Myanmar Major Events 1850 To 2013 Flashcards
1937
1937 - Britain separates Burma from India and makes it a crown colony.
1885
1885-86 - Britain captures Mandalay after a brief battle.
Burma becomes a province of British India.
1942
1942 - Japan invades and occupies Burma with some help from the Japanese-trained Burma Independence Army, which later transforms itself into the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League (AFPFL) and resists Japanese rule.
1945
1945 - Britain liberates Burma from Japanese occupation with help from the AFPFL, led by Aung Sa
1952
1852 - Britain annexes lower Burma, including Rangoon, following the second Anglo-Burmese war.
July 19, 1947
1947 - Aung San and six members of his interim government assassinated by political opponents led by U Saw, a nationalist rival of Aung San’s. U Nu, foreign minister in Ba Maw’s government, which ruled Burma during the Japanese occupation, asked to head the AFPFL and the government.
Mid 1950
Mid-1950s - U Nu, together with Indian Prime Minister Nehru, Indonesian President Sukarno, Yugoslav President Tito and Egyptian President Nasser co-found the Movement of Non-Aligned States.
1958-1960
1958-60 - Caretaker government, led by army Chief of Staff General Ne Win, formed following a split in the ruling AFPFL party
1960
1960 - U Nu’s party faction wins decisive victory in elections, but his promotion of Buddhism as the state religion and his tolerance of separatism angers the military.
January 4 1948
1948 - Burma becomes independent and institutes the 1947 constitution, with U Nu as prime minister.
Describe the Pagan/ Bagan Dynasty 1044-1287 .
The first unification of the Burmese people came in 1044, with the foundation of the Pagan
Dynasty. This era is considered the Golden Age in Burmese history, thought and architecture.
During this period, Theravada Buddhism first made its appearance in Burma, and the Pagan
kings built a massive city with thousands of pagodas and monasteries along the Irrawaddy
river. The Pagan Dynasty lasted until 1287 when a Mongol invasion destroyed the city. Ethnic
Shan rulers filled the ensuing political vacuum.
Toungoo dynasty 1486-1752
The Toungoo Dynasty succeeded again in unifying a large,
multi-ethnic kingdom under Burman rule. This dynasty left little
cultural legacy, but expanded the kingdom through conquest of
the Shans. Internal power struggles and the cost of protracted
warfare led to the eventual decline of the Toungoo in 1752.
Konbaung Dynasty 1752- 1885
The final Burman royal dynasty, the Konbaung Dynasty, was
established in 1752. Like the Toungoo Kings, the Konbaung rulers
focused on warfare and conquest. Wars were fought with the Mons
and Arkanese, and with the Siamese. The Burmese conquered the
Siamese capital of Ayuthaya in 1767, forcing the Siamese to move
their capital to Bangkok. This dynasty came to an end when the
British took over Burma in 1824.
BRITISH COLONISATION 1824-1948
he British began their conquest of Burma in 1824, expanding their holdings after each of the
three devastating wars in 1824, 1852 and 1883. At the end of the final war, the British gained
complete control of Burma, annexing it to India as a province of the British Raj. Traditional
Burmese society was drastically altered by the demise of the monarchy and the separation of
religion and state. The economic nature of the society also changed dramatically. After the
opening of the Suez C anal, the demand for Burmese rice grew and vast tracts of land were
opened up for cultivation. However, in order to prepare the new land for cultivation, farmers
were forced to borrow money from Indian moneylenders at high interest rates and were often
foreclosed on and evicted losing land and livestock. While the Burmese economy grew, all the
power and wealth remained in the hands of several British companies and migrants from
India. The civil service was largely staffed by Indians, and the Burmese were excluded almost
entirely from military service. Though the country prospered, the Burmese people failed to reap
the rewards. In order to facilitate their exercise of power, the British permitted the autonomy of
the country’s main ethnic groups. They recruited military forces from the Karen and from
northern hill tribes and India. Burmans were generally discouraged from admission to the
armed forces, further straining tensions between the ethnic groups. An influx of missionaries
brought the spread of C hristianity, and English became the language of the elite. Tensions
between ethnic groups were not resolved, and have remained strained up to the present day.
February 12 1947
While Burma is still under British colonial rule, the Panglong Agreement is signed by Burmese leader General Aung San and several ethnic nationality leaders from the Shan, Kachin, and Chin areas. The agreement is designed to hasten independence from the British and avert ethnic tensions in the new Burma,
