Citation
[Official letter from Taw Sein Ko of the Office of Supdt. Archaeological Survey to C.O. Blagdgen, 2nd Feb. 1910]
Permanent Link:

Material Information

Title:
[Official letter from Taw Sein Ko of the Office of Supdt. Archaeological Survey to C.O. Blagdgen, 2nd Feb. 1910]
Series Title:
Correspondence of Dr Charles Otto Blagden (MS 360895)
Creator:
ToÊ» CinÊ» Khui, 1864-1930 ( Author, Primary )
Place of Publication:
Camp Hmawza
Publisher:
The Office
Publication Date:
Language:
English

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Blagden, Charles Otto (1864-1949), orientalist
Blagden, Charles Otto, 1864-1949 ( lcna )
Spatial Coverage:
Asia -- Myanmar -- Bago Region -- Pyay District -- Hmawza
Coordinates:
18.81612 x 95.29176

Notes

General Note:
Transferred from the South East Asian Department, School of Oriental and African Studies, 1977
General Note:
Dr Charles Otto Blagden was born the 30th September 1864, the eldest son of William George Blagden. He was educated at Dulwich College and at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He was appointed to the Straits Settlements Civil Service in 1888 and held various administrative and judicial posts in Malacca and Singapore. He retired for health reasons in 1897. Returning to England he studied at Gray?s Inn and was called to the Bar in 1900. From 1910 he developed an academic career becoming Examiner in Malay at the University of London in that year. In 1917 he joined the newly-opened School of Oriental and African Studies as Lecturer in Malay Studies. He remained in the service of the School until 1935 when he retired as Reader in Malay Studies. At various dates he was a Vice-President of the Royal Anthropological Society and of the Royal Asiatic Society. His most important published work was (with W.W.Skeat) the comparative vocabulary of aboriginal races in Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula which appeared in 1906. Blagden also interested himself in Burmese studies especially Mon inscriptions. He died 25th August 1949.
General Note:
MS 360895. Box 1. Folder 2. Item 10
General Note:
This letter is believed to be in the public domain under UK Crown Copyright
General Note:
VIAF (name authority) : Blagden, Charles Otto, 1864-1949 : URI http://viaf.org/viaf/15513790
General Note:
VIAF (name authority) : ToÊ» CinÊ» Khui, 1864-1930 : URI http://viaf.org/viaf/18150767
General Note:
ToÊ» CinÊ» Khui wrote under the name Taw Sein Ko

Record Information

Source Institution:
SOAS University of London
Holding Location:
Archives and Special Collections
Rights Management:
All applicable rights reserved by the source institution and holding location.
Resource Identifier:
79/30 J.A. ( Letter number )
MS 360895 ( SOAS manuscript number )
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Full Text


3 o

Office of Supdt. Archaeological Survey

Camp Hmawza the 2nd* February 1910



1910.

Dear Sir,

In continuation of my letter No 75/30J.A. dated the
1st. February 1910,regarding the Talaing inscription at the

Shwesigon Pagoda,Pagan,I have much pleasure in announcing the

with the following invocation and gatha in Pali:"Namo Buddhaya^
namo Dhammaya, namo Samghaya.Angiraso Sakyaputto Sabbasattanukam
-pako,Sabbasattuttamo Siho Raj uppattim-desayi".

X_'

Translation

"Reverence to the Buddha,the Dhamma,and the Sangha.
The brilliant Scion of the Sakya race,the Compassion-

ate One,the Lion,who is the Highest of all portals,narrated the
life of the King".

2. The inscription at Prone appears to be a replica

of the one at Pagan,and both are in the form of a prophecy
uttered by Gautama Buddha,and are apparently of the same import
I am arranging to send you an estampage of it together with the
estampages of

(a) the Myazedi Inscription in Talaing;

(b) the Bebe Inscription in an unknown script;and

(c) the Kyaukka Thein Inscription in an unknown script

3. The Myazedi stone was removed from its masonry pe-

destal and an estampage was taken of the Talaing version,which
is a replica of the one in the Pagan Museum.You are inclined to
regard the language of (b) and (c) as that of the Pyu.I am dis-
posed to agree with you."Pyu" is the name applied to Burma by
the Arakanese as late as the 12th. c.etury A.D.,and by the Chines,
in the 8th. and 9th. centuries A.D. The Pyus appear to be of /
Shan origin,and to have been converted to Hinduism.They burnt
their dead,and buried the ashes in earthenware urns.In the 8th.
century,Burma was under the suzerainty of Nanchao,an ancient


in Yunnan.Owing to its continuity to Tibet ,ITanchao appears to

have been influenced by that country.In the Bebe,Kyaukka Thein
and Myazedi Inscriptions in an unknown script,the double dot or
visarga is often repeated,and there are plumber of curves both
above and below each line.I am inclined to think that ancient
Tibetan script of the 8th. and 9th. centuries A.D.,might afford
you some clue in deciphering these three most important in-
scriptions .

4. The Pyu language was probably interdicted and then
stamped out by the Burmans.lt came in contact with ChineseyTa-
laing and Sanskrit,but not with Pali.It is perhaps,related to
the tongue of the Lolos,Sifans,and Mantzu,who are still found
in Yunnan,Ssuchuan,and the easter/n border of Tibet.I shall be
glad to help you in interpreting the loan-words found in these
inscriptions.

Your sincerely

C.O.Blagden^Esqr^
Switzerland.
Full Text