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Arakan and the First Anglo-Burmese War, 1824–25

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2011

B. R. Pearn
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Extract

The prominence given to the British operations in Arakan during 1942–43 serves to remind us that the India-Buima coastal plain from Chitta-gong to Akyab and south to Ramree and Cheduba Islands was the scene of a difficult campaign during the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1824–25. In the current operations, as in the advance more than 100 years ago, the greatest difficulties are those of transport and supply. These are due to the fact that the entire region is highly malarious, deeply interlaced by a maze of tidal creeks and estuaries, and that it consists of a series of jungle clad parallel ridges and river valleys, which lie directly across the desired line of advance. In fact, except for the ridges, the area bears a striking resemblance to the Pearl River estuary between Canton and the sea.

Type
Articles
Information
The Journal of Asian Studies , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , November 1944 , pp. 27 - 40
Copyright
Copyright © The Association for Asian Studies, Inc. 1944

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References

1 The background of the disputes is well summarized in Banerjee, A. C., The eastern frontier of British India (Calcutta: A. Mukherjee, 1943).Google Scholar Other sources of information are Wilson, H. H., Documents illustrative of the Burmese War (Calcutta, 1827)Google Scholar; Bu, San Shwe, “The Arakan Mug Battalion,” Journal of the Burma Research Society, 13 (August, 1923), 129Google Scholar; Boon, Maung, “The First Burmese War,” JBRS, 13 (December, 1923), 261Google Scholar; Collis, M. S., “Campbell Robertson in Arakan,” JBRS, 13 (December, 1923), 257Google Scholar; Pearn, B. R., “King Bering,” JBRS, 23 (August, 1933). p. 55.Google Scholar

2 That is, the second battalion of the 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry. In this paper, B.N.I, and M.N.I, are used for Bengal Native Infantry and Madras Native Infantry respectively. These native regiments were forces of the East India Company. The Maghs, or Mugs, were descendants of Arakanese men and Chittagoman women; they were always Buddhists. In Chittagong, the term is applied generally to the Buddhist residents of Arakan, as distinct from the Moslems.

3 A pond surrounded by a low embankment of earth is generally called a tank in India and Burma.

4 This was a regular British Army unit; the others were part of the forces of the East India Company.

5 Now the 1st Bn, The Essex Regiment, and the 2nd Bn, The Dorsetshire Regiment, respectively.

6 Robertson is remembered as the author of Political incidents of the first Anglo-Burmese War (London, 1853).