Page:Provincial geographies of India (Volume 4).djvu/116

100 In the north he broke the Shan dominion, which had already disintegrated into many independent States, and subjugated the country as far as Bhamo. Thatôn and Pegu were taken and the Talaings reduced to subjection. Arakan, which had been invaded and for a few years held by Shans, became tributary. For some two centuries the Pagan kingdom flourished. Marco Polo (1272—90) mentions the King of Mien (Burma) as "a very puissant Prince, with much territory, treasure, and people." But the traveller saw these glories fade, this strength diminish. He describes a battle at Yungchang between the Burmese and Kublai Khan's army. The elephants on which the Burmese chiefly relied were thrown into confusion and put to flight by Tartar bowmen and the troops of the Great Khan won a signal victory. Somewhat later (1284), Pagan itself was taken and sacked and the Burmese kingdom was broken to pieces. The next half century witnessed the rise and fall of two Shan kingdoms, with capitals at Panya and Sagaing respectively, extending as far south as Prome.

In 1364 Burmese supremacy was restored by Thadomin who claimed descent from the ancient kings of Tagaung. He erected his capital at Ava and he and his successors conquered much of the country formerly ruled from Pagan, as far south as Prome but not including Pegu. Ava was perpetually embroiled with the Shans who still dominated the north; and for a time Shan kings from Mo-hnyin occupied the throne.

Meanwhile Pegu, after regaining its independence, was overrun by Wareru who had set up a new Talaing kingdom at Martaban which eventually tore Tavoy and Tenasserim from Siam. Later, in 1323, the capital was moved to Pegu. In the latter part of the 14th and first part of the 15th century Ava and Pegu were seldom at peace with each other.