1st Burma War

1st Burma War
5 March 1823-24 February 1826
Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns
[[Image:|250px| ]]
Location: Burma
Combatants:
British India	Burma
Result: Treaty of Yanabo Assam, Manipur & Tenasserim ceded to Britain £5m indemnity paid by Burma
Medals: Army of India Medal 1799-1826, Ava 1824-26 Clasp HEIC Medal for Burma 1824-26
Links:
Category: 1st Burma War

	See our interactive map of 1st Burma War 1824-26 locations and routes on Google Maps

The 1st Burma War, also known as the 1st Anglo-Burmese War, was the first of the three British campaigns that led to the complete annexation of Burma.

Summary

Burmese expansionist policy on the north east of British India led to refugees from the frontier states of Manipur and Cachar fleeing to British territory and asking for help. Burmese incursions in Sylhet and Cachar in January and February 1824 were defeated. On 5 March war was declared and an expeditionary force under Commodore Charles Grant and Maj-Gen Sir Archibald Campbell sailed to Rangoon which was captured. It took two years and 20,000 casualties before the British defeated the Burmese. The Treaty of Yanabo ceded Assam, Arakan and Tenasserim to the British who also extracted 10 million rupeed indemnity.

A timeline of the 1st Burma War can be viewed in Travels from India to England (1827) by James Edward Alexander, an officer who served in the campaign. The first five chapters are an account of the war from Alexander's perspective whilst accompanying the 45th Regiment of Foot and the Madras Pioneers.

Expeditionary Force

See note
Commanded by Brig-Gen Sir Archibald Campbell KCB
BENGAL CONTINGENT
Bengal Infantry Brigade
Lt-Col M'Creagh CB, Brigadier Commanding

• HM 13th Foot
• HM 38th Foot
• 2nd Btn 20th Madras Native Infantry
  

Bengal Artillery
Lt-Col George Pollock commanding

• 3rd Coy 5th Btn Bengal Artillery
• 4th Coy 5th Btn Bengal Artillery
  

MADRAS CONTINGENT
1st Madras Infantry Brigade
Lt-Col W Smelt, Brigadier Commanding

• HM 41st Foot
• 2nd Btn 8th Madras Native Infantry
• 2nd Btn 10th Madras Native Infantry

2nd Madras Infantry Brigade
Lt-Col C Hodgson, Brigadier Commanding

• HM 41st Foot
• 2nd Btn 1st Madras European Regiment
• 1st Btn 9th Madras Native Infantry

3rd Madras Infantry Brigade
Lt-Col H F Smith, Brigadier Commanding

• 1st Btn Madras Native (Light) Infantry
• 2nd Btn 17th Madras Native Infantry
• 1st Btn Madras Pioneers

4th Madras Infantry Brigade
Lt-Col E Miles CB, Brigadier Commanding

• HM 89th Foot
• 1st Btn 7th Madras Native Infantry
• 1st Btn 22nd Madras Native Infantry
  

TROOP STRENGTH

Artillery	916
Pioneers	552
European Infantry	3,969
Native Infantry	5,218
Total	10,655

External Links

	The FIBIS Google Books Library has books tagged: 1st Burma War Burma

• Burmese Wars Heritage History
  
• Anglo-Burmese Wars Wikipedia
  
• Map of British Conquest of Burma Google Books
  
• 1st Burma War 1823-26 Wikipedia
  
• "Arakan and the First Anglo-Burmese War, 1824-25" by B. R. Pearn The Far Eastern Quarterly Vol. 4, No. 1 (Nov., 1944), pp. 27-40 may be read online on the JSTOR website for free, after registration. See Miscellaneous tips for more details.

Historical books online

• A political history of the extraordinary events which led to the Burmese war by Captain W White 1827 Archive.org. Also available British Library Digital Collection with Map
• Narrative of the Burmese War in 1824-26 by Horace Hayman Wilson 1852 Google Books
  
• Havelock's Memoir of Three Campaigns Google Books
  
• Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India Vol V - First Burmese War www.archive.org
  
• Historical geography of the British Dependencies Vol VII India Part I - First Burma War www.archive.org
  
• Our Burmese wars and relations with Burma : being an abstract of military and political operations, 1824-25-26, and 1852-53, with various local, statistical, and commercial information, and a summary of events from 1826 to 1879, including a sketch of King Theebau's progress by Colonel W F B Laurie 1880 Archive.org
• ‪Narrative of the Burmese war‬: ‪detailing the operations of Major-General Sir Archibald Campbell's army, from its landing at Rangoon in May 1824 to the conclusion of a treaty of peace at Yandaboo‬ in February 1826: by Major Snodgrass, Military Secretary to the Commander of the Expedition and Assistant Political Agent in Ava. 2nd Edition 1827 Google Books. Note: the map is not readable. For a readable map, refer to the version on South East Asia Visions, Map
  
• Narrative of the captivity of an officer, who fell into the hands of the Burmāhs during the late war by Captain Richard Bennett 1827 Google Books
• "Burma and the Burmese During the Late War" by Major Bennett, Royal Regiment. The United Service Journal and Naval and Military Magazine 1838 Part 3 page 76, page 207, page 371, page 511 Google Books
• Two years in Ava, from May 1824 to May 1826, by an officer on the staff of the Quarter-Master-General’s Department [Thomas Abercromby Trant] 1827 Archive.org. British Library Digital Collection with better image and maps (rotatable)
• A sketch of the services of the Madras European Regiment during the Burmese War by Major John Butler (1839) Google Books
• ‪Travels from India to England‬, comprehending a visit to the Burman Empire and a journey through Persia, Asia Minor, European Turkey etc in the year 1825-26 by James Edward Alexander, Lieut, late HM’s 13th Light Dragoons. 1827 Google Books
  • With an Appendix "A Chronological Epitome of the Events of the Burmese War" page 263
• Narrative of the Naval Operations in Ava, during the Burmese War, in the years 1824, 1825, and 1826 by Lieutenant John Marshall 1830. Archive.org. Also available British Library Digital Collection
• "East Indies" The Annual Register, or a View of the History, Politics, and Literature, of the year 1824, page 114 Google Books
  
• "The First War with Burmah 1824-26" page 287, Medals of the British Navy and how they were won by W.H. Long 1895 Archive.org
  
• The Eastern Frontier Of British India 1784-1826 by Anil Chandra Banerjee. Second Edition , revised and enlarged 1946 (first published 1943) Archive.org
  
• Fiction
  • The Young Cadet, or, Henry Delamere's Voyage to India : with his travels in Hindostan, and his account of the Burmese War and the wonders of Elora by Mrs Hofland, 1831 Archive.org. Note: Missing final 2 pages (from another digital file).
  • On the Irrawaddy : a Story of the First Burmese War by G A Henty 1897 Archive.org

  Librivox Audio version Archive.org

  • Marching to Ava : a Story of the First Burmese War by Henry Charles Moore catalogued 1904. Archive.org