Pathein

Pathein, known to English traders as Bassein, is a port on the western side of the Irrawaddy delta. Its river opens towards the Bay of Bengal, giving ships from the west access to the waterways of Lower Burma. The city appears in a Sri Lankan inscription of 1165 under the name Kusima, and served the rulers of Pagan and Ava as a maritime outlet. Merchants knew it by several names, including Cosmin.

In the late fourteenth century Pathein and Myaungmya were held by Laukpya, ruler of the delta, against King Razadarit of Hanthawaddy. Razadarit's victory in 1390 brought the ports under his authority. Pathein continued as an important western harbour even after Pegu controlled Lower Burma. Its position allowed goods and travellers to move between the Bay of Bengal and the river routes leading into the interior.