Although Arakan kings paid tribute to the Pagan dynasty, the South was mostly free of Pagan suzerainty and largely cut off from the rest of Burma. Separated from Pagan by the Arakan Mountains, Arakan developed more independently to other Burmese regions. its capital moved from Thaibeiktaung to Dinnyawadi to Vesali before the 11th century, and then to Pyinsa, Parin, and Hkrit in the 12th century, with the capital moving to Pyinsa again in 1180, and then Launggyet in 1237.[5] Arakan had close contact with Bengal, coming into full contact with it as it was expanding eastwards.