British Colonialism in Burma

1824-1948

British Colonialism in Burma

Location & Geography

Diverse – Trade, rich in resources, water accessKonbaung Dyansty: 1752-1885King AlaungpayaTaxes, irrigationRepels 4 Chinese invasions, subdues Laos and

SiamAggressively expansionistCultural dominance - MonIrrawaddy valley unifiedVarious capitals – moved by elephantWidespread literacy - ~50% in malesPortuguese trading posts

Burma Background

1785: Burma defeats Kingdom of Arakan

Capture famed Mahamuni Buddha statue: Made during Buddha’s lifetime

Tension in Arakan

Also conquered Manipur (1813) and Assam (1817)

Created a long, poorly-defined border with British India

Tension in Arakan

Burmese demanded slave labor from ArakanArakanese refugees cross border into British

IndiaContinued attacks on border states: Manipur

(ruler neglected to attend coronation) and Cachar (valuable base to attack Bengal)

Cachar seeks British assistanceBurmese raid Shapuree – an island near

Chittagong given to the East India Company – killing six guards

First Anglo-Burmese War

Longtime British policy of appeasement abandoned

War declared in 1824Burmese sack Chittagong, but fail to occupy

itBritish circumvent Western front, take

RangoonDisease and lack of supply thin British ranks“Denial operations”Rainy season – lull allows British to take

several provinces and Tenasserim coastAllows resupply, hospitals, reinforcements

First Anglo-Burmese War

Burmese try to retake Rangoon, but 5,000 British repel 30,000 Burmese

British retake Assam, cities up the IrrawaddyBurmese “agree” to Peace Treaty

Cede Assam and 3 other provinces, allow occupation of Southern Burma until reparations paid

Pay British East India Company 10 million rupees British ships remain armed in Burmese ports EIC administrators allowed into Burmese capital with 50-man

escortKing refuses to signBritish destroy remnants of Burmese army at BaganTreaty of Yandabo (1826)Unprofitable administration by EIC – considered

abandonment

First Anglo-Burmese War

British now the agressors1852 – Commodore George LambertSent to resolve minor issues leftover from Treat of

YandaboBurmese make concessions, remove problematic

govorner“Gunboat diplomacy”Blockades Rangoon, takes other portsDecide not to annex whole country (dubious

economics and difficulties of administration)Unilaterally annex province of PeguTurmoil in court: Mindon Min overthrows Pagan Min

SecondAnglo-Burmese War

Half-siblings: Same fatherMother was Hsibyumashin – ambitious queen (3rd

of 4)Supayalat: “Self-anointed queen” – sister’s

weddingMassacred 80-100 royal family members (denied

knowledge – may have been her mother/ministers)20 and 19 years old at time of ascensionReign lasted only seven yearsDerisively called “soup plate” by British soldiersCapture very similar to account in the “The Glass

Palace” (minus Dolly and Rajkumar of course)

King Thibaw and Queen Supayalat

Mandalay – Planned City

Mandalay – Planned City

Mandalay – Planned City

The King’s Royal Barge

King Thibaw’s on a boat – don’t you ever forget

Mandalay – Queen’s Room

Mandalay – King Mindon’s Tomb

King’s Guards

Thibaw’s Throne

The Moat

Succession Crisis (Thibaw) provokes withdrawal of British Resident, ending diplomatic relations

Burmese contacts with France – attempted to negotiate military alliance in Paris during “industrial fact-finding mission”

Boundary dispute – English form unilateral border commissionBurmese object but eventually consent

British pressure French to withdraw offer of a bank/railroad

Third Anglo-Burmese War

1885Burma imposes fine on Bombay Burmah Trading

Corporation for under-reporting teak harvest (as in book)

British demand Burma accept British arbitration, refused

Ultimatum: Accept new British Resident, all foreign relations through Britain, provide British with commercial assistance and monopolized trade access

Upon refusal, British decide to annex Burmese kingdom

Third Anglo-Burmese War

British knew little of interior – dense jungleUsed Irrawaddy Flotilla Company’s boats and

knowledge of interiorBurmese surprised, British advance rapidly up

IrrawaddyDefense Minister Kinwon Min Gyi U Kuang wanted

peace, told soldiers not to attack – only some obeyThibaw unpopular – massacre, poor managementBritish deception: Intended only to depose King

Brought a man to impersonate surviving royal (actual royal died in exile in India)

Third Anglo-Burmese War

As British approach capital, Thibaw surrenders (unlike book)

War lasts from 7-29 NovemberMany Burmese soldiers flee with weapons,

organize guerrilla resistance (especially as British reveal intention to permanently occupy Burma)

British sack capital, loot palace, exile Thibaw to India

In order to crush insurgency, British resorted to collective punishment: burning entire villages to punish insurgents and (perceived) supporters

Third Anglo-Burmese War

British Fleet at Pagan

British Arrive in Mandaly - 1885

Summer House – Place of Surrender

Stolen Ruby

Huge demand abroad for teak and riceEnvironment utterly ravagedFeudal-style system, Burmese farmers in debt

to Indian lenders, end up foreclosing/evictedRise of Anglo-Burmese intermarriage – new

“caste”Burmese excluded from military, civil postsBritish > Indians > Burmese

British Domination

Young Men’s Buddhist Associations (ironically modeled after YMCA) – political organizations banned, but religious ones okay

U Dhammaloka – Irish hobo turned monk– criticized English, Christians. Jailed twice.

New generations of English-educated Burmese begin to agitate for reform

1920s: Legislature with limited power, more autonomy within British India

Buddhist and student protests over taxes and education system escalate to national resurrection (Galon rebellion) in 1930 – repressed by tens of of thousands of British troops

Rumbling of Nationalism

1930 – We Burmans Association – Called themselves “thakin”, or master.

1936 – More student strikes as Rangoon University Students Union leaders are expelled for refusing to reveal identity of author of critical article

1937 – British separate Burma from India administratively, new constitution with larger role for assembly. May have been a ploy to insulate them from reforms in India

1938 – Oil workers strike becomes general strike. British police kill Rangoon University student, fire into crowd of monks, killing 17

Rumbling of Nationalism

Japanese invade, expel British administration in 1942Thai allies occupy half the country, battle ChineseJails and asylums emptiedShort-lived occupation – British retake by 1945, using

Indian troopsConsidered a “sideshow” – Japan held Burma until it

was irrelevant militarilyEconomic ruin, damage to infrastructure, and

Japanese-aided growth of independent administration spells end of colonial period

Independence in 1948

World War II