The Arakanese Resistance Movement against the British
Ba Shwe
7/7/2001
According the article III of the treaty of Yandabo, which concluded the Anglo-Burmese war of 1824-26, Arakan, together with Tenasserin was ceded to the British Colonial Empire. Therefore, Arakan was one of the first testing ground for colonial seeds in Burma. People from Arakan and Tenasserin had to bear the impact of colonial rule earlier than those living elsewhere in Burma. British colonial policy was designed to exploit the annexed provinces by various ways. To gain this purpose, it was necessary to maintain law and order and therefore police force, Court and Jail where vital importance in the conquered area. Nevertheless the people particularly in Arakan were not less active in resisting the set up of the British administration. It will be of interesting to survey briefly how and why these resistance movements took place in Arakan during the early year of British rule.
Within two years, after the annexation of Arakan, a plot to restore an Arakanese dynasty become the programme of an active party led by U Aung Gyaw Rhee (former Deywungree), a brother-in-law of Chun-Byan, who received appointment under British Government. They were assisted by U Shwe Pan (former Munthagree), a British official and U Kyaw Pon (former Dhapainggree). They had conceived a secret plan to drive out the British from Arakan and it was in 1827 that the rebellion broke out, consequently a number of native people and Pongree (monk) came to join with them. They attacked the British authorities and burned the police thana of Akyab. But the rebellion was suppressed by the British Local Battalion, which was stationed in Arakan since the end of Anglo Burmese war. U Aung Kyaw Rhee and U Aung Kyaw Tsan were dismissed and the latter was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for seriously pounding a police daroga (Police head constable). Shwe Pan fled to Ava.
About the same time, resistance movement took place in southern part of Arakan. Owing mainly to the very heavy taxation introduced by the British after the annexation, U Maung Tha Oo, the Thugree of the hill circle of Alegyaw of Sandoway district, took up arms against British authority in February 1829. He organised a large number of discontented villagers and tran-border men marched on Sandoway. Captain Gorden, who was in-charge of the district since its formation, moved out with his small party of troops to attack him but was killed in the assault by the rebel; the insurgents however were driven back and retreated into the north and northeast portion of the district. They captured and burned the police post at Ma-i and killed all the policemen. In order to quell this rebellion three fortified posts held by the Mugh levy were established in the hills, and four others held by the Arakan Provincial Battalion were established in the plains; in addition columns composed of this battalion and of regulars were constantly operating against the rebels. But owing to the difficult nature of the country, and to easy way of retreat that lay open into Ava territories, it was well towards the end of 1830 before the rebellion was finally stamped out. U Maung Tha Oo himself never captured, he fled to Padaung and died there.
Although U Maung Tha Oo rebellion was stamped out, another resistance movement broke out in 1831. It was led by a Ponggree (Monk) of Kyeintali who styled himself as a Munlaung or embryo king. Ponggree organised a large number of villagers and gave much trouble to the British authorities before his following was dispersed. These were the only two attempts made within the southern part of Arakan to repel the British imperialist.
Since the cession of the Arakan province to the British, the descendants of old royal family of Arakan had several times endeavored to establish their own government. In 1836, an attempt of this kind was made in the northern part of Arakan. Some of the hill tribes, and various rebels & C, joined the conspirators, and an army of considerable force was mustered. Some villages aided to the British were burned, and the city of Arakan taken; but the British troops drove them from the place without coming to any pitched battle, and the leaders at length took refuge in Ava territory and ended the struggle.
After the annexation of lower Burma, rebellion flared up, everywhere in the annexed territory. Southern part of Arakan was periodically raided by bands from across the border. As late as 1853 a band of trans-border men 250 strong pounced down on the villagers along the upper Taungup River and carried off a large number of captives. The incursions were mostly from the direction of Upper Burma, comparatively few raids were made into the country south of Sandoway, and there the local police gave sufficient protection.
In 1867, another rebellion broke out in the northern part of Arakan. It was led by U Maung Oo Phru, who styled himself as a Munlaung or embryo king. He collected a number of followers and disturbed the British authorities in Akyab and Kyaukpru districts. But he and his followers were promptly arrested and punished in 1871.
After the annexation of Upper Burma and beginning from about 1887, Arakan like lower Burma, was over run by pretenders and resistance gangs. The chief of these was the one led by Zaw-Ji-Bo, a native of Bassein and the Kyauksin Bo of Sandoway district, which harried the country south of Kyeintali. These disturbances culminated in the rebellion of 1890. In that year Sandoway town was attacked by a band of fanatics headed by some monks led by chief monk of the town of Sandoway, who professed by means of tattooing to render his followers proof against all injuries. The band was composed of men from villages at the headwaters of the Sandoway River, from which tract U Maung Tha Oo had also obtained his first adherents. These insurgents succeeded in setting fire to a portion of the town and to the Courthouse, but disappeared when the military police at the Treasury fired them and shot down one of the leading monks. The gang did not further damage and every member was accounted for by death or capture before three months had passed.
At about the same time, a rebellion, led by Bo Nga Mauk, a native of Remree, appeared in Remree Island. Bo Nga Mauk and his followers attacked the British Trading vessels, which carried rice and clothing. Then set up a free dispensary of Jivitadana for the lay people as he himself was native physician. Bo Nga Mauk made contact with other resistance elements which were active along the Arakan coast. When his resistance speared out to the main land of Arakan, the British authorities came to be very anxious and they offered him Kyun-oke of Kyatain Island but he refused. In that way, Bo Nga Mauk and his party gave much trouble to the British authorities before he died of malaria and his followers dispersed them.
In the year 1888 an attempt to raise a rebellion by a grantee, Shan Maung Baing and Bo Nga Ta. Two monks went about the country tattooing men to render them gun-proof.
These men were to join the raising when called on to do so. Bo Nga Ta, who took the most active part in stirring up strife, was a Burman from Sedoktaya, Upper Burma. He frequently crossed over to Upper Burma and on the last occasion brought with him a royal order, duly sealed, on palm-leaf from the Hmetkaya Prince appointing him Bo of Arakan.
The rising was to commence on the 16th or 17th April 1888 when over 120 Burmans were to come over the hills and join the Bo at the Nagara grant. Bo Nga Ta, embolden by the success he had attained, started enlisting followers openly. Information was conveyed to the Township Officer, Mrohoung ( Mrauk-U), who arrested Bo Nga Ta and his followers a few days before the combined movement was to take place and kept them in confinement in the police station at Mrohoung. A party of about twenty shons from Nagara armed with swords, determined on recovering their leader, attacked the police station at mid-night on the 8th April, released the prisoners and marched back to their village, taking with them some police guns. They burnt the police station and some houses at Mrohoung and killed and wounded a few police constable and villagers. On the 14th of April, when the Deputy Commissioner and his party met the rebels at Palechaung, and in the resistance which found they were either killed, wounded or arrested. In spite of some resistance made the rising came to an end.
In the 1890 several gangs of resistance, who styled themselves Bos or Munlaungs appeared in the Rethedaung, Kaladan (Kyauk Taw) and Mrohaung) townships of northern Arakan. They gave much trouble to the British authorities in every respect.
In conclusion, Arakan was ceded to the British colonial empire 26 years earlier than lower Burma and 59 year earlier than Upper Burma. therefore people from Arakan not only for the first time but also for a longer time and suffered from the more miserable experiences of British colonialism. The resistance movement was initiated and furthered by various sectors of the people, monks, laymen and members of the old royal family.
Title: The Arakanese Resistance Movement against the British
Author: Ba Shwe
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Date: 7/7/2001
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