of neglect
and consequent decay. The walls can still be traced for 7700
ft. in one direction by 4000 ft. in another, enclosing a regular
oblong of more than 700 acres. In this enclosure are several
old pagodas, some, unfortunately, recently repaired, but all of
a form we have not yet met with, though we shall presently
when we come to speak of Java.
The principal pagoda here, like all the others, is built of
hewn laterite. Its base is a square, measuring 104 ft. each
way, and 18 ft. high ; the second storey is 70 ft. square and
i6| ft. high ; the third 48 ft. square and 12 ft. high. On this
now stands a circular pagoda, making up the whole height to
85 ft. Mr. St. John fancies this circular part may be much
more modern than the rest, but he adds, “ the whole face of
the pagoda has been carved in patterns ; but the most remark-
able part is the second storey, to which access is given by four
flights of steps, one in the centre of each face. The whole
was apparently adorned with sculptures of the most elaborate
character.”
There seem to be no data to enable us to fix with certainty
the date of this or of other similar pagodas in this place, and
no photographs to enable us to speak with certainty as to their
details, which is to be regretted, as it is just in such an old
city as this that we may expect to find those early forms which
1 R. F. St. John, in the ‘ Phoenix,’ vol.
ii. pp. 204, et seqq. Sir Arthur Phayre,
in ‘Journal of the Asiatic Society of
Bengal,’ vol. xlii. pp. 23, et seqq.
2 In 1116 Buddhavarsha ; ■—Sir A.
Phayre, 1 History of Burma,’ pp. 29, 30 ;
P. W. Schmidt, ‘ Buch des Rajawan,’
pp. 20 and 101.