ХРОНОЛОГИЯ БИРМЫ КАК ПРИМЕР УДАЛЕНИЯ ДИНАСТИЧЕСКИХ ПАРАЛЛЕЛЕЙ В РАМКАХ ТРАДИЦИОННОЙ ИСТОРИОГРАФИИ

Abstract

The paper is a review of E.O. Berzin, Southeast Asia from ancient times to the 13th century, publishing house “Vostochnaya literatura” (Eastern literature), Moscow, 1995 (Russ. s [5]). Berzin discusses some arguments which support his hypothesis that the second dynasty of the Pagan Kingdom in Burma was a phantom copy of the fourth Pagan dynasty. He argues that both dynasties are in fact identical, together with some additional pairs of rulers of the Pagan Kingdom who do not fit these dynasties. As a result, he shortens the chronology of the Burma history (beginning in the 9th century BC) than can be constructed using the Chronicles of the Mirror Palace – written in the 19th century by using some earlier chronicles – by about 60%, or 1127 years. But even after that very radical cut, Berzin attempts to insert some additional 767 years of Burma history into his new chronology of Burma.

For obtaining an absolute chronology for these additional centuries, he uses Chinese chronicles which I showed to be of very little reliability. I also mention general criticism that can be put forward against the currently accepted version of Chinese chronology. The new chronology of Burma that results from Berzin’s work cannot be accepted as reliable. For example, if it was correct, the medium age of the sexual maturity among Burma rulers would have to be estimated at 32 or 33 years. I argue that this new chronology of Burma history must by shortened at least by another 50%.