The Burmese empire is of little note in ancient or general history. Buddhism and civilization are said to have been intro duced from India. The last native dynasty was founded by a Burmese called Alompra, a man of obscure birth, who defeated the Peguans, and in 1753 obtained possession of Ava. Having made himself master of Burma, he invaded Siam; but during this invasion he died sud denly in 1760. Alompra ruled well and wisely, and Namdogee, his eldest son and successor, who died in 1764, inheriting his father's spirit, introduced various reforms and useful measures( Shembaun (Tshen-bo-yen), the Emperor's brother, became regent as guardian for his nephew Morn ten; but he usurped the throne himself and conquered Siam. In 1771, •how ever, Siam recovered its independence, while the principal part of the Burmese forces were engaged in a war with China. In this war they were victorious, and compelled the Chinese• whom they took prisoners to intermarry with Burmese females, and to remain in their terri tory. In 1776 Shembuan left his empire, much enlarged, to his son, Chenguza. This prince lived in the unrestrained indulgence of every appetite till in 1782 he was dethroned and put to death. In consequence of the revolution. Mentaragyi, the fourth son of Alompra, ascended the throne. He ordered his nephew, Momien who was a state prisoner, to be drowned, and in 1783 subdued the kingdom of Arracan. He then engaged in a war with Siam, which continued till 1793, when peace was made on certain conditions. About this period, it happened that some robbers fled from the Bur mese empire, and took refuge in the territory of the East India Company. The Burmese de manded that they should be delivered up, and on their demands not being immediately complied with, marched with a strong force into the offending country. At the same time they car ried on a friendly negotiation with the govern ment in Calcutta, which resulted in the surren der of the criminals, and the conclusion of a treaty of amity and commerce between the two governments, negotiated by Captain Symes. The last victory of the Burmese was in 1822 over the province of Assam. The party driven from Assam, together with the Burmese rebels, fled to the British territories, whence they intended to invade Burma. The British government dis
armed the insurgents, but refused to deliver them up or to drive them from the ,island of Shapun, which they had occupied. At length the Burmese sovereign demanded of the govern ment at Calcutta the cession of northern Bengal as being a part of Ava, and in January 1824 his forces marched into Cachar, which was under British protection. Lord Amherst, as governor general of the British East Indies, now declared war against Burma, and Gen. Archibald Camp bell prosecuted it so successfully that after the victory at Prome (1-3 Dec. 1825), he obliged the monarch to conclude a peace at Palanagh in 1825. As the treaty was not ratified on tht part of the Burmese Emperor by the time specified (18 Jan. 1826), Campbell renewed the war and stormed the fortress of Munnum. On 24 February the peace was ratified, and the war concluded with the cession of Arracan, Mergui, Tavoy, etc. In 1852 a second war broke out at the conclusion of which Rangoon and the whole of Pegu fell into the hands of the British. About 1860 the new city Mandalay supplanted Amarapura as the capital. In 1867 British steamers were permitted by treaty to navigate Burmese rivers, and not long after traffic was carried on up the Irrawadi as far as Bhamo. In 1885 the outrageous proceedings of King Thee baw provoked another war, and a British force proceeded from Rangoon up the Irrawadi River, took Mandalay and sent King Theebaw a pris oner to Rangoon. On 1 Jan. 1886, Theehaw's dominions were annexed to the British empire by PrManiation of the viceroy of India (the Earl of •Dirfferin). After the annexation there was a considerable amount of scattered fighting with and others, but this has ceased since 1890 and the country is now opened up to commerce, and is rapidly advancing in pros perity. In 1897 • Burma was constituted a province, and placed under a lieutenant-gov ernor instead of a chief commissioner.
Bibliography.— Clifford, H. C, 'Further India) (Now York 1904) ; Coxon, S. W., (And That Reminds Me' (London 1915) ; Dautre mer, J., 'Une colonic modele- la Birmaniel (Paris 1912) ; Kelly, R. T., 'Burma, Painted and Described' (London 1912); White, T., (A Civil Servant in Burma' (London 1913).