Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/426

 360 FURTHER INDIA. BOOK VIII the Baubaugyi, Payagyi and Payama, attributed to the ?th and 8th centuries, are by de Beylie put down as 6th century certainly too early ; the square temple at Lemyet-hna, also at Prome, is ascribed to the Qth century, that is to say, long before the introduction of the southern school of Buddhism from Thaton. PAGAN. Practically the architectural History of Burma begins with the foundation of Pagan in the middle of the pth century, and as it was destroyed by the Chinese, or rather the Tartar army of Kublai Khan, in I284, 1 its glory lasted little more than four centuries. During that period, however, it was adorned by a very extensive series of monuments, most of which still remain in a state of very tolerable preservation. It will thus be observed that the rise and fall of Pagan are, as nearly as may be, coincident with that of Polonnaruwa, in Ceylon ; but the Burmese city seems to have excelled the Ceylonese capital both in the extent of its buildings and in their magnificence. Their differences, too, both in form and detail, are very remarkable, but, if properly investigated, would throw light on many religious and ethnographical problems that are now very obscure. The ruins of Pagan extend about 8 miles in length along the river, with an average breadth of about 2 miles, and within that space Colonel Yule estimates there may still be traced the remains of 800 or 1000 temples. Several of these are of great magnificence, and are kept in a state of repair ; but the bulk of them are in ruins, and the forms of the greater part hardly distinguishable. Of these, one of the most remarkable is the Ananda, built by Kyantsittha (1057-1085). As will be seen from the following plan (Woodcut No. 45 1 ), it is a square of nearly 200 ft. on each side, with projecting porticos on each face, so that it measures 280 ft. across each way. Like all the great pagodas of the city, it is several storeys in height, the two lower ones are square with square turrets at each end, the three above have seated lions at each angle, as shown in Plate XLI. The plan of these storeys, as also the base of the jikhara, follows that of the latter, being set back at the angles for reasons which have already been suggested. The .rikhara is crowned with the conical finial and Hti. The setting back of each storey one behind the other gives the whole a pyramidal form, which in this case rises to the height of 183 ft. 1 Yule's ' Marco Polo,' vol. ii. pp. 84, et scqq.