Location of Burma’s Great Army in the Thalang War

Abstract

Captain James Scott reported to John Macpherson Governor General President at Fort William on March 31, 1786: “...That the Burmans about the 20 January last assembled a fleet of prow and an army 16,000 men at the river Gra in latt 9.40 N and there established a place of arms. On the 4 February an advanced party took and burnt Popra. On the 8' th the van of their fleet appeared off Terruah bay when I sailed for this place,” (Light, 1786). On April 3, 1786, Captain Light reported to John Macpherson, “Captain Scott, Captain John Bemele informed me that the attack was carried out by '3000 of the Barmar army in 80 large Prows,” (Light, 1786). Captain Scott, the eyewitness, revealed the truth about the Burmese Invasion of Thalang under Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Si Sunthon era as follows: 1) 16,000 Burmese soldiers invaded Thalang, not 3,000 (from “Our Wars with the Burmese.”), 2) Burmese soldiers invaded the Tha Rua Bay, not Ban Takhian (from Report of the 2nd Thalang History Seminar 2539 B.E.,) and 3) on February 4, the Burmese army seized Pak Phra Than Nun Tha Chatchai, pausing the battle until February 8, and the place must be full of Burmese soldiers. If Phraya Tham Trai Lok had caught Thao Thep Kasattri on this battlefield, they could had been killed by the Burmese. Therefore, the "Pak Phra" in the Thao Thep Kasattri Chronicles is not "Pak Phra Tha Nun Tha Chatchai".