LECTURE No. XX: THE DOWN FALL OF BAGAN AND MONK ENVOY OF BAGAN

LECTURE NO. XX

THE DOWN FALL OF BAGAN AND MONK ENVOY OF BAGAN

1. After four centuries of existence, Bagan Empire declined. The causes of its decline are many

(a) The working of the law of impermanence and the Law of change, anicca and saṅkhara – the ups and downs of life

(b) When the central power waned under weak kings the far-flung empire disintegrated into fragmentary principalities under local authorities.

(c) administration broke down. Law and order could not be maintained effectively.

(d) Mongol invasins from China under the two great Khans-Ghengis Khan and Kublai Khan in the latēr part of the 13^thcentury A.D the two Khans claimed themselves as Universal monarch [Caravan superpower in modern parlance] and tried to conquer all countries in all directionṣ Bagan a wellknown city kingdom of peace prosperity and progress becam one of the most coveted war prizes for any conqueror.

(e) King Narathihapate the 52^ndruler in the Bagan dynasty of 55 kings, refused to submist to Kubai Khan who therefore sent his warriors into Myanmar. In A.D. 1277 a fierce battle took place at Nga Saung Gyan near Bamaw, a frontier town to the North of Bagan. A detailed account of the battle was given in Marco Polo's travelogue. Though Myanmarforces won two initial victories Tartar equestrian archers defeated them in the third battle. Myanmarforces retreated as the Tartars advanced. In spite of Myanmar King's attempts to repulse the invaders by building hurriedly many fortifications, the enemies approached bagan and King Narathihapate retreated to Dala in Lower Myanmarfor war refuge.

(f) Kublai Khan sent into Myanmar20000 tatar soldiers led by Prince Tsu Tsu Teiki of Kaung Chan accompanied by a Venetian adventurer named Marco Polo who was in the service of the Khans. Mahayana Buddhist monks from 7 lamasaries led by two head monks Maha Thera Ponna Dhammika and Sangha Thera Dhammila were also sent with the Mongol armies. They occupied Bagan for sometimes.

(g) In A.D 1285 King Narathihapate despatched to Kublai Khan a peace mission comprising two Ministers Anantapyitsi and Maha Bo. The King's adviser monk [Raja Guru] named Shin Dithapamauk [the world renowned Teacher well-known as the chief of all directions was assigned to lead the peace mission because of his learning, wide knowledge and skill in diplomacy. This monk envoy was to act as a negotiator and to compose a credential letter inscibed on a gold plate for presentation to Kublai Khan.

(h) The peace mission took a long arduous journey by land. Due to mountainous terrains, heavy rain and local disturbances, the embassy stayed one lent at Yunanfu. In November 1285 the embassy continued ets journey and finally reached Beijing in January 1286.