Third Anglo Burmese War

Important wars and battles in Indian History

Third Anglo Burmese War 1865 A.D.

The reasons of war   

The war broke out between Britain and Burma third time in 1885. The main reason of this war was two earlier wars and continued dispute between Burma and India. King Theebaw became the King in 1878 of Burmese throne after putting to death eighty rivals trying to be the king of Burma.  British had protested against this action but the King Theebaw ignored this. Further the Burmese were doing monopolies in trading which was the reason of conflict between the two.  One more reason of this war was the expansion of French trading in Asia.  These two reasons invited the Third Burmese War.                                

The War Process

The British wanted to get complete control on the Burma’s raw material and for this it was necessary for the British to remove the King Theebaw from the Burma throne and attach Burma to British control.  Major General Prendergast who was the leader of this expedition collected troops from India. He achieved his aim to remove King Theebaw very soon.  In November 1885 he crossed Burmese Border and proceeded towards Irrawaddy river.  British traders were trading for the long time with their steamers. These traders were very much familiar with this route.  As the British were getting more powers which led the Burma to take decision to start a decisive attack on British. On Seventeenth of November 1985, the British occupied Minhla and after that within eleven days war they arrested King Theebaw.  British dethroned him from the Burma Empire and Burma was complete annexed with British Empire. The people of Burma were of the trust that as British had annexed Burma, the armies of British would leave Burma soon but they realized that the armies of British were there to trace Burmese soldiers those had returned to their villages.  Hence these Burmese soldiers started to form private armies to destroy the British. Responding to this British constructed many forts at many place in Burma. The British armies were divided into small groups increasing conflict “The Subalterns’ War”.  The enemies were attacked at various places in small groups.  These were the small battles.  The Historians told that as per records only 17 men were killed, about 35 persons were wounded and around 150 were killed of the 13^th Regiment of Foot.

Brief timeline of Burma

300 BC                                   A great civilization exists in Burma
 100 AD                                   A people called the Pyu settle in northern Burma
9th Century AD                   A great civilisation exists in Burma
849                                         Pagan is founded
1044                                       Anawrahta becomes king of Pagan
1057                                       Anawrahta founds the first Burmese Empire
1287                                       The Mongols invade Burma
15th Century                         An Italian named Nicolo di Conti is the first European to reach Burma
17th Century                        The British, Dutch and French trade with Burma
1785                                        Bodawapaya becomes ruler of all Burma
1824-36                                    The Burmese fight the British
1886                                       Britain becomes the ruler of all of Burma
1932                                       A rebellion in Burma is crushed
1937                                       Burma is made a separate colony from India
1942                                       Japan invades Burma. The Japanese capture Mandalay in May.
1944                                       The British advance into Burma
1945                                       In March the British capture Mandalay
1948                                       Burma becomes independent
1962                                        General Win seizes power. He announces the 'Burmese way to Socialism'.
1988                                        Demonstrations are held in Burma but the army continues to hold power

1999                                       The ILO recommends sanctions against Burma because of the use of forced labor

2007                                        Demonstrations in Burma are brutally crushed
2008                                       Cyclone Narqis devastates Burma
2010                                       Aung San Suu Kyi is released

2012                                       She wins elections