Citation
[Official letter from Taw Sein Ko of the Office of Supdt. Archaeological Survey, Burma, Mandalay to C.O. Blagdgen, 8th March 1915]
Permanent Link:

Material Information

Title:
[Official letter from Taw Sein Ko of the Office of Supdt. Archaeological Survey, Burma, Mandalay to C.O. Blagdgen, 8th March 1915]
Series Title:
Correspondence of Dr Charles Otto Blagden (MS 360895)
Creator:
ToÊ» CinÊ» Khui, 1864-1930 ( Author, Primary )
Place of Publication:
Mandalay
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 -- Mandalay Region -- Mandalay District -- Mandalay
Coordinates:
21.975 x 96.083333

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 26
General Note:
VIAF (name authority) : Blagden, Charles Otto, 1864-1949 : URI http://viaf.org/viaf/15513790
General Note:
This letter is believed to be in the public domain under UK Crown Copyright
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:
185/30 J.A. ( Letter number )
MS 360895/01/02/26 ( CALM )
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Full Text
No. 185/30 J.A.

Office of Supdt., Archaeology Survey, Burma,
MANDALAY

The......8 th March 1915.

Dear Mr. Blagden,

In your article on the Pyu Inscriptions written
for the Epigraphia Indica,in discussing the dates of
certain Kings, you have assumed that the era of those dates
begun in 638 A.D. That era, which is called "Khachapanca",
or that of 560", originated at Pagan, and it is somewhat
doubtful whether it could have migrated to Prome. The Saka
era, which began in 78 A.D.,was recognized at Prome,and was
called the "Dodarasa", or that of 622 .

2. The Burmans reckon their era of Religion from
544 B.C. When this era had reached its 622nd year, it was
abolished, and the Saka era was adopted, xxxxxxx which began
in 78 A.D. Again, when the Saka era had reached its 560th
year, it was wiped out, and the prevailing vulgar era, which
began in 638 A.D., was adopted.

3. A description of the Indian eras is given at
page 95 of Barnetts Antiquities of India". There, mention
is made of the Chalukya Vikrama era, which began in 1075-
6 A.D. For the purposes of the Pyu Inscriptions, this era
will be too late.

4. The Vikrama era began in 58 B.C. "It appears to
have been started to commemorate some event in the career
of the Kushan King Kanishka, perhaps his coronation, or
(less probably) his traditional Buddhist Council" (page 42,
ibid)

5




5-

In calculating these Pyu dates, I think it is

for consideration whether we should adopt the Vikrama era,
which began in 58 B.C. or the Saka era,which began in 78
A.p. I am inclined to adopt the latter. In that case,an
interesting vista of enquiry is ox^ened to us, indieating
the intimate intercourse between Northern India and Prome,
as well as the extension of Kushan influence beyond the
borders of Eastern India.
Full Text