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The date on Mon
inscriptions is almost entirely quoted from Shorto (1971). I
have followed his periodization of Mon into Old Mon, Middle
Mon and Mon Modern Mon. However, seeing that Old Mon covers a
very long span of time: nine centuries, as opposed to one
century for Middle Mon and four centuries for Modern Mon, I
have subdivided the Old Mon period into several stages.
I
was aided in this by the distribution of the materials
themselves: Old Mon inscriptions came to us from several
geographically distinct kingdoms or states, which flourished
during periods which are also quite distinct. Whether and how
much these stages were linguistically differentiated is
difficult to tell, given the distortions caused by
orthography, and the scarcity of the materials. But, from what
linguists know about Mon-Khmer languages, and languages
general, it cannot be expected that the Old Mon spoken in the
6th century near Lopburi be indentical to that spoken in
Bassein in the 14th.
(A) Dvâravatî
Old Mon
This includes the Nakhon
Pathom and Lopburi
inscriptions, plus th new Khao Wong, Thap
Chumphon and Phanat Nikhom inscriptions. Yedhammâ,
Hub inscription.
(B) Chanasa Old Mon
This includes the three newly
found inscriptions from the North-East of Thailand: two from
Na Dun, one from Don Kaeo, plus the Ban Thalat inscription
from Laos.
(C) Thaton Old Mon
This includes Trâp(hailing
King Makuta as military leader) and
pandit(hailing King Makuta as religious leader) inscription at the Shewzayan pagoda,
Thaton, Kawgun Cave
inscription on the robe of a standing Buddha at Kawgun
cave,
Hpagat and it's parallel text on a carved stone at the
Shewzayan pagoda. And Kalyani incription
on a boundary pillar
at the NW. corner of the Kalyani Temple, Thaton.
(D) Kyanzittha Old Mon
This includes the Shwezigon
Pagoda incription, Pagan, Shwewsandaw Pagoda inscriptions,
Prome, inscription of Myagan tank, Pagan, Alanpagan
inscription, Myatheindan pagoda inscription,Pagan, Myathabeik
pagoda inscription, Thaton, Kyaiktč incription, Thaton,
Kyanzittha incription, Ananda or Nanda pagoda inscription,
Pagan, Myazedi incription, PaganPetleik pagoda inscription,
Pagan, Lokahteikpan incription and Kyauksč incription.
(E) Haripunjaya Old Mon
This includes the Wiang Mano
(Hang Dong) inscription, Wat Kukut inscription, and Wat
Ban Hlui inscription.
(F) Late Old Mon
This includes the Nyapinsâ
inscription, record of donation of slaves. at Pagan Museum.
And Thalu incsription, votive tablet from Bassein.
(G) Middle Mon
This includes the Kyaikmaraw
incription, Mahârâma monastery inscription, Pequ,
Kyauktainggan inscription, Pegu, Kyâk Pan/Kyaikpun
inscription, Pegu, Kalyani Temble inscription, Pegu, Kyaik
Lagon/Shwe Dagon inscription, Rangoon, Inscriptions of the
little Holy Land, Pegu, Kyaik Guih/Shwegugyi/Mahâbodhi tree
inscription, Pegu, Bhűmicankamanacetiya commemorating the
Buddha's walking up and down by the Nerańjarâ stream
inscription, Pegu, inscription of the Suppatitthacetiya
commemorating the Buddha's casting away Sujâtâ's dish at the
Suppatitthita ford, Pegu, Inscription commemorating the
Buddha's bathing in the Nerańjarâ steam, Pegu, inscription
of the Upakasamâgamacetiya, Pegu, inscription of the
Mucalindacetiya commemorating the Buddha's sojourn under the
Mucalinda tree, Pegu, inscription of the Ajapâlacetiya, Pegu,
inscription of the Ratanacankamana, Pegu, Shwehkwethmyaw
pagoda inscription, Pegu, inscriptions of the 33 stupas
attributed to King Sirimâsoka of Thaton, Hpaya-ywa
inscription at the Hpayagyi pagoda, Hpaya-ywa, Pegu district,
Hsutaungbyč inscription at the Hsutaungbyč pagoda,
Htandawgyi, Pegu district. Mokkhainggyi inscription at the
Mokkhainggyi pagoda, Mokkhaing, Pegu district, Zawgyigon
inscription at Zawgyigon, Pegu, Kyaik Mahtaw/Shwemawdaw
inscription on the east staircase ofthe Shwemawdaw pagoda,
Pegu, Kyaikkelatha inscription, Taungzun Thaton district,
Dhammathat inscription at the Dhammathat pagoda, Pegu, Monet
inscription at the Monet pagoda, Thčbyugyaung, Pegu,
Dhammathaik inscription at the Dhammathaik pagoda, Pegu. Dhammacetî's
inscripttions.
(H) Late Middle Mon
This includes the Martaban
Bell inscription, Vajranand copper plate in Vajranand Library,
Bangkok, Kyaikthanlan Bell incription, Bayinnaung Bell
incription
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