During these two expeditions, the invaders had not
succeeded in breaking through the thick veil of numerous small thai
principalities which still stand to-day between Yun Nan and Burma proper.
It was only in 1283 that the final crush took place, when a third
expedition, whose chief was Siang-wu-ta-eul (Singtaur), retook the fort of
Kaung sin and penetrated more into the south in the Irawadi Valley, but
without reaching Pagan. King Narasihapati evacuated Pagan before the
impending advancing Chinese forces and fled to the Delta. In 1285 parleys
for the establishment of a Chinese Protectorship were begun; but in the
following year, King Narasihapati was poisoned at Prome by his own son
Sihasura. In 1287, a fourth Chinese expedition, with Prince Ye-sin Timur
at its head, reached at last Pagan, having suffered considerable
losses.... A fifth and last Chinese expedition took place during the
autumn of 1300 when the Chinese army went down the Irawadi Valley and
besieged Myin-Saing during the winter of 1300-1301. The Mongol officers of
the staff having been bribed the siege was raised." (Bul. Ecole
Extreme-Orient, Oct.-Dec., 1909, pp. 679-680; cf. also p. 651 n.)
Huber, p. 666 n., places the battle-field of Vochan in the Nam Ti
Valley; the Burmese never reached the plain of Yung Ch'ang.
LII., p. 106 n.
BURMA.
We shall resume from Chinese sources the history of the relations between
Burma and China:
1271. Embassy of Kublai to Mien asking for allegiance.
1273. New embassy of Kublai.
1275. Information supplied by A-kuo, chief of Zardandan.
1277. First Chinese Expedition against Mien - Battle of Nga-caung-khyam won
by Hu Tu.
1277. Second Chinese Expedition led by Nacr ed-Din.
1283. Third Chinese Expedition led by Prince Singtaur.
1287. Fourth Chinese Expedition led by Yisun Timur; capture of Pagan.
1300-1301. Fifth Chinese Expedition; siege of Myin-saing.
Cf. E. HUBER, Bul. Ecole franc. Ext. Orient, Oct.-Dec., 1909, pp.
633-680. - VISDELOU, Rev. Ext. Orient, II., pp. 72-88.
LIII.-LIV., pp. 106-108. "After leaving the Province of which I have been
speaking [Yung ch'ang] you come to a great Descent. In fact you ride for
two days and a half continually down hill.... After you have ridden those
two days and a half down hill, you find yourself in a province towards the
south which is pretty near India, and this province is called AMIEN. You
travel therein for fifteen days.... And when you have travelled those 15
days ... you arrive at the capital city of this Province of Mien, and it
also is called AMIEN...."
I owe the following valuable note to Mr. Herbert Allan OTTEWILL, H.M.'s
Vice-Consul at T'eng Yueh (11th October, 1908):
"The indications of the route are a great descent down which you ride
continually for two days and a half towards the south along the main route
to the capital city of Amien.
