ate massacre and
delivered temples, monasteries and libraries to the flames. The
persecution did not last long nor extend to other districts but it
created great indignation among the Burmese and was perhaps one of the
reasons why the Shan dynasty of Ava was overthrown in 1555.

Bayin (or Bureng) Naung stands out as one of the greatest
personalities in Burmese history. As a Buddhist he was zealous even to
intolerance, since he forced the Shans and Moslims of the northern
districts, and indeed all his subjects, to make a formal profession of
Buddhism. He also, as related elsewhere, made not very successful
attempts to obtain the tooth relic from Ceylon. But it is probable
that his active patronage of the faith, as shown in the construction
and endowment of religious buildings, was exercised chiefly in Pegu
and this must be the reason why the Sasanavamsa (which is
interested chiefly in Upper Burma) says little about him.

His successors showed little political capacity but encouraged
religion and literature. The study of the Abhidhamma was specially
flourishing in the districts of Ava and Sagaing from about 1600 to
1650 and found many illustrious exponents. Besides works in Pali, the
writers of this time produced numerous Burmese translations and
paraphrases of Abhidhamma works, as well as edifying stories.

In the latter part of the seventeenth century Burma was in a disturbed
condition and the Sasanavamsa says that religion was dimmed as the
moon by clouds. A national and religious revival came with the
victories of Alompra (1752 onwards), but the eighteenth century also
witnessed the rise of a curious and not very edifying controversy
which divided the Sangha for about a hundred years and spread to
Ceylon.[162] It concerned the manner in which the upper robe of a
monk, consisting of a long piece of cloth, should be worn. The old
practice in Burma was to wrap this cloth round the lower body from the
loins to the ankles, and draw the end from the back over the left
shoulder and thence across the breast over the right shoulder so that
it finally hung loose behind. But about 1698 began the custom of
walking with the right shoulder bare, that is to say letting the end
of the robe fall down in front on the left side. The Sangha became
divided into two factions known as _Ekamsika_ (one-shouldered) and
_Parupana_ (fully clad). The bitterness of the seemingly trivial
controversy was increased by the fact that the Ekamsikas c