Pagan Period
Following the Nanzhao raids, another Tibeto-Burman-speaking people called the Mranma (Burmans or Bamar), who had come down with the Nanzhao raids, began to settle the central Irrawaddy valley, near the confluence of the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers, en masse. The Burmans founded a small fortified city of Pagan (Bagan) c. 849, probably to help the Nanzhao pacify the surrounding country side. The early Pagan army consisted mainly of conscripts raised just prior to or during the times of war. The main weaponry of the infantry largely consisted of swords, spears and bow and arrows. The infantry units were supported by cavalry and elephantry corps. The Pagan army would later be known to the world for their war elephants as reported by Marco Polo.
Read more about this topic: Military History Of Burma
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