The New International Encyclopædia/Pegu (capital)

PEGU. The capital of a division of Southern Burma, on the Pegu River, at its confluence with the Irrawaddy, 40 miles northeast of Rangoon (Map: Burma, C 3). Before its destruction by Alompsa in 1757 it was a large and fine city, said to have had over 100,000 inhabitants. Its population is now about 12,000. It contains a number of interesting pagodas, a colossal recumbent figure of Buddha, and many ancient relics.