Anglo-Burmese Wars - Revision history

DrshivambjpIND at 02:38, 19 January 2026

2026-01-19T02:38:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:08, 19 January 2026
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	{{Short description\|~~List~~ of ~~three~~ Burmese ~~Wars or~~ Anglo-Burmese ~~Wars~~}}		{{Short description\|Three wars between Britain and Burma}}
			{{Infobox military conflict
			\| conflict = Anglo-Burmese Wars
			\| place = [[Burma]], [[East Bengal]], [[Assam]], [[Manipur]], [[Cachar]] and [[Jaintia Kingdom\|Jaintia]]
			\| caption = Photograph of surrender of the Burmese Army, 3rd Anglo-Burmese War
			\| image = Third anglo-burmese war.jpg
			\| partof = [[European colonization of Southeast Asia]]
			\| date = [[First Anglo-Burmese War\|5 March 1824]] – [[Third Anglo-Burmese War\|29 November 1885]]
			\| result = British victory
			* End of the [[Konbaung dynasty]]
			* Start of [[British rule in Burma]]
			* Beginning of [[Burmese resistance movement 1885–1895\|Burmese resistance]]
			\| territory = All territories of the Konbaung dynasty annexed into [[British Raj\|British India]]
			\| combatants_header = Belligerents
			\| combatant1 = {{flagcountry\|United Kingdom of Great Britain}}
			* {{flag\|East India Company}} (until 1858)
			* {{flagcountry\|Indian Empire}} (from 1858)
			'''Co-belligerent:'''<br>{{flagcountry\|Rattanakosin Kingdom}} (until 1826)
			\| combatant2 = {{flagcountry\|Konbaung dynasty}}
			* [[Shan States]]
			\| commander1 = {{flagicon\|UKGBI}} [[Henry Godwin (Army officer)\|Henry Godwin]]<br>{{flagicon\|UKGBI}} [[Garnet Wolseley]]<br>{{flagicon\|British Raj}} [[Harry Prendergast]]<br>{{flagicon\|East India Company}} [[William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst\|William Amherst]]<br>{{flagicon\|UKGBI}} [[Sir Edward Paget\|Edward Paget]]<br>{{flagicon\|UKGBI}} [[Sir Archibald Campbell, 1st Baronet\|Archibald Campbell]]<br>{{flagicon\|UKGBI}} [[Joseph Wanton Morrison\|Joseph Morrison]]{{natural causes}}<br>'''Co-belligerent:'''<br>{{flagicon\|Rattanakosin Kingdom}} [[Rama III]]<br>{{flagicon\|Rattanakosin Kingdom}} [[Chaophraya Mahayotha]]<br>{{flagicon\|Rattanakosin Kingdom}} Phraya Surasena<br>{{flagicon\|Rattanakosin Kingdom}} Phraya Chumphon
			\| commander2 = {{flagicon\|Konbaung dynasty}} [[Bagyidaw]]<br>{{flagicon\|Konbaung dynasty}} [[Thibaw Min]]{{POW}}<br>{{flagicon\|Konbaung Dynasty}} [[Pagan Min]]<br>{{flagicon\|Konbaung dynasty\|war}} Maung Gyi<br>{{flagicon\|Konbaung dynasty\|war}} Kyauk Lon<br>{{flagicon\|Konbaung dynasty\|war}} [[Maha Bandula]]{{KIA}}<br>{{flagicon\|Konbaung dynasty\|war}} [[Maha Ne Myo]]{{KIA}}<br>{{flagdeco\|Konbaung dynasty\|war}} [[Myawaddy Mingyi U Sa\|Myawaddy U Sa]]<br>{{flagicon\|Konbaung dynasty\|war}} [[Minkyaw Zeya Thura\|Minkyaw Thura]]
			\| units1 = {{flagicon\|East India Company}} [[Presidency armies]] <br> {{flagicon\|United Kingdom}} [[British Army\|Royal Regiments]]<br/>'''Co-belligerent:'''<br/>{{flagicon\|Rattanakosin Kingdom}} [[Royal Siamese Army]]
			\| units2 = {{flagicon\|Konbaung dynasty\|war}} [[Royal Burmese armed forces]]
			* [[Shan States\|Shan Levies]]
			\| strength1 = Around 80,000 to 100,000 (including Siamese)
			\| strength2 = 40,000 at full strength with allies, 20,000 by end of Third Anglo-Burmese War
			\| casualties1 = Heavy, 3,000 killed in action, 10,000 wounded, 20,000 died from disease
			\| casualties2 = Very Heavy, Over 20,000 casualties, entire generation of fighting men destroyed
			}}
	{{History of Burma}}		{{History of Burma}}
	The Anglo-Burmese Wars were ~~a clash~~ between two expanding empires, the [[British Empire]] and the [[Konbaung dynasty~~\|Konbaung Dynasty~~]], that became [[British Raj\|British ~~India~~]]‘s most expensive and longest war, costing 5–13 million pounds sterling (£400 million – £1.1 billion as of 2019) and spanning over 60 years. There were three ~~'''Burmese Wars''' or '''Anglo-Burmese Wars''':~~		The '''Anglo-Burmese Wars''', also known as the '''Indo-Burmese Wars''',<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Banerji \|first=Sures Chandra \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9DNuAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Indo-Burmese+Wars%22 \|title=Cultural Reciprocation Between India and the World \|date=1999 \|publisher=Sharada Publishing House \|isbn=978-81-85616-59-9 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0IA7AQAAIAAJ&q=%22Indo-Burmese+Wars%22 \|title=Geographical Review of India \|date=1976 \|publisher=Geographical Society of India \|language=en}}</ref> were an armed conflict between two expanding empires, the [[British Empire]] and the [[Konbaung dynasty]], that became [[British Raj\|British Indian Empire]]'s most expensive and longest war, costing 5–13 million pounds sterling (£400 million – £1.1 billion as of 2019) and spanning over 60 years. There were three of these wars between 1824 to 1885.<ref name="san">[http://www.san.beck.org/20-8-BurmaMalaya1800-1950.html#a1/ San Beck Org.]</ref>

	* [[First Anglo-Burmese War]] (1824 to ~~1826)~~<ref name=san>[http://www.san.beck.org/20-8-BurmaMalaya1800-1950.html#a1/ San Beck Org.]</ref>
	* [[Second Anglo-Burmese War]] (1852 to 1853)
	* [[Third Anglo-Burmese War]] (1885)

	==Chronology==		==Chronology==
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	===First Anglo-Burmese War===		===First Anglo-Burmese War===
	{{Main\|First Anglo-Burmese War}}		{{Main\|First Anglo-Burmese War}}
	The [[First Anglo-Burmese War]] (1824–1826) ended in a British East India Company victory, and by the [[Treaty of Yandabo]], Burma lost territory previously conquered in [[Assam]], [[Manipur]], and [[Rakhine State\|Arakan]].<ref name=app>{{cite book \| title=History of Burma \| author=Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. Phayre \| year=1967 \| pages=236–247 \| edition=2 \| publisher=Susil Gupta \| location=London}}</ref> The British also took possession of Tenasserim with the intention to use it as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with either Burma or [[Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)\|Siam]].<ref name="Hall">{{cite book\|url=http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/Burma/bur_history.pdf \|author=D.G.E. Hall \|author-link=D.G.E. Hall \|year=1960 \|title=Burma \|publisher=Hutchinson University Library \|pages=109–113 \|url-status=dead \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050519230755/http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/Burma/bur_history.pdf \|archivedate=2005-05-19 }}</ref> As the century wore on, the British East India Company began to covet the resources and main part of Burma during an era of great territorial expansion.<ref name=apt>{{cite book \| title=The River of Lost Footsteps \| author=Thant Myint-U \| year=2008 \|pages=113–127 \| edition=1 paperback \| publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux \| location=USA}}</ref>		The [[First Anglo-Burmese War]] (1824–1826) ended in a British East India Company victory, and by the [[Treaty of Yandabo]], Burma lost territory previously conquered in [[Assam]], [[Manipur]], and [[Rakhine State\|Arakan]].<ref name=app>{{cite book \| title=History of Burma \| author=Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. Phayre \| year=1967 \| pages=236–247 \| edition=2 \| publisher=Susil Gupta \| location=London}}</ref> The British also took possession of [[Tanintharyi Region\|Tenasserim]] with the intention to use it as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with either Burma or [[Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)\|Siam]].<ref name="Hall">{{cite book\|url=http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/Burma/bur_history.pdf \|author=D.G.E. Hall \|author-link=D.G.E. Hall \|year=1960 \|title=Burma \|publisher=Hutchinson University Library \|pages=109–113 \|url-status=dead \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050519230755/http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/Burma/bur_history.pdf \|archivedate=2005-05-19 }}</ref> As the century wore on, the British East India Company began to covet the resources and main part of Burma during an era of great territorial expansion.<ref name=apt>{{cite book \| title=The River of Lost Footsteps \| author=Thant Myint-U \| year=2008 \|pages=113–127 \| edition=1 paperback \| publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux \| location=USA}}</ref>

	===Second Anglo-Burmese War===		===Second Anglo-Burmese War===
	{{Main\|Second Anglo-Burmese War}}		{{Main\|Second Anglo-Burmese War}}

	In 1852, Commodore Lambert was dispatched to Burma by [[James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie\|Lord Dalhousie]] over a number of minor issues related to the previous treaty.<ref name=app/>		In 1852, Commodore Lambert was dispatched to Burma by [[James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie\|Lord Dalhousie]] over a number of minor issues related to the previous treaty.<ref name=app/>
	The Burmese immediately made concessions including the removal of a governor whom the British had made their ''[[casus belli]]''. Lambert eventually provoked a naval confrontation in extremely questionable circumstances and thus started the [[Second Anglo-Burmese War]] in 1852, which ended in the British annexation of [[Bago Region\|Pegu province]],<ref name=san/> renamed [[Lower Myanmar\|Lower Burma]]. The war resulted in a palace revolution in Burma, with King [[Pagan Min]] (1846–1853) being replaced by his half brother, [[Mindon Min]] (1853–1878).<ref name=app/>		The Burmese immediately made concessions including the removal of a governor whom the British had made their ''[[casus belli]]''. Lambert eventually provoked a naval confrontation in extremely questionable circumstances and thus started the [[Second Anglo-Burmese War]] in 1852, which ended in the British annexation of [[Bago Region\|Pegu province]],<ref name=san/> renamed [[Lower Myanmar\|Lower Burma]]. The war resulted in a palace revolution in Burma, with King [[Pagan Min]] (1846–1853) being replaced by his half brother, [[Mindon Min]] (1853–1878).<ref name=app/>
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	===Third Anglo-Burmese War===		===Third Anglo-Burmese War===
	{{Main\|Third Anglo-Burmese War}}		{{Main\|Third Anglo-Burmese War}}

	King Mindon tried to modernise the Burmese state and economy to ensure its independence, and he established a new capital at [[Mandalay]], which he proceeded to fortify.<ref name=san/><ref name=egle>[http://www.e-gli.com/thibaw-min/ German Language Institute] {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103220416/http://www.e-gli.com/thibaw-min/ \|date=2015-01-03 }}</ref> These efforts would eventually prove unsuccessful, however, when the British claimed that Mindon's son [[Thibaw Min]] (ruled 1878–1885) was a tyrant intending to side with the [[French Third Republic\|French]],<ref name=enotes>[http://www.enotes.com/topic/Thibaw_Min www.enotes.com]</ref> that he had lost control of the country, thus allowing for disorder at the frontiers, and that he was reneging on a treaty signed by his father.<ref name=san/> The British declared war once again in 1885, conquering the remainder of the country in the [[Third Anglo-Burmese War]] resulting in total annexation of Burma.<ref name=san/><ref name=app3>{{cite book \| title=The River of Lost Footsteps \| author=Thant Myint-U \| year=2008 \|pages=161–162 + photo \| edition=1 paperback \| publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux \| location=USA}}</ref>		King Mindon tried to modernise the Burmese state and economy to ensure its independence, and he established a new capital at [[Mandalay]], which he proceeded to fortify.<ref name=san/><ref name=egle>[http://www.e-gli.com/thibaw-min/ German Language Institute] {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103220416/http://www.e-gli.com/thibaw-min/ \|date=2015-01-03 }}</ref> These efforts would eventually prove unsuccessful, however, when the British claimed that Mindon's son [[Thibaw Min]] (ruled 1878–1885) was a tyrant intending to side with the [[French Third Republic\|French]],<ref name=enotes>[http://www.enotes.com/topic/Thibaw_Min www.enotes.com]</ref> that he had lost control of the country, thus allowing for disorder at the frontiers, and that he was reneging on a treaty signed by his father.<ref name=san/> The British declared war once again in 1885, conquering the remainder of the country in the [[Third Anglo-Burmese War]] resulting in total annexation of Burma.<ref name=san/><ref name=app3>{{cite book \| title=The River of Lost Footsteps \| author=Thant Myint-U \| year=2008 \|pages=161–162 + photo \| edition=1 paperback \| publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux \| location=USA}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==
	* [[Burma ~~campaign~~]] (World War II)		* [[Japanese invasion of Burma]] (during World War II)

	==References==		==References==

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article

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{{Short description|List of three Burmese Wars or Anglo-Burmese Wars}}
{{History of Burma}}
The Anglo-Burmese Wars were a clash between two expanding empires, the [[British Empire]] and the [[Konbaung dynasty|Konbaung Dynasty]], that became [[British Raj|British India]]‘s most expensive and longest war, costing 5–13 million pounds sterling (£400 million – £1.1 billion as of 2019) and spanning over 60 years. There were three '''Burmese Wars''' or '''Anglo-Burmese Wars''':

* [[First Anglo-Burmese War]] (1824 to 1826)<ref name=san>[http://www.san.beck.org/20-8-BurmaMalaya1800-1950.html#a1/ San Beck Org.]</ref>
* [[Second Anglo-Burmese War]] (1852 to 1853)
* [[Third Anglo-Burmese War]] (1885)

==Chronology==
The expansion of Burma (present-day [[Myanmar]]) under the [[Konbaung dynasty]] had consequences along its frontiers. As those frontiers moved ever closer to the [[British Empire|British]] [[East India Company]] and later [[British Raj|British India]], there were problems both with refugees and military operations spilling over ill-defined borders.<ref name=san/>

===First Anglo-Burmese War===
{{Main|First Anglo-Burmese War}}
The [[First Anglo-Burmese War]] (1824–1826) ended in a British East India Company victory, and by the [[Treaty of Yandabo]], Burma lost territory previously conquered in [[Assam]], [[Manipur]], and [[Rakhine State|Arakan]].<ref name=app>{{cite book | title=History of Burma | author=Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur P. Phayre | year=1967 | pages=236–247 | edition=2 | publisher=Susil Gupta | location=London}}</ref> The British also took possession of Tenasserim with the intention to use it as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with either Burma or [[Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)|Siam]].<ref name="Hall">{{cite book|url=http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/Burma/bur_history.pdf |author=D.G.E. Hall |author-link=D.G.E. Hall |year=1960 |title=Burma |publisher=Hutchinson University Library |pages=109–113 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050519230755/http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/Burma/bur_history.pdf |archivedate=2005-05-19 }}</ref> As the century wore on, the British East India Company began to covet the resources and main part of Burma during an era of great territorial expansion.<ref name=apt>{{cite book | title=The River of Lost Footsteps | author=Thant Myint-U | year=2008 |pages=113–127 | edition=1 paperback | publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux | location=USA}}</ref>

===Second Anglo-Burmese War===
{{Main|Second Anglo-Burmese War}}
In 1852, Commodore Lambert was dispatched to Burma by [[James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie|Lord Dalhousie]] over a number of minor issues related to the previous treaty.<ref name=app/>
The Burmese immediately made concessions including the removal of a governor whom the British had made their ''[[casus belli]]''. Lambert eventually provoked a naval confrontation in extremely questionable circumstances and thus started the [[Second Anglo-Burmese War]] in 1852, which ended in the British annexation of [[Bago Region|Pegu province]],<ref name=san/> renamed [[Lower Myanmar|Lower Burma]]. The war resulted in a palace revolution in Burma, with King [[Pagan Min]] (1846–1853) being replaced by his half brother, [[Mindon Min]] (1853–1878).<ref name=app/>

===Third Anglo-Burmese War===
{{Main|Third Anglo-Burmese War}}
King Mindon tried to modernise the Burmese state and economy to ensure its independence, and he established a new capital at [[Mandalay]], which he proceeded to fortify.<ref name=san/><ref name=egle>[http://www.e-gli.com/thibaw-min/ German Language Institute] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103220416/http://www.e-gli.com/thibaw-min/ |date=2015-01-03 }}</ref> These efforts would eventually prove unsuccessful, however, when the British claimed that Mindon's son [[Thibaw Min]] (ruled 1878–1885) was a tyrant intending to side with the [[French Third Republic|French]],<ref name=enotes>[http://www.enotes.com/topic/Thibaw_Min www.enotes.com]</ref> that he had lost control of the country, thus allowing for disorder at the frontiers, and that he was reneging on a treaty signed by his father.<ref name=san/> The British declared war once again in 1885, conquering the remainder of the country in the [[Third Anglo-Burmese War]] resulting in total annexation of Burma.<ref name=san/><ref name=app3>{{cite book | title=The River of Lost Footsteps | author=Thant Myint-U | year=2008 |pages=161–162 + photo | edition=1 paperback | publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux | location=USA}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Burma campaign]] (World War II)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Aung, Htin. ''The Stricken Peacock: Anglo-Burmese Relations 1752–1948'' (Springer Science & Business Media, 2013).
* Bruce, George. ''The Burma Wars, 1824–1886'' (1973).
* Gupta, AshwAni. ''Military Lessons of Burma'' (2015).
* Messenger, Charles, ed. ''Reader's Guide to Military History'' (2001) pp 73–74.
* Pollak, Oliver B. ''Empires in Collision: Anglo-Burmese Relations in the Mid-Nineteenth Century'' (1980)
* Stewart, A.T.Q. ''Pagoda War: Lord Dufferin and the Fall of the Kingdom of Ava, 1885-186O'' (1972)
* Tarling, Nicholas, ed. ''The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, Vol. 2, Part 1: From c.1800 to the 1930s'' (2000) [https://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-History-Southeast-Asia-Vol/dp/0521663717/ excerpt]

[[Category:Wars involving Myanmar]]
[[Category:Wars involving the United Kingdom|Burmese]]
[[Category:19th-century conflicts]]
[[Category:19th century in Burma]]
[[Category:19th-century military history of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Anglo-Burmese wars| ]]