226 M,4-U,8IzV DISTRICT
Originally part of Henzada and Rangoon, a new District, embracing
the present Ma-ubin District, and called 'after the village of Thongwa
near Ma-ubin, was formed in 1875. This area was divided, in conse-
quence of the rapid spread of cultivation and large increase in the
population, first in 1893 on the formation of Myaungmya District,
and again in 1903 when the District of Pyapon came into existence.
of Ma-ubin was substituted for that
At the last change the name
of Thongwa.
The population
176,ooo in 1881 ;
distribution in rgot
of the area now forming Ma-ubin District
216,930 in 1891 ; and 283,122 in 1gor.
is shown in the following table:-
-
was
Its
w 0
~._47 0c. 0 ?;
Township. m Number of â 0 m ç 1.' P`: ,Aro .
.m ~ âo ty ro 12 .0. .
Û.41d .+.=d .", z°~ t^roy i
ry
Ma-ubin 52 2 1 118 77, 792 149 + 58 21,8oo
Pantanaw . 483 1 92 62,374 129 + 29 16,416
Yandoon 331 1 81 57,923 175 _ 1 14,285
Danubyu . 305 1 127 85033 278 + 39 18,087
District total 1,641 4 418 1283,122 173 + 30 1 70,588
The chief towns are YANDOON and MA-UBIN, the District head-
quarters. ..fhe decrease of population in the Yandoon township
during the ten years ending igoi is largely due to a falling off in
the inhabitants of Yandoon town, the trade of which was killed
by the opening of the railway to Mandalay. Elsewhere the growth
during the decade in question has been conspicuous, being largely
due to the attractions presented by the rich delta areas to the in-
habitants of the poorer tracts farther north. The stream of immi-
gration flows mainly from the Districts of Magwe, Myingyan, Mandalay,
Pakokku, and from the Upper and Lower Chindwin. By far the
greater part of the population is Buddhist ; in igoi Musalmâns
numbered 3,5oo and Hindus 4,8oo. In all 200,000 of the population
spoke Burmese, and 70,000 Karen.
Between two-thirds and three-fourths of the population are Burmans;
of the balance the greater part is made up of Karens, who numbered
70,000 in 1gor, forming nearly half of the population of the Pantanaw
township, one-fourth of that of the Yandoon township, and a fifth
of that of the Ma-ubin township. Not quite 6o per cent. of the popu
lation is agricultural. Owing to territorial changes, it is not possible
to show from the census figures the occupations of the remainder,
most of whom are doubtless petty traders or fishermen.
The native Christian population in rgor numbered 5,1oo (mainly
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