The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. XXIX, Part 1-2, 1936 - Khamkoo
The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. XXIX, Part 1-2, 1936 - Khamkoo
The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. XXIX, Part 1-2, 1936 - Khamkoo
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142 l\1~\'IEWR OF ll001{R [VOL. <strong>XXIX</strong><br />
Only <strong>the</strong> last chapter (written hy Lady Neott) Lren,ts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Burmese,<br />
as <strong>the</strong> idea <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> author wrts to limit his 1.\'0l·k to <strong>the</strong> races<br />
encircling Burma proper.<br />
We are thus treated to a lmleidoscopic 1·eviuw <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> peoples living<br />
to <strong>the</strong> east, north twd \vest. <strong>of</strong> Bunurt :-<strong>the</strong> " mg-bag <strong>of</strong> races;" <strong>the</strong><br />
Karen; <strong>the</strong> Bre; <strong>the</strong> Padaung with <strong>the</strong>ir stiff giraf-neckecl belles;<br />
<strong>the</strong> Shan; <strong>the</strong> Palaung; Kttchin; Chin, and, not to forget, <strong>the</strong> headhunting<br />
"wild " Wa.<br />
Most o£ what is tolcl here is already known fmm ''<strong>the</strong> Handbook,"<br />
but this time <strong>the</strong> det:~cription is spiced with Sir George's personal<br />
experiences and exploits from <strong>the</strong> time when <strong>the</strong> Shan States were<br />
brought under British control in <strong>the</strong> eighties <strong>of</strong> b:,;t century.<br />
On <strong>the</strong> very first page Sir George Scott asks " Who were <strong>the</strong><br />
ttutochthones clisposse;,;sed by <strong>the</strong> Burmese in <strong>the</strong> (:)th century B. 0. !"<br />
and he thinks <strong>the</strong>y were <strong>the</strong> Selu'ug or Proto-Maluy;,;. This may be<br />
correct, as it is now thought that <strong>the</strong> distant forefa<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
present l\Ialays came from Eastern '-l'ihet. 'l'he:,;e Proto-Malays may,<br />
however, have partly disposse;,;secl partly ab:,;orbed <strong>the</strong> .!Helanesoids,<br />
who are surmised to have been <strong>the</strong> population <strong>of</strong> Indochina in remote<br />
times. Ano<strong>the</strong>r erndit on Burmese matters, Mr. F. H. Giles (Phya<br />
Indra lYlontri), says as follows: "I think that <strong>the</strong> autochthones were<br />
<strong>the</strong> Riang, an ancient people who occupied most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Shan States<br />
prior to <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn march <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> '-l'hui. <strong>The</strong> Hiang are a Kha<br />
people <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> M6n-Khrner race. When <strong>the</strong> <strong>Siam</strong>ese ::;peak <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Kariangs,<br />
meaning <strong>the</strong> Karen, <strong>the</strong>y are speaking with <strong>the</strong> voice <strong>of</strong> racial<br />
memory. rrhese people were very important aud probably <strong>the</strong><br />
autochthones; <strong>the</strong>y are related to <strong>the</strong> Palaung."<br />
With regard to <strong>the</strong> Burmese .Mr. Giles sayc; :- " <strong>The</strong> Burmese,<br />
as a race, did not exist in <strong>the</strong> oth century B. C. '-!.'he people we<br />
call Burmese to-day are undoubtedly a mixture <strong>of</strong> many peoples and<br />
tribes. <strong>The</strong>ir language is HO undeveloped that it ir-; nJmost impossible<br />
to write a foreign word intelligibly in it. '-J'he Burmese language<br />
seems to lack all <strong>the</strong> elements <strong>of</strong> a cultured tongue. '-l'he Burmese<br />
are a composite people who would seem to have entered <strong>the</strong> realm <strong>of</strong><br />
civilization only about a thousand years ago. <strong>The</strong> Burmese came<br />
frol!l '-l'ibet and moving down from <strong>the</strong> 'l'ibetan plateau entered Bm·<br />
nm along <strong>the</strong> valleys o£ <strong>the</strong> Brahmaputra, <strong>the</strong> Chindwin and <strong>the</strong><br />
Irrawaddy rivers. <strong>The</strong>ir movements south must have occupied cen·<br />
turies. <strong>The</strong> Burmese call <strong>the</strong>mselves lVIyanrna and Bhama. Both