Colonial Rangoon (1852-1948)

The British Empire seized Rangoon and all of Lower Burma in the Second Anglo-Burmese War of 1852, and subsequently transformed Rangoon into the commercial and political hub of British Burma. Based on the design by army engineer Lt. Fraser, the British constructed a new city on a grid plan on delta land, bounded to the east by the Pazundaung Creek and to the south and west by the Rangoon River. By the 1890s Rangoon's increasing population and commerce gave birth to prosperous residential suburbs to the north of Royal Lake (Kandawgyi) and Inya Lake. ^[6] The British also established hospitals including Rangoon General Hospital and colleges including Rangoon University.

Colonial Rangoon, with its spacious parks and lakes and mix of modern buildings and traditional wooden architecture, was known as "the garden city of the East." ^[7] By the early 20th century, Rangoon had public services and infrastructure on par with London.^[8]

Before World War II, almost half of Rangoon's population was Indian or South Asian, ^[9] followed by Anglo-Burmese and Anglo-Indian populations.

Rangoon incurred heavy damage during World War II.

BURMA
AND CEYLON

With India “the finest jewel in the imperial crown”, in an increasingly firm grasp, The East India Company cast anxious glances, early in the 19th century, at India’s neighbours to the east and south, Burma and Ceylon (Sri Lanka).  Burma, truculent and expansionist, seemingly ready to devour Bengal, was the harder to subdue. After the initial invasion by THE EAST INDIA COMPANY in 1824, it took some 60 years and more wars before all Burma became British.  Ceylon, to the south in 1796 became a pawn in the struggle between France and Britain for World Empires. But the intrigue and violence that marked Ceylon’s early years within the Empire gave way to peaceful prosperity.

In May 1824, a Burmese commander Maha Bandula, crossed the border into British Bengal and almost annihilated a small British force.  Dread and terror spread among the merchants of Calcutta.   Bandula’s army soon turned round and marched back into Burma for the very good reason that the southern parts of that country had been invaded by the British.

FIRST ANGLO-BURMESE WAR

During the course of this conflict between the British and the Burmese, it soon became evident the Burmese warriors and their lack of modern weaponry were no match for the fighters of the East India Company.  The army of Major-General Sir Archibald Campbell who landed at the mouth of the Irrawaddy river on may 10th 1824 numbered eleven thousand against that of Maha Bandula with a force of 60,000. In the end, on April 1st 1825, Bandula whilst in conference with some officers was killed by a British mortar shell and his army too demoralised, fled. Campbell advanced up the Irrawaddy as far as Prome, but due to the rains could not continue to the capital Ava.

The seeds of war between Britain and Burma were sown during half a century of steadily deteriorating relations.  Discord first arose in 1784 when Burma conquered neighbouring Arakan to the west, thus extending Burma’s

EASY VICTORY - MISERABLE  AFTERMATH

In September 1823 the King of Ava claimed the island of Shapuree at the mouth of the river separating Burmese territory from that of the Company and was the subject of a dispute between the parties and on March 25th 1824, Lord Amherst Governor-General declared war on Burma.  

The British invaded southern Burma first hoping thereby, to distract attention from their more important thrusts into Assam, Arakan and Manipur in the north, areas that threatened the security of Bengal.  In 1824, 11,000 troops landed at Rangoon and took the city without a fight, an easy success that gave no hint of the appalling hardships that lay ahead.  Defects in planning soon showed up.  The commander, Major-General Sir Archibald Campbell, had brought neither fresh food nor transport, hoping to find both on arrival.

He did not.  For the next six months the force was bogged down by the monsoon rains in the Irrawaddy delta, unable to break through a ring of enemy force.  During the enforced wait, malaria and dysentery took a heavy toll of the British.

A SUCCESSFUL RUSE

The capture of Rangoon accomplished its purpose for it halted the advance of the Burmese into Bengal in the north, much to the relief of company officials in Calcutta. The Burmese commander-in-chief Maha Bandula, abandoned the offensive and swung his 60,000 men south to meet the British forces.  On their arrival in Rangoon after a gruelling forced march Bandula’s men immediately dug in, then doggedly extended their trenches towards the British lines . A British counter attack failed to stop them, and in an increasingly desperate situation, Campbell decided to outwit his opponents.  In order to convince the Burmese commander-in-chief, that he had either pulled out or lost heart, Campbell ordered his men to keep out of sight and had the artillery reduce its rate of fire to a few desultory rounds a day.  Bandula was completely taken in and was taken by surprise when 1500 British troops sprang out of their trenches on December 7th and swept forward. The Burmese were put to flight.  With this decisive victory, Campbell opened the road to Ava and shattered the confidence of Bandula’s army. Thus ended the first Anglo-Burmese War, which resulted in the  British occupation of the area known as Arakan on the west coast of Burma.