16. Myazedi and Rosetta Stone Inscriptions
Bagan stone inscriptions are the archives of Bagan history of over three centuries. They record contemporary events of the kings and people of those days. Among many stone inscriptions on display at the archaeological site museum in Bagan, there are some world renowned ones of which “Myazedi Stone Inscription” is the most focused of scholars of Bagan archaeology and culture. It is often compared to the Rosetta Stone Inscription of old Egypt.
Although Myazedi stone inscription and Rosetta stone inscription are too far apart in terms of land and culture and in terms of time, but in terms of their historic importance they have similarity. Myazedi stone inscription was dated 1112 AD or 474 Myanmar Era, whereas Rosetta stone inscription dated far back into BC 196. But just as the former is important archaeological evidence for the history of ancient Bagan, so also is the latter in regard to ancient history of Egypt.
Myazedi stone inscription was discovered near Myazedi Pagoda at Myinkaba Village to the south of ancient Bagan, so it is known by the name of that pagoda. There are two such inscriptions. The one on display at the Bagan Museum was discovered in 1886-87 by a German Pali scholar and Superintendent of the Epigraphic Office of the Indian Archaeology Survey, Dr. Charles Forchammar. The one which is now set up on the platform of Myazedi Pagoda was first discovered in the Ku Byauk Kyi Temple. It was broken in three pieces. These two inscriptions are identical and they were set up by Prince Rajakumar of Bagan period. Therefore, they are wellknown in Myanmar history as “Myazedi Stone Inscription” or “Ku Byauk Kyi Stone Inscription” or “Rajakumar Stone Inscription”.
The one on display in the museum is a square pillar of sand stone, five feet and eleven inches high, one foot and two inches wide, with the inscribed area of three feet and six inches. The one on the platform of Myazedi Pagoda has the two sides wider than the other two sides.
Rosetta stone inscription was discovered near an ancient town called Rosetta in the Nile Delta in Egypt. So, it is known by the name of that town. It is an inscribed black stone of lava type. During the battle of the Nile which Napoleon I of France fought in 1799, a French military officer discovered it. In 1801, when the British defeated the French and took over the ancient Egyptian seaport capital Alexandria, Rosetta stone inscription was taken to England. Now it is on display at the British museum, London. It measures three feet and nine inches high, two feet, four and a half inches wide and eleven inches thick. The upper portion and the right side corner are broken and broken pieces are still at large.
Myazedi inscribed pillar is quadrangle, each side bears an inscription in a different language. So, there are four languages namely Pali, Myanmar, Mon and Pyu. Rosetta stone has three languages, namely Hieroglyphics, Demotics and Greek. Myazedi stone inscription is one of the earliest stone inscriptions so far discovered in Bagan. Regarding Rosetta Stone inscription, it is not one of the oldest but it is one of the most important stone inscriptions for Egyptian history.
Because of Myazedi stone inscription, it is possible to decipher Pyu letters. Similarly, thanks to Rosetta stone inscription Hieroglyphics, ancient pictorial writings of Egypt could be read and interpreted. Previously Egyptian Hieroglyphics were enigma to the scholars. On Rosetta stone the same subject was recorded in three different languages. In deciphering Egyptian Hieroglyphics, clues were obtained from the other two languages. First by means of Greek letter, Demotics letters were deciphered. Secondly, be means of Demotics letters, Egyptian Hieroglyphics were gradually deciphered. The scholar who could first decipher Rosetta stone inscription was an English philologist named Thomas Young. He was able to pick out the word “Ptolemy” from Egyptian Hieroglyphics. But it was the French scholar named Jan Francios Champollion who could decipher the entire Hieroglyphics on Rosetta stone.
Myazedi stone inscription dated (1112 AD) was the work of Prince Rajakumar, the son of King Kyansittha (1084- 1112 AD). Rosetta stone inscription was dated BC 196 in the reign of Egyptian King Ptolemy. Myazedi stone inscription records Prince Rajakumar’s religious dedication whereas Rosetta stone inscription is a royal order on religious beliefs. So, both stone inscriptions deal with religious matter. But they provide us data contributory to our research on history, sociology, customs, traditions, philology and culture of time.
Kyanzittha, one famous knight-errant of King Anawrahta had a love affair with a girl named Thambula while he was hiding in a monastery because Anawrahta sent his warriors to arrest him on charge of disloyalty when Kyanzittha had to flee from the monastery, he gave his ruby ring to his pregnant wife saying “If a son is born, come to me with this ring as I would become king. If a daughter is born, sell this ruby ring and live a comfortable life.”
Myazedi stone inscription tells us that Prince Rajakumar was the son of King Kyanzittha and consort Thambula. When Kyanzittha ascended the throne, Thambula and son arrived at the court. Thambula was raised as queen “Uhsaukpan” and the son as Prince Rajakumar and lord of Seven Districts of Dannyawadi hill region. Since the King had chosen his grandson (by another queen) Alaungsithu to be his immediate successor to the throne, Prince Rajakumar could not become heir apparent. Though Prince Rajakumar missed the chance of succession, he harboured no grudge against his father but proved a good faithful son observing filial duties. When the father grew old and was about to die of ripe age, Prince Rajakumar made a gold Buddha image and enshrined it in Ku Byauk Kyi Pagoda and he also dedicated to that Pagoda three villages of farm labourers which his father gave him. It was a token of his love for his father and filial gratitude to his parents. In the presence of his father and Venerable head monks, Prince Rajakumar performed the religious rites whereby the merit of his religious dedication was shared with his father who became overwhelmed with joy and elation by exclaiming “Well done” three times.
The inscription also includes his wish, blessings and curse. Rajakumar prays that for that religious dedication he made in honour of his father, “May I attain Thabiññuta (Enlightenment of Buddhahood)”. Then he cursed, “Those who molest or persecute three villages of labourers dedicated to the Pagoda shall never see Metaya, the next Buddha.”
Myazedi stone inscription is the oldest Myanmar prose literature. Sentences are short and direct in meaning. Judging by the quadrangular nature of this inscription, one may safely say that there were four languages flourishing at Bagan of that time. The date of King Kyanzittha’s accession, reign and death were mentioned in the inscription. We can thus collaborate the dates of the accessions of King Anawrahta, Sawlu, and Alaungsithu. As the theme of the inscription was the fulfillment by the faithful son of his filial duty and gratitude to his father, we get from it a glimpse into parents-children’s social relations of that time, whereas Rosetta stone inscription provides us some data for our study of customs and beliefs of ancient Egypt.
Myazedi and Rosetta, the two stone inscriptions are world renowned.
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