The Third Anglo-Burmese War or The Third Burmese war lasted from 1885 to 1887. It was final of the three wars that were fought between Burma and the British during the 19th century, and resulted in the extinction of Burmese independence. 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Following a succession crisis in Burma in 1879, the British Resident in Burma was withdrawn ending official diplomatic relations between the countries. The British considered a new war in response but other ongoing wars in Africa and Afghanistan led them to reject a war at that time.

During the 1880s, the British became concerned about contacts between Burma and France. Wars in Indochina had brought the French to the borders of Burma. In May 1883, a high-level Burmese deligation left for Europe. Officially the deligation was to gather industral knowledge, but it soon made its way to Paris where it began negotiations with the French Foreign Minister Jules Ferry. Ferry eventually admitted to the British ambassador that the Burmese were attempting to negotiate a political alliance along with a purchase of military equipment. The British were troubled by the Burmese action and relations became worse between the countries. 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a large peninsula in Southeast Asia. ... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

During the discussions between the French and Burmese in Paris, a boundary dispute on the frontier of India and Burma broke out. In 1881, the British authorities in India appointed a commission to unilaterally mark out the border between the two countries. In the course of its work, the commission began demanding the Burmese authorities in villages determined by the British to be on their side of the line should withdraw. The Burmese objected continuously, but eventually backed down.

In 1885, the French consul M. Hass moved to Mandalay. He negotiated the establishment of a French Bank in Burma, a concession for a railway from Mandalay to the northern border of British Burma and a French role in running monopolies controlled by the Burmese government. The British reacted with diplomatic force and convinced the French government to recall Haas who was removed allegedly "for reasons of health". While the French had backed down in Burma, the French actions as well as many other events convinced the British to take action against Burma. 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

A fine was imposed on the Bombay-Burma Trading Company for underreporting its extractions of teak from Toungoo and not paying its employees. The company was fined by a Burmese court and some of its timber was seized by the Burmese officials. The company and the British government claimed the charges were false and the Burmese courts were corrupt. The British demanded the Burmese government accept a British-appointed arbitrator to settle the dispute. When the Burmese refused, the British issued an ultimatium on October 22, 1885. The ultimatium demanded that the Burmese accept a new British resident in Mandalay, that any legal action or fines against the Bombay-Burma Trading Company be suspended until the arrival of the resident, that Burma submit to British control of its foreign relations and that Burma should provide the British with commercial facilities for the development of trade between northern Burma and China. The acceptance of the ultimatium would have ended any real Burmese independence and reduced the country to something similar to the puppet princely states of British India. By November 9, a practical refusal of the terms having been received at Rangoon, the occupation of Mandalay and the dethronement of the Burmese king Thibaw Min were determined upon. It can also be assumed that the annexation of the Burmese kingdom had been decided. October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... Yangôn, formerly Rangoon, population 4,504,000 (2001), is the capital of Myanmar. ... Mandalay (Burmese: ) is the second largest city (2000 pop. ... Thibaw Min (or simply Thibaw, Theebaw, or Theobaw) (1858 – December 19, 1916) was the last king of Burma (now Myanmar). ...

At this time, beyond the fact that the country was one of dense jungle, and therefore most unfavourable for military operations, the British knew little of the interior of Upper Burma; but British steamers had for years been running on the great river highway of the Irrawaddy, from Rangoon to Mandalay, and it was obvious that the quickest and most satisfactory method of carrying out the British campaign was an advance by water direct on the capital. Further, a large number of light-draught river steamers and barges (or flats), belonging to the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, were available at Rangoon, and the local knowledge of the company's officers of the difficult river navigation was at the disposal of the British forces. The Irrawaddy (newer spelling Ayeyarwaddy) is a river that flows through the centre of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is Myanmars most important commercial waterway. ...

Major-General, afterwards Sir, Harry North Dalrymple Prendergast, V.C., K.C.B., R.E., was placed in command of the invasion. As was only to be expected in an enterprise of this description, the navy as well as the army was called in requisition; and as usual the services rendered by the seamen and guns were most important. The total effective of the force was 9,034 fighting men, 2,810 native followers and 67 guns, and for river service, 24 machine guns. The river fleet which conveyed the troops and stores was composed more than 55 steamers, barges, launches, etc. Photo submitted by Gerald Napier - (from the Royal Engineers Library with permission) Harry North Dalrymple Prendergast (VC, GCB) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...

Thayetmyo was the British post on the river nearest to the frontier, and here, by November 14, five days after Thibaw's answer had been received, practically the whole expedition was assembled. On the same day General Prendergast received instructions to commence operations. The Burmese king and his country were taken completely by surprise by the rapidity of the advance. There had been no time for them to collect and organize any resistance. They had not even been able to block the river by sinking steamers, etc, across it, for, on the very day of the receipt of orders to advance, the armed steamers, the Irrawaddy and Kathleen, engaged the nearest Burmese batteries, and brought out from under their guns the Burmese King's steamer and some barges which were lying in readiness for this very purpose. On the 16th the batteries themselves on both banks were taken by a land attack, the Burmese being evidently unprepared and making no resistance. On November 17, however, at Minhla, on the right bank of the river, the Burmese in considerable force held successively a barricade, a pagoda and the redoubt of Minhla. The attack was pressed home by a brigade of British Indian infantry on shore, covered by a bombardment from the river, and the Burmese were defeated with a loss of 170 killed and 276 prisoners, besides many more drowned in the attempt to escape by the river. The advance was continued next day and the following days, the naval brigade and heavy artillery leading and silencing in succession the Burmese river defences at Nyaungu, Pakkku and Myingyan. This article needs to be updated. ... November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece. ... Myingyan is a city and district in the Mandalay Division of central Myanmar, previously, it was a district in the Meiktila Division of Upper Burma. ...

On November 26, when the flotilla was approaching the capital Ava, envoys from King Thibaw met General Prendergast with offers of surrender; and on the 27th, when the ships were lying off that city and ready to commence hostilities, the order of the king to his troops to lay down their arms was received. There were three strong forts here, full at that moment with thousands of armed Burmese, and though a large number of these filed past and laid down their arms by the kings command, still many more were allowed to disperse with their weapons; and these, in the time that followed, broke up into guerrilla bands and and prolonged the war for years. Meanwhile, however, the surrender of the king of Burma was complete; and on November 28, in less than a fortnight from the declaration of war, Mandalay had fallen, and King Thibaw was taken prisoner, and every strong fort and town on the river, and all the kings ordnance (1861 pieces), and thousands of rifles, muskets and arms had been taken. The British organized the looting of the palace and city of Mandalay. The proceeds were sold off at a profit of 9 lakhs of rupees. November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Ava is a city in the Mandalay Division of Myanmar, situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River. ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A lakh (also spelled lac or laksha) is a unit in a traditional number system, still widely used in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, equal to a hundred thousand. ...

From Mandalay, General Prendergast reached Bhamo on December 28. This was a very important move, as it forestalled the Chinese, who had their own claims and border disputes with Burmae. Though the king was dethroned and deported, and the capital and the whole of the river in the hands of the British, bands of insurgents took advantage of the situation to continue an armed resistance. Burma was annexed by the British on January 1, 1886. Critics of the war consider the timing of the annexation to be strong proof of what the British motives really were. But the annexation was only the beginning of an insurgency which would last for several years. Bhamo is a city in Kachin State in Myanmar, located 186 km south from the capital of Myitkyina. ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ...

The final, and now completely successful, pacification of the country, under the direction of Sir Frederick (afterwards Earl) Roberts, was only brought about by an extensive system of small military police protective posts scattered all over the country, and small lightly equipped columns moving out to in response whenever a gathering of insurgents occurred. The British poured reinforcements into the country, and it was in this phase of the campaign, lasting several years, that the most difficult and most arduous work fell to the lot of the troops. The resistance was finally broken by collective punishments on villages. Villages were burned and property of villagers was either confiscated or destroyed. The British policy of overwhelming reprisals against villages suspected of assisting the insurgency eventually brought the country under control. Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts of Kandahar, Pretoria and Waterford, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, PC (September 30, 1832 - November 14, 1914) was a distinguished British soldier and one of the most successful commanders of the Victorian era. ...

The British also extended their control into the tribal areas of the Kachin Hills and Chin Hills. These territories, only nominally even ruled by the Burmese kingdom, were taken over by the British. Also taken were disputed territories in northern Burma claimed by the Chinese government.

No account of the Third Burmese War would be complete without a reference to the first, and perhaps for this reason most notable, land advance into the enemy's country. This was carried out in November 1885 from Toungoo, the British frontier post in the east of the country, by a small column of all arms under Colonel W. P. Dicken, 3rd Madras Light Infantry, the first objective being Ningyan. The operations were completely successful, in spite of a good deal of scattered resistance, and the force afterwards moved forward to Yamethin and Hlaingdet. As inland operations developed, the want of mounted troops was badly felt, and several regiments of cavalry were brought over from India, while mounted infantry was raised locally. The British found that without these most useful arms it was generally impossible to follow up and punish the active enemy. Taungoo (Toungoo) is a city in the Bago Division of Myanmar, located 220 km from Yangon, towards the northern end of the division, with mountain ranges to both east and west. ... Yamethin is a town and district in northern Myanmar. ...

See also:

• History of Myanmar
• First Anglo-Burmese War (1823-1826)
• Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852)

The History of Burma (Myanmar) is long and complex. ... The First Anglo-Burmese War lasted from 1823 to 1826. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1826 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Second Anglo-Burmese War took place in 1852. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

References

• Europe and Burma by D. G. E. Hall, Oxford University Press 1945
• This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, a publication in the public domain.
• Third Anglo-Burmese War page at OnWar.com