Burmese Sketches - Khamkoo

CHAPTER II -PHILOLOGY,
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE
BURMESE ALPHABET.
Prior to the nth century A.D., the lapidary art appears
to have been unknown at Pagan, for no stone Inscriptions
antedating the rise of Anawrata have been found. This has
created a belief among writers on Burma that, before the conquest
of Thaton by Anawrata, the Burmese did not possess an
alphabet, and much less a literature. Such a belief has, however,
been refuted by the researches recently made into the
origin and development of the Burmese alphabet, and the
broad facts elicited may be summarised as follows
^rd century A,D.—Burma was conquered by the Kingdom
of Shu, one of the three kingdoms into which China was then
divided ; and she became tributary to China.
^th century A. D.—The Mafidydnist form of Buddhism
was introduced into Burma by Chinese missionaries, who taught
it in Chinese. No Chinese epigraphic remains have, so far,
been discovered, with the single exception of the Chinese
inscription set up by the Mongols at Pagan in the 13th century
A.D.
^th'Oth centuries AD,— The Chinese of the South were
engaged In an incessant struggle with the Tartars of the
North, and Chinese control and influence became considerably
weakened, and Burma escaped from the thraldom of Chinese
hieroglyphs and Ideographs. The Indian form of Mahdydnism
was introduced by Indian missionaries from Northern
and Eastern India, who taught it In Sanskrit, using the alphabet
of the Gupta period.
jth'Sth centuries A,D,— In 6-2 AD., under the auspices
of King Srongtsan Gampo, the Tibetan alphabet was invented
on the basis of the Lanca letters, a variety of the Gupta
character, and an active religious propaganda was pursued.
In the 8th century, Nanchao, the Shan Kingdom of Talifu,
annexed Burma, and became a medium of communication
between Tibet and Burma ; and Tibetan religious Influences
penetrated Into Pagan.
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