岩城 高広

This paper discusses the administrative structure in the Salin region of central Burma through an investigation of source materials called sittan from the reign of King Bodawhpaya(r.1782-1819).One of the fundamental administrative units of Konbaung Burma was the myo. A myo in many cases was composed of a central town (myo-ma), secondary townships (also called myo), and villages (ywa). A hereditary local headman, thu-gyi, ruled each jurisdiction.' The sittans are replies made by these thu-gyis to the king's interrogations. A thy-gyi was required to submit a sittan before the king acknowledged his claim to the office. The sittans contain various information about the local society, such as the lineage of the thu-gyi, the boundaries and population under jurisdiction, and the customary fees and services. The collection of " Salin myo sittan" contains eighty-nine documents. Through the study of the contents of each sittan, the local administrative structure of the region canbe described as follows. While two myo-ma thu-gyis administered the Salin basin and the Mon basin respectively, other thu-gyis ruled myos and ywas. In addition, there were officials who discharged specific responsibilities, such as the supervision of irrigated lands and the collection of dues called taing-gyei. The Salin sittans report the headman's interests in local society, such as thu-gyi sa-myei, lands allotted to thu-gyis for their services, fees collected in judging disputes among villagers, and their share in the proceeds from the disposal of animals. In contrast, the sittans of Hanthawaddy region in southern Burma refer merely to the headman's claim to the office, and the boundaries and population under his jurisdiction. Thus, the author concludes that the headmen of the Salin region exercised greater authority in carrying out local administrative tasks and enjoyed more income than their counterparts in Hanthawaddy.