MYANMAR POLITY (1819-1885) PhD DISSERTATION SOE AUNG DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY UNIVERSITY OF MANDALAY MYANMAR MAY 2011 MYANMAR POLITY (1819-1885) University of Mandalay MYANMAR POLITY (1819-1885) A Dissertation Submitted to the University of Mandalay In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in History Department of History Soe Aung 4 PhD-Hist-1 Mandalay, Myanmar May 2011 ABSTRACT This dissertation is an attempt to re-examine the situation of Myanmar during the second half of Konbaung Dynasty. Since the Sagaing Min (1819-1837) ascended the throne of Amarapura, the strength and the power of the kingdom of Myanmar seemed to have reached at its height of apex. The size of the kingdom, comprising the vassal states, was slightly larger than that of present day. The territorial expansion of the predecessors of Sagaing Min brought about serious frontier issues leading to the First Anglo-Myanmar War with the British- India in 1824. The War devastated the socio-economic life of the kingdom. Such chaotic conditions stirred up the court rebellions. Throughout the period up to 1885 the questions how the later Konbaung kings made efforts to secure their thrones in the midst of political and economic chaos and how the crown servicemen and common people staggered for their survival, are investigated and discussed in this dissertation. In a word, the attempt is made to access socio-economic life of the royalty, officials and people in a broader sense and in detail. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract iv List of Appendices vi List of Tables vii Abbreviations viii Glossary xv Introduction xviii Chapters 1. Political Setting 1 2. Royality at the Top of Social Echelon 32 3. The Nobility the Privileged 62 4. A-hmu-dan: Backbone of the Traditional Administration 89 5. A-thi at the Grass Root Level 117 6. Myanmar in Transitional Period 152 Conclusion 181 Appendices 185 Bibliography 191 vi List of Appendices Page 1. Presents given to a Princesses in ear-boring ceremony 185 2. The List of tax-exempted items. (26 September 1878) 187 3. List of the tax-imposed trades 189 vii List of Tables Page 1. Sons by Principal Queens (1752-1885) 35 2. List of Royal Children 36 3. List of the King Mindon’s Retainers 51 4. List of Officials and Nobilities in King Mindon’s reign 67 5. List of The Salary of Selected Nobilities and Officials 79 6. List of Lands Owned by Noblemen and Officials 81 7. List of Noblemen and Officials who were Executed or 87 Victimized in the Court Rebellions and Attempted Coups 8. List of Household Serviceman and Capital Garrison Troops in 96 the Reign of Mindon Min and Thibaw Min 9. List of Elephanteers and Salaries 102 10. Tha-tha-mei-da Tax collected in Some Areas of Lower 129 Chindwin District 11. Expense of Taungdwingyi between March and June 1882 130 12. Paddy Price 140 13. The Rate of Pension Allotted to the Royalties 157 14. Population of British Burma (Myanmar), 1861 164 15. Dates of Sanctioning and Opening of Different Railways 168 16. Average Number of students on the Roll and Attendance of 175 Government College of Baptist College 17. The list of the Registered Monastic schools and Lay schools 176 (1889-1919) viii ABBREVIATIONS Catalogue, 1901 Catalogue of the Hluttaw Records, Two Volumes, Yangon, Government Press, 1901 Charney, 2004 Southeast Asian Warfares (1300-1900), Leidan, Brill Academic Publishers, 2004 Colbeck, 1892 Letters from Mandalay, George H. Colbeck(ed), London, Alfred M Lowe 1892 Cox, 1821 Journal of a Residence in the Burmah Empire, London, John Warren,1821 Crawfurd, 1829 Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the Court of Ava in the year 1827, London Henry Colburn, 1829 D.P.C, 1932 Dalhousie-Phayre Correspondence: 1852-1856, D.G.E Hall (ed) London, Oxford University Press, 1932 D.T.T.C Parabaik M.S, Daw Thaung Thaung, Lecturer (Rtd) Department of History, Collection Dalrymple, 1926a Oriental Repertory of Portions Relating to Burma, 2 Vols, Vol. I, Yangon, Government Press , 1926 Dalrymple, 1926b Oriental Repartory 1791-7, of Portion Relating to Burma, Vol. II,Yangon,Government Printing, 1926 Desai, 1939 History of British residency in Burma 1826-1840, Yangon, University of Yangon, 1939 Gait, 1963 History of Assam, Calcutta, Thacker and Spinck, 1963 H.H.M.C. Parabaik M.S, Htay Htay Myint Collection ix Hall,1945 Europe and Burma, London, Oxford University Press, 1945 Harvey, 1967 History of Burma from the earliest times to 10, March, 1824; The Beginning Of English Conquest, London, Frank Cass & Co, 1967 Hla Tun Phyu, 1994 “Mijjima Desa Ayei-daw-bon-kyan” (The treatise on the affairs of 1994 Mijjima Desa and Myanmar’s Missions to India), M.A, Thesis, Department of History, Yangon University,1994 Jam-bu-di-pa, 1960 Jam-bu-di-pa Ôk-saung-kyan(Jambudipa In Nutshell), J.S Furnivall and Pe Maung Tin (ed), Yangon, Burma Research Society,1960 K.S.O.C. Parabaik M.S, Khin Saw Oo, Tutor, Department of History, Loikaw University, Collection Kala, 2006 Ma-ha Ya-za-win-gyi(The Great Chronicle) Three vols, Yangon Yabyei Pres, 2006 (Reprint) Koenig, 1990 The Burmese Polity, 1752-1819 : Polities, Administration, and Social Organization in the Early Konbaung Period, Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan, The Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, 1990 Kyaw Thet, 1982 “A-htet Myanmar-pyi Ko Thein-pike-sa-ga Byitisha-do Tha-baw-hta” (The Attitude of British at the Beginning of the Occupation of Upper Myanmar), Myanmar Historical Commission: Silver Jubilee Publication, Yangon, Myanmar Historical Commission, 1982 Marks, 1917 Forty Years in Burma, London, Hutchinson and Co- partnership, 1917 x Maung Maung Latt, Sa-lei Pa-bu Yoke-son-kyaung Tha-maing Sa-dan-m 1999 ya(Papers on The History of Sa-lei-Yoke-son Monastery), Yangon, Sarpei Bhiman, 1999 (Maung Maung)Tin, Konbaung-zet Ma-ha Ya-za-win-daw-gyi (The Great 2004 Chronicle of Konbaung Dynasty) Three Volumes, Universities’ Historical Research Centre (ed), Yangon, Yabyei Press, 2004 (Fourth Impression) Maung Maung Tin, Shwe-nan-thon Waw-ha-ra A-bhi-dan, Yangon, Buddha 2005 (Catalogue of the Court Usuages) Yangon, Yabyei , 2005 Maungdaung, 1961 A-mei-daw-phei( The “Primate’s Answers on the Crown’s Questions), Mandalay, Padetha Press, 1961 Mya Ke Tu, 1970 Nan-da-le Hmat-tan-mya(The Records on the Palace Customs), Yangon, Hna-lon-hla Press,1970 Mya Sein, 1938 Administration of Burma, Yangon, Zebu Meikswe Press, 1938 Myo Myint,1987 “The Politics of Survival in Burma: Diplomacy and Statecraft in the Reign of King Mindon, 1853-1878”, PhD Thesis, Cornell University, 1987 N.L.C Parabaik M.S, National Library Collection Nyo Mya,2003 Konbaung Sha-bon-daw (In Search of Konbaung Dynasty) Yangon, Yabyei Press, Dec 2003 (Seventh Impression) Ohn Kyi II,1968 “Thibaw-min Let-htet Myan-mar Naing-gan Ôk-chôk- yei”(1878-1885), M.A Thesis,Departmant of History, University of Mandalay, 1968 Paper, 1825 Paper Relating to East Indian Affairs: Viz, Discussions with the Burmese Government, 1825, London, House of Common, 1825 xi Papers-Burmese Paper Relating to the Burmese War, London, R.G Clerks, War, 1825 1825 Phon Kyaw , 1966 Ingaleik-Myanmar Sit-tha-maing (History of Anglo- Myanmar Wars),Two Vols, Yangon, Bagan Press, 1966 Pollak,1979 Empires in Collision: Anglo-Burmese Relations in the Mid- Nineteenth Century, Connecticus, Westport, 1979 Roy, 1958 History of Manipur, Calcutta, Firma K.L Mukhopadhyay, 1958 SBBG, 1868 Supplement to British Burma Gazetteer, Yangon, Superintendent Government Printing and Stationary, 1868 Scott and Hardiman, Gazetter of Upper Burma and the Shan States, 5 Vols, Part. 1901 I, vol. ii, Yangon Government Press, 1900-1901 Searle, 1928 Burma Gazetteer: Mandalay District, Vol. A, Yangon, Supdt, Government Printing & Stationary, 1928 Shwe Gaing Tha, A-hnit Ta-ya-byei Mandalay( Centenary Mandalay), 1959 Mandalay, Kyipwayei Press, 1959 Shwe Yoe, 1963 The Burman: His Life and Notions, New York, W.W.Norton & Co.Inc,1963 Smith, 1965 Religion and Politics in Burma , Princeston(N.J), Princeston University Press, 1965 Symes, 1969 Account of an Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava Sent by the Government of India in the year 1795, Westmead, Gregg International Publishers, 1969 (Reprint) T.H.C Parabaik M.S, Dr Toe Hla Collection Taw Sein Ko, 1960 Hlut-taw Hmat-tan(Records of Hluttaw), Yangon, Government Press,1960 xii Than Tun, 1969 Ne-hlè Ya-za-win(Field Researches on Myanmar History), Three Vols, Yangon, Nantha Press, 1969 ------------, 1986a The Royal Orders of Burma AD 1598-1885, Part Four (A.D 1782-1787), Kyoto, The Center for the Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University,1986 ------------, 1986b The Royal Orders of Burma AD 1598-1885, Part Five (A.D 1788-1806), Kyoto, The Center for the Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University,1986 ------------, 1988 The Royal Orders of Burma AD 1598-1885, Part Eight (A.D 1819-1853), Kyoto, The Center for the Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University,1986 ------------,1989 The Royal Orders of Burma AD 1598-1885, Part Nine (A.D 1819-1853), Kyoto, The Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University,1989 Thant Myint-U, The Making of Modern Burma, London, Cambridge 2001 University Press 2001 Tin, 1963 Myan-mar-min Ôk-chôk-pôn Sar-dan Hint Bodawphaya ei Ya-za-that Khaw A-mein-daw-dan-gyi (The Treatise on the Administration of Myanmar Kings and Order of Bodawphaya called Yazathat), Vol.I, Yangon, Baho Press, 1963 ------------, 1965 Myan-mar-min Ôk-chôk-pôn Sar-dan Hint Bodawphaya ei Ya-za-that Khaw A-mein-daw-dan-gyi (The Treatise on the Administration of Myanmar Kings and Order of Bodawphaya called