The King, on
hearing of their retreat from Bhamo, at first took measures for fortifying
his capital Pagan, and destroyed 6000 temples of various sizes to furnish
material. But after all he lost heart, and embarking with his treasure and
establishments on the Irawadi, fled down that river to Bassein in the
Delta. The Chinese continued the pursuit long past Pagan till they reached
the place now called Tarokmau or "Chinese Point," 30 miles below Prome.
Here they were forced by want of provisions to return. The Burmese Annals
place the abandonment of Pagan by the King in 1284, a most satisfactory
synchronism with the Chinese record. It is a notable point in Burmese
history, for it marked the fall of an ancient Dynasty which was speedily
followed by its extinction, and the abandonment of the capital. The King is
known in the Burmese Annals as Tarok-pye-Meng, "The King who fled from
the Tarok."[1]
In Dr. Mason's abstract of the Pegu Chronicle we find the notable
statement with reference to this period that "the Emperor of China, having
subjugated Pagan, his troops with the Burmese entered Pegu and invested
several cities."
We see that the Chinese Annals, as quoted, mention only the "capitale
primitive" Taikung, which I have little doubt Pauthier is right in
identifying with Tagaung, traditionally the most ancient royal city of
Burma, and the remains of which stand side by side with those of Old
Pagan, a later but still very ancient capital, on the east bank of the
Irawadi, in about lat.
