Although after Mana Bandula's death, Scott writes in the mid 1880s about Mandalay.
He states that the outer suburbs housed over 100,000 people, being the traders and general population and that the wealth was in the hands of the Chinese and Moguls with whom the king was afraid to meddle.
He goes on to say, quote, "the grim-visaged Mogul, who could buy up half the town".
This is likely the case in other regions of Burma in earlier times too.
If this Mogul weath and trade centre existed as strongly back then through exporting vast amounts of products back to India, this could well have influneced and provided such a type of armour to Mana Bandula's court.
Just a little more food for thought :-)
Gav
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