British Colonialism in Burma

1. British Colonialism in Burma 1824-1948

2. Location & Geography

3. Burma Background • Diverse – Trade, rich in resources, water access • KonbaungDyansty: 1752-1885 • King Alaungpaya • Taxes, irrigation • Repels 4 Chinese invasions, subdues Laos and Siam • Aggressively expansionist • Cultural dominance - Mon • Irrawaddy valley unified • Various capitals – moved by elephant • Widespread literacy - ~50% in males • Portuguese trading posts

4. Tension in Arakan • 1785: Burma defeats Kingdom of Arakan • Capture famed Mahamuni Buddha statue: Made during Buddha’s lifetime

5. Tension in Arakan • Also conquered Manipur (1813) and Assam (1817) • Created a long, poorly-defined border with British India

6. First Anglo-Burmese War • Burmese demanded slave labor from Arakan • Arakanese refugees cross border into British India • Continued attacks on border states: Manipur (ruler neglected to attend coronation) and Cachar (valuable base to attack Bengal) • Cachar seeks British assistance • Burmese raid Shapuree – an island near Chittagong given to the East India Company – killing six guards

7. First Anglo-Burmese War • Longtime British policy of appeasement abandoned • War declared in 1824 • Burmese sack Chittagong, but fail to occupy it • British circumvent Western front, take Rangoon • Disease and lack of supply thin British ranks • “Denial operations” • Rainy season – lull allows British to take several provinces and Tenasserim coast • Allows resupply, hospitals, reinforcements

8. First Anglo-Burmese War • Burmese try to retake Rangoon, but 5,000 British repel 30,000 Burmese • British retake Assam, cities up the Irrawaddy • Burmese “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 escort • King refuses to sign • British destroy remnants of Burmese army at Bagan • Treaty of Yandabo (1826) • Unprofitable administration by EIC – considered abandonment

9. SecondAnglo-Burmese War • British now the agressors • 1852 – Commodore George Lambert • Sent to resolve minor issues leftover from Treat of Yandabo • Burmese make concessions, remove problematic govorner • “Gunboat diplomacy” • Blockades Rangoon, takes other ports • Decide not to annex whole country (dubious economics and difficulties of administration) • Unilaterally annex province of Pegu • Turmoil in court: Mindon Min overthrows Pagan Min

10. King Thibaw and Queen Supayalat • Half-siblings: Same father • Mother was Hsibyumashin – ambitious queen (3rd of 4) • Supayalat: “Self-anointed queen” – sister’s wedding • Massacred 80-100 royal family members (denied knowledge – may have been her mother/ministers) • 20 and 19 years old at time of ascension • Reign lasted only seven years • Derisively called “soup plate” by British soldiers • Capture very similar to account in the “The Glass Palace” (minus Dolly and Rajkumar of course)

11. Mandalay – Planned City

12. Mandalay – Planned City

13. Mandalay – Planned City

14. The King’s Royal Barge King Thibaw’s on a boat – don’t you ever forget

15. Mandalay – Queen’s Room

16. Mandalay – King Mindon’s Tomb

17. King’s Guards

18. Thibaw’s Throne

19. The Moat

20. Third Anglo-Burmese War • 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 commission • Burmese object but eventually consent • British pressure French to withdraw offer of a bank/railroad

21. Third Anglo-Burmese War • 1885 • Burma 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

22. Third Anglo-Burmese War • British knew little of interior – dense jungle • Used Irrawaddy Flotilla Company’s boats and knowledge of interior • Burmese surprised, British advance rapidly up Irrawaddy • Defense Minister Kinwon Min Gyi U Kuang wanted peace, told soldiers not to attack – only some obey • Thibaw unpopular – massacre, poor management • British deception: Intended only to depose King • Brought a man to impersonate surviving royal (actual royal died in exile in India)

23. Third Anglo-Burmese War • As British approach capital, Thibaw surrenders (unlike book) • War lasts from 7-29 November • Many 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

24. British Fleet at Pagan

25. British Arrive in Mandaly - 1885

26. Summer House – Place of Surrender

27. Stolen Ruby

28. British Domination • Huge demand abroad for teak and rice • Environment utterly ravaged • Feudal-style system, Burmese farmers in debt to Indian lenders, end up foreclosing/evicted • Rise of Anglo-Burmese intermarriage – new “caste” • Burmese excluded from military, civil posts • British > Indians > Burmese

29. Rumbling of Nationalism • Young Men’s Buddhist Associations (ironically modeled after YMCA) – political organizations banned, but religious ones okay • U Dhammaloka–Irishhoboturnedmonk–criticized English, Christians. Jailedtwice. • 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

30. 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

31. World War II • Japanese invade, expel British administration in 1942 • Thai allies occupy half the country, battle Chinese • Jails and asylums emptied • Short-lived occupation – British retake by 1945, using Indian troops • Considered a “sideshow” – Japan held Burma until it was irrelevant militarily • Economic ruin, damage to infrastructure, and Japanese-aided growth of independent administration spells end of colonial period • Independence in 1948