Burma

A history of the British pacification of Upper Burma, 1885 to 1890.

The Chief Commissioner arrives in Mandalay to take charge of Upper Burma's administration after the British annexation. He finds a land torn by guerrilla resistance, banditry, and tribal conflicts following the collapse of the Burmese monarchy. Villages remain under the control of local leaders who resist British authority, while the countryside is plagued by armed bands operating freely. The Chief Commissioner must establish British governance without military occupation, using local leaders and creating new administrative structures to restore order. He faces the challenge of building trust with a population that has seen their government destroyed and their king exiled, all while managing the complex political landscape of Shan States and Chin tribes. The British presence is still fragile, with resistance spreading across the northern territories.