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Upper Burma is formally annexed to British Burma

When
1886
Where
British Burma
Episodes
1

Upper Burma was formally annexed to British Burma on 1 January 1886, following the Third Anglo-Burmese War. The conflict, fought between November 1885 and sporadic resistance into 1887, resulted in the loss of sovereignty for the Konbaung dynasty. The annexation was proclaimed by Lord Dufferin, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, marking the end of independent Burmese rule and the beginning of British Raj administration.

Episodes

  1. 1 January 1886 · British BurmaFormal Annexation of Upper Burma

    Lord Dufferin proclaimed the annexation of Upper Burma to British dominions on 1 January 1886, ending the Konbaung dynasty's rule.

Background and detail

Background. The Third Anglo-Burmese War, fought officially from 7 to 29 November 1885 with sporadic resistance continuing into 1887, was the final of three 19th-century wars between the Burmese and the British. After a practical refusal of British terms was received at Rangoon by 9 November, the occupation of Mandalay and the dethronement of King Thibaw Min were decided upon. Mandalay fell and Thibaw was taken prisoner on 28 November, less than a fortnight after the declaration of war.

Annexation Proclamation. On 1 January 1886, Burma was annexed by the British through a proclamation by Lord Dufferin, Viceroy and Governor-General of India. The proclamation notified that territories formerly governed by King Thibaw were no longer under his rule but became part of Her Majesty's dominions, administered by officers appointed by the Viceroy.

Post-Annexation Context. Following the annexation, Burma came under the rule of the British Raj as one of its provinces. Although the official war ended in November 1885, anti-British uprisings continued for another decade. The annexation marked the end of the Konbaung dynasty's rule, with Mandalay having ceased to be the capital on 28 November 1885.

People involved

Sources

  1. Third Anglo-Burmese War Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
  2. Thibaw Min Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-14
  3. Mandalay Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-07

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.