{"id":3593,"date":"2025-10-29T12:14:04","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T12:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/?p=3593"},"modified":"2025-10-29T13:26:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T13:26:23","slug":"was-selangor-the-gateway-to-pagan-and-melaka-the-transit-point-to-pegu-rediscovering-the-bay-of-bengal-maritime-ties-of-burma-malaya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/2025\/10\/29\/was-selangor-the-gateway-to-pagan-and-melaka-the-transit-point-to-pegu-rediscovering-the-bay-of-bengal-maritime-ties-of-burma-malaya\/","title":{"rendered":"Was Selangor The Gateway to Pagan and Melaka The Transit Point to Pegu? Rediscovering the Bay of Bengal Maritime Ties of Burma-Malaya"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cThe Gateway to Pagan: Rediscovering the Maritime Ties of the Bay of Bengal\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Dr. Ko Ko Gyi @ Abdul Rahman Zafrudin | MMNN Editorial<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Few realize that the story of Pagan\u2019s grandeur is not confined to the Irrawaddy plains\u2014it stretches far across the Bay of Bengal, touching the shores of Malaya, India, and Sri Lanka. Recent reflections and historical fragments reveal a vibrant maritime network that once connected Melaka<\/strong>, Bago<\/strong>, Tanintharyi<\/strong>, and even the Pashu Peninsula<\/strong>, forming a forgotten corridor of cultural and commercial exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melaka: A Port of Many Peoples<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melaka\u2019s founding was not a singular Malay endeavor. It was a cosmopolitan port<\/strong>, shaped by Malays, Arabs, Indonesians, Dutch<\/strong>, and\u2014surprisingly\u2014Bago men<\/strong>. Historical accounts suggest that at least 20 ships from Bago<\/strong> regularly entered Melaka, indicating a robust bilateral trade. These voyages likely carried Mon textiles, Buddhist manuscripts, and coastal goods<\/strong>, while returning with spices, ceramics, and Islamic influences<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Alaungsithu\u2019s Voyage to the Pashu Peninsula<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Glass Palace Chronicle<\/em> records that King Alaungsithu of Pagan<\/strong> journeyed to the Pashu Peninsula<\/strong>\u2014a term believed to refer to the Bajau Malays<\/strong> of the southern Tanintharyi coast. This royal voyage, en route to Sri Lanka<\/strong>, underscores Pagan\u2019s diplomatic and religious outreach<\/strong> across the Indian Ocean. It also hints at early Malay settlements<\/strong> in lower Burma, possibly linked to the Bajau seafarers<\/strong> who navigated these waters long before colonial maps were drawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chola Empire\u2019s Maritime Shadow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A map of the Chola Empire<\/strong> reveals its reach across the entire Bay of Bengal coastline<\/strong>\u2014from Tamil Nadu to Burma, Malaya, and Indonesia. This was not mere conquest; it was a maritime cultural diffusion<\/strong>, where Tamil merchants, Buddhist pilgrims, and Hindu temple builders<\/strong> left their imprint. The Chola naval expeditions likely passed through Tanintharyi and Bago<\/strong>, reinforcing the idea that Burma\u2019s coast was part of a pan-Asian maritime highway<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPagan Gateway\u201d Reimagined<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term \u201c<\/strong>\u1015\u102f\u1002\u1036 \u1021\u101d\u1004\u103a\u1010\u1036\u1001\u102b\u1038\u201d (Gateway to Pagan)<\/strong> may not refer to a gate within Pagan itself, but rather to foreign ports like Melaka or Selangor<\/strong>, where travelers changed ships<\/strong> before heading inland. This poetic naming reflects Burmese maritime memory<\/strong>, recognizing distant harbors as symbolic thresholds to the kingdom\u2019s spiritual and economic heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion: A Call to Reconnect<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These fragments\u2014ships from Bago in Melaka, Alaungsithu\u2019s coastal diplomacy, and Chola imperial maps\u2014invite us to reimagine Pagan not as isolated<\/strong>, but as interwoven with the Indian Ocean world<\/strong>. MMNN encourages scholars, students, and storytellers to dig deeper into these maritime legacies<\/strong>, and to restore Burma\u2019s coastal history<\/strong> to its rightful place in the chronicles of Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rediscovering \u201cFukan Tuoluo\u201d as Pagan Dwara<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n