By Maung Tha (Archaeology)
IN MYANMAR history, Sayadaw Shin Dispramuk who held peace talks with Mongol King Kublai Khan in the late Bagan era was recognized as the most outstanding diplomat. After negotiating peace talks with the Mongol King who prepared marching to launch military operations to Bagan, the central Myanmar, the Sayadaw on his arrival back in Myanmar expressed stone inscriptions mentioning his successful diplomatic mission and posted the stone inscription on the platform of Mingala Pagoda in Bagan. At present, the stone inscription is showcased as stone post No 110 at Bagan Archaeological Museum for public observation.
Shin Dispramuk stone inscription is 166 centimetres high, 64.5 centimetres wide and 19 centimetres thick containing 52 lines of inscriptions. It has been famous as Shin Dithapamauk stone inscription. The stone inscription mentioned its date in 647 Myeikkatho year, starting the sentences on residing of Bagan king in Hlekya area, west of Pyay.
Myanmar Encyclopaedia mentioned Dispramuk was written in Pali related Sanskrit which means chief of teachers in four corners. The name Dispramuk was firstly found in No 33 stone inscription at Bagan museum, mentioning that the abbot paid homage by King Tayokpyay who evaded from danger of Chinese.
In late 13th century AD, Mongol troops attempted to invade the central Myanmar along Ayeyawady River. So, Bagan King Narathihapatae sent Sayadaw Shin Dispramuk to Dadu (now Beijing) of China to hold talks with Mongol King Kublai Khan. The diplomatic mission successfully negotiated peace between the two countries.
Background history
Two wars happened between Myanmar and China in 1277 AD. In the second war, Mongol troops marched into Ngahsaungchan and Kaungton and returned home in summer of 1278. In next six years, Mongol troops attacked Ngahsaungchan and Kaungsin again. On 9December 1283, Kaungsin fell under Mongol troops. Mongol General Yuan Shih-an guarded Kaungsin to stockpile rations. He sent geographical maps and military reports to King Kublai Khan.
After winning over Ngahsaungchan-Kaungsin war, Mongol troops sent two diplomats and summoned Myanmar side to surrender. Myanmar did not reply and then streamed down to Tagaung from Kaungsin along the Ayeyawady River and stationed in Tagaung (Thintwe). Mongol sent a monk to Myanmar for surrendering but Myanmar killed such monk. Senior Researcher U Yi Sein reviewed that killing the monk by Myanmar might be based on doubt that the person who arrived at Myanmar troops could not be identified as genuine monk or spy during the war.
Massive troops of Mongol attacked Myanmar troops in Tagaung, so Tagaung fell under Mongol on 5 February 1284. Mongol troops marched to Malei and occupied Tagaung and Malei where Mongol General Qadai and Major-General Butuman guarded the area with 5,000 troops.
It was seemed that Mongol troops might reach Ngasingu and formed the area from Kaungsin to Ngasingu as Mien (country) marching area called a branch of Yunnan Province. On 1 December 1284, Chang Wan was appointed as rebel summoning and combat officer of Mien (country) marching area. They targeted to march into the central Myanmar but delayed one year because they attacked Mao Shan troops who rebelled in Myanmar-China border.
During the period when King Narathihapatae resided in Hlekya area for about two years, Mongol troops did not attack Bagan. But, the king forecast they would surely attack Bagan at a time. So, King Narathihapatae decided to negotiate with Mongol King and sent Counsellor Ananta Pisi and Maha Po to Tagaung in November and December 1285. They sent a diplomatic letter to Mongol for suspending sending of Mongol troops to lower part of Myanmar from Tagaung before negotiating them.
Two Myanmar diplomats preliminarily held a negotiation with Mongol. They agreed to talk in Kaungsin in next two months. Ananta Pisi proposed that if King Kublai Khan agreed to the negotiation, a high ranking official from Myanmar would be sent to China.
Trip of Shin Dispramuk to China
When time was getting near to negotiation between Ananta Pisi and Maha Po of Myanmar and Mongol, 20,000 troops led by Susuttaki based in Tagaung for marching to the central Myanmar together with 70 members of the Sangha led by Sayadaw Ponnadhammika and Siri Dhammika. Some assumed that 70 monks would leave for Bagan for missionary. At that time, King Kublai Khan formed Mien chumg area and appointed Prince Susuttaki as governor on 3 March 1286. Mien chumg was centre of Myanmar at Bagan.
So, Ananta Pisi and Maha Po were seemed to submit a report to King Narathihapatae to send Shin Dispramuk to be able to ensure better negotiation with Mongol King, according to the research paper of U Yi Sein. Sayadaw Shin Dispramuk and party left for Tagaung via Thitseint and Hanlin. It was seemed that Mongol arrested the Sayadaw and party because they would be a team sent by the counsellors, not assigned by the king. Hence, King Narathihapatae sent a certificate of appointment for diplomat to Mongol.
The word spoken by King Narathihapatae “it shall not arrest diplomats” is still famous in diplomatic field till today. Such sentence was impressed on stone inscription of Shin Dispramuk. Members of the Sangha who also based in Tagaung together with Mongol for their missionary to Bagan requested Shin Dispramuk to urge King Kulbai Khan not to send Mongol troops to Bagan. In monsoon, the diplomatic team arrived in the city of Yunnan Province from Tagaung. They stayed in Yase during the Buddhist lent and then proceeded to China. They arrived in Dadu (Beijing) in late 1286. King Kublai Khan warmly welcomed the diplomatic team and disclosed the diplomatic teams had to be religious affairs, not be military affairs.
Clarifications of the Sayadaw
The record of senior researcher U Yi Sein mentioned the speech of the Sayadaw in meeting with King Kublai Khan.
Maharaja,
With regard to this war, will soldiers and monks (in central Myanmar) be alive only when they eat rice. Rice is source for prosperity of country, isn’t it? But, members of the Sangha left Nay Pyi Taw due to impact of war. There is no rice in the lack of growers. If soldiers eat toddy instead of rice, they will die of cholera. Members of the Sangha will not dare to enter Nay Pyi Taw and will move away and pass away when they see deaths of soldiers. If so, will Your Majesty king’s purpose meet the target? Gardener pours water at trees for growth but not cut plumules.
They aim to eat fruits. Please water Bagan called Tampadipa. Its Buddhism is noble although the country is small. Are you a man praying for Buddha as reward? If so, you should not destroy Sasana of Lord Gotama Buddha. Your Majesty has occupied many countries small and large. Bagan called Tampadipa is a small one. Buddhists to be adore Bagan due to flourishing of Buddhism. Your Majesty, please don’t send your troops to Bagan. We will grow crops.
After that, you come. King Kublai Khan, accepting the speech of Sayadaw, said the speech of Pandit was inclusive of my interest. So, you return home. Gather the people fleeing away to grow crops. When you finish, you send a messenger to me. That is why mission of the Sayadaw accomplished.
Round the trip took about one year. Sayadaw left Dadu in January 1286 and arrived back in Hlekya in April-May the same year. King Narathihapatae donated 800 pei of paddy farmlands, slaves and cows to the Sayadaw with satisfaction for the mission. The Sayadaw offered the donations of the king to Panputyat Pagoda dedicating to the three Noblest Gems of the Virtue World.
The stone inscription also mentioned that the queen donated timber and cash for nine prerequisites to the Sayadaw when the prayer hall of the pagoda was completed but monastery was not finished. Panputyat Pagoda is Bagan Mingala Pagoda, and the queen was assumed as Queen Saw, according to the researcher paper. King Narathihapatae was assassinated by his son governor of Pyay in 1287. So, Mongol from Yunnan region sought approval from King Kublai Khan to attack the central Myanmar but the King did not approve. However, Yunnan prince Asan Tamur and other princes attacked Bagan.
A total of 7,000 Mongol soldiers died in the battle. The diplomatic trip of Sayadaw Shin Dispramuk was documented as peace trip in both Myanmar and Chinese sides. Chinese side recorded preliminary meetings while Myanmar mentioned stone inscriptions on formal negotiation of discussions. Likewise, excellent diplomatic affairs and the best speeches of the Sayadaw mentioned in the Shin Dispramuk stone inscription become a record of Myanmar-China relations in which the researchers are especially interested.
(Translated by Than Tun Aung)
References: Myanmar Encyclopaedia Volume V Ancient Myanmar Stone Inscriptions Volume III (U Nyein Maung) Shin Dispramuk peace mission (U Yi Sein)
