- Second Anglo-Burmese War
Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Second Burmese War
caption=
date=1852-1853
place=Burma-India
result=British Victory
casus=Treaty of Yandabo
combatant1=flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom
combatant2=Burma
commander1=Commodore Lambert
commander2=the son of Maha Bandula
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=
casualties2=The Second Anglo-Burmese War took place in 1852 and ended in 1853. It was one of the three wars fought betweenBurma and the British during the 19th century with the outcome of the gradual extinction of Burmese sovereignty and independence.In 1852, Commodore Lambert was dispatched to Burma by Lord Dalhousie over a number of minor issues related to the Treaty of Yandabo between the countries. The Burmese immediately made concessions including the removal of a governor whom the British made their
casus belli . Lambert, described by Dalhousie in a private letter as the "combustible commodore"cite book|url=http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/Burma/bur_history.pdf|author=D.G.E.Hall|year=1960|title=Burma|publisher=Hutchinson University Library|pages=109-113] , eventually provoked a naval confrontation in extremely questionable circumstances by blockading the port ofRangoon and thus started the Second Anglo-Burmese War which ended in the British annexing the province ofPegu and renaming itLower Burma . In the British parliamentRichard Cobden made a scathing attack on Dalhousie for despatching a naval commodore to negotiate (gunboat diplomacy ) and for raising the initial demand for compensation of £1000 to 10 times that amount, published in his pamphlet "How Wars are got up in India: the Origin of the Burmese War". He also criticised Dalhousie for choosing Lambert over Archibald Bogle, an army officer and company commissioner of much more experience in Burmese social and diplomatic affairs. Dalhousie denied that Lambert was the cause.The first substantial blow of the Second Burmese War was struck by the British on
April 5 , 1852, when the port ofMartaban was taken. Rangoon was occupied on the 12th and theShwedagon Pagoda on the 14th, after heavy fighting, when the Burmese army retired northwards.Bassein was seized onMay 19 , and Pegu was taken onJune 3 , after some sharp fighting round theShwemawdaw Pagoda . During the rainy season the approval of the East India Company's court of directors and of the British government was obtained as to the annexation of the lower portion of the Irrawaddy River Valley, includingProme .Lord Dalhousie visited Rangoon in July and August, and discussed the whole situation with the civil, military and naval authorities. He decided that to dictate terms to the Court of
Ava by marching to the capital was not how the war should be conducted unless complete annexation of the kingdom was contemplated and this was deemed unachievable in both military and economic terms for the time being. As a consequence General Godwin, who bitterly resented having to deal with the Royal Navy under the command of Lambert, a mere commodore, after the death earlier of Rear Admiral Charles Austen, the brother of the writerJane Austen , occupied Prome onOctober 9 encountering only slight resistance from the Burmese forces under the command of the ineffectual son of the great generalMaha Bandula who was killed in theFirst Burmese War . Early in December Lord Dalhousie informed King Pagan that the province of Pegu would henceforth form part of the British dominions.The proclamation of annexation was issued on
January 20 1853 , and thus the Second Burmese War was brought to an end without any treaty being signed. The war resulted in a revolution inAmarapura although it was then still called the Court ofAva , with Pagan Min (1846–1852) being overthrown by his half brotherMindon Min (1853-1878). Mindon immediately sued for peace but the two Italian priests he sent to negotiate found the British 50 miles farther north at Myedè with a rich belt of the Ningyan teak forests already staked out within their territory and presented as afait accompli . No treaty was ever signed although trade resumed between British Burma and the Kingdom of Ava until fresh hostilities broke out in 1885.ee also
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History of Burma
*Konbaung dynasty
* First Anglo-Burmese War (1823-1826)
* Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885-1886)References
*1911
External links
*British regiments [http://www.regiments.org/wars/19thcent/52burma.htm Second Anglo-Burmese War]
*Stephen Luscombe (photos) [http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armycampaigns/asia/burma/burma1852images.htm Burma: The Second War]
*George Dibley [http://www.vms.org.uk/features/8210.html The Burma War of 1851]
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