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83-598: BTUC held its first congress in Rangoon February 9–12, 1951. This article about an organisation in Myanmar is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to an Asian trade union is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Rangoon Yangon , formerly romanized as Rangoon , is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar . Yangon served as

166-556: A British demand to pay an indemnity of one million pounds sterling , and signed a commercial treaty. The war was one of the most expensive in British Indian history. Fifteen thousand European and Indian soldiers died, together with an unknown number of Burmese military and civilian casualties. The high cost of the campaign to the British, 5–13 million pounds sterling (£500 million – £1.38 billion as of 2023) contributed to

249-423: A four thousand strong British force supported by a flotilla of gunboats attacked Danubyu. The first British attack failed, and Bandula attempted a counter-charge, with foot soldiers, cavalry and 17 fighting elephants. But the elephants were stopped by rocket fire and the cavalry found it impossible to move against the sustained British artillery fire. On 1 April, the British launched a major attack, pounding down on

332-523: A frontal attack on British positions. The British, with superior weaponry, withstood several Burmese charges at the Shwedagon fort, cutting down men by the thousands. By 7 December, the British troops, supported by rocket fire, had begun to gain the upper hand. On 15 December, the Burmese were driven out of their last remaining stronghold at Kokine. In the end, only 7,000 of the 16,000 Burmese soldiers returned to

415-683: A severe economic crisis in British India which cost the East India Company its remaining privileges. Although once strong enough to threaten the interests of the British East India Company (especially with respect to the eastern border regions of Assam, Manipur, and Arakan), the Burmese Empire now suffered "the beginning of the end" of its status as an independent nation. They would be economically burdened for years to come by

498-580: A severe economic crisis in India, which by 1833 had bankrupted the Bengal agency houses and cost the British East India Company its remaining privileges, including the monopoly of trade to China . For the Burmese, the treaty was a total humiliation and a long-lasting financial burden. A whole generation of men had been wiped out in battle. The world the Burmese knew, of conquest and martial pride, built on

581-526: A small town not far from Yangon, in the Irrawaddy delta . Having lost experienced men in Yangon, the Burmese forces now numbered about 10,000, of mixed quality, including some of the king's best soldiers but also many untrained and barely armed conscripts. The stockade itself stretched one mile (1.6 km) along the riverbank, and was made up of solid teak beams no less than 15 feet (4.6 m) high. In March 1825,

664-538: Is UTC/GMT +6:30 hours. 23 meters above sea level. Due to its location on the Irrawaddy Delta, intertidal flat ecosystems occur adjacent to the city. Yangon has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) under the Köppen climate classification system. The city features a lengthy wet season from May through October where a substantial amount of rainfall is received; and a dry season from November through April, where little rainfall

747-828: Is a member of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 . Yangon is Burma's main domestic and international hub for air, rail, and ground transportation. Yangon International Airport , located 12 miles (19 km) from the center, is the country's main gateway for domestic and international air travel. The airport has three terminals, known as T1, T2 and T3 which is also known as Domestic. It has direct flights to major cities in Asia, such as Tokyo , Shanghai , Seoul , Singapore , Hong Kong , Kuala Lumpur , Kolkata , and Dubai . Although domestic airlines offer service to about forty domestic locations, most flights are to tourist destinations such as Bagan , Mandalay , Heho and Ngapali , and to

830-558: Is a proposed rapid transit system, due to begin construction in 2022 and be complete by 2027. Yangon has a 4,456-kilometre (2,769 mi) road network of all types (tar, concrete and dirt) in March 2011. Many of the roads are in poor condition and not wide enough to accommodate an increasing number of cars. The vast majority of Yangon residents cannot afford a car and rely on an extensive network of buses to get around. Over 300 public and private bus lines operate about 6,300 crowded buses around

913-697: Is administered by the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC). YCDC also coordinates urban planning . The city is made up of 33 townships and is part of Yangon Region . Yangon Region is divided into four districts, which overlap with the city's jurisdiction. The current mayor of Yangon is Maung Maung Soe . Each township is administered by a Township Development Committee, alongside local leaders who make decisions regarding city beautification and infrastructure. Myo-thit (lit. "New Towns", or satellite towns ) are not within such jurisdictions. List of Yangon City Townships by District: Yangon

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996-730: Is due to rule that no building should be more than 75% the height above sea level of Shwedagon Pagoda , which rises about 160 metres (520 ft). For instance, in 2015, a luxury housing project was cancelled due to its proximity to Shwedagon Pagoda. Critics of the project claimed that the project could cause structural damage to the pagoda. Aside from a few high-rise hotels and office towers, most high-rise buildings (usually 10 stories and up) are "condos" scattered across prosperous neighborhoods north of downtown such as Bahan , Dagon , Kamayut and Mayangon . Older satellite towns such as Thaketa , North Okkalapa , and South Okkalapa are lined mostly with one to two-story detached houses with access to

1079-514: Is heavily used by the local populace, selling about 150,000 tickets daily. The popularity of the commuter line has jumped since the government reduced petrol subsidies in August 2007. In 2017 the government of Japan provided more than US$ 200 million in finance to assist with a range of works including developing and maintaining the Yangon circular railway line, purchasing new carriages and upgrading signalling. The Yangon Urban Mass Rapid Transit

1162-512: Is highly expensive for most of its citizens. As the government allows only a few thousand cars to be imported each year in a country with over 50 million people, car prices in Yangon (and in Burma) are among the highest in the world. In July 2008, the two most popular cars in Yangon, 1986/87 Nissan Sunny Super Saloon and 1988 Toyota Corolla SE Limited, cost the equivalent of about US$ 20,000 and US$ 29,000 respectively. A sports utility vehicle, imported for

1245-414: Is illegal to drive trishaws , bicycles, and motorcycles. Since February 2010, pick-up truck bus lines have been forbidden to run in six townships of central Yangon, namely Latha , Lanmadaw , Pabedan , Kyauktada , Botahtaung and Pazundaung Townships . In May 2003, a ban on using car horns was implemented in six townships of Downtown Yangon to reduce noise pollution . In April 2004, the car horn ban

1328-617: Is known for its leafy avenues and fin-de-siècle architecture. The former British colonial capital has the highest number of colonial period buildings in south-east Asia. Downtown Yangon is still mainly made up of decaying colonial buildings. The former High Court , the former Secretariat buildings , the former St. Paul's English High School and the Strand Hotel are excellent examples of the bygone era. Most downtown buildings from this era are four-story mix-use (residential and commercial) buildings with 14-foot (4.3 m) ceilings, allowing for

1411-653: Is remarkably intact. The colonial-era commercial core is centered around the Sule Pagoda , which is reputed to be over 2,000 years old. The city is also home to the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda – Myanmar's most sacred and famous Buddhist pagoda. Yangon suffers from deeply inadequate infrastructure , especially compared to other major cities in Southeast Asia , such as Jakarta , Bangkok or Hanoi . Though many historic residential and commercial buildings have been renovated throughout central Yangon, most satellite towns that ring

1494-425: Is seen. It is primarily due to the heavy rainfall received during the rainy season that makes Yangon fall under the tropical monsoon climate category. During the course of year 1961 to 1990s, average temperatures show little variance, with average highs ranging from 29 to 36 °C (84 to 97 °F) and average lows ranging from 18 to 25 °C (64 to 77 °F). Yangon is prone to tropical cyclones every time of

1577-493: Is the eight-story apartment building . (In Yangon parlance, a building with no elevators (lifts) is called an apartment building and one with elevators is called a condominium . Condos which have to invest in a local power generator to ensure 24-hour electricity for the elevators are beyond the reach of most Yangonites.) Found throughout the city, eight-story apartment buildings provide inexpensive housing for many Yangonites. The apartments are usually eight stories high (including

1660-630: The casus belli was Burma occupying Shalpuri Island near Chittagong , which was claimed by the East India Company. In January 1824, Burma sent one of their top generals, Thado Thiri Maha Uzana , into Cachar and Jaintia to disperse the rebels. The British sent in their own force to meet the Burmese in Cachar, resulting in the first clashes between the two. The war formally broke out on 5 March 1824, following border clashes in Arakan. The British reason for

1743-477: The Battle of Danubyu .) After a few days of fighting, the Burmese forces at Mrauk-U were defeated on 1 April, coincidentally the same day Maha Bandula fell at Danubyu. Sa and the remaining Burmese forces evacuated and left Arakan. The British proceeded to occupy the rest of Arakan. On 17 September 1825, an armistice was concluded for one month. In the course of the summer, General Joseph Wanton Morrison had conquered

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1826-565: The Battle of Ramu , 10 miles (16 km) east of Cox's Bazar , on 17 May 1824. Sa's column then joined Bandula's column on the march to defeat British forces at Gadawpalin, and went on to capture Cox's Bazar. The Burmese success caused extreme panic in Chittagong and in Calcutta. Across the eastern Bengal, the European inhabitants formed themselves into militia forces. A large portion of the crews of

1909-687: The First Burma War in English language accounts and First English Invasion War ( Burmese : ပထမ အင်္ဂလိပ် ကျူးကျော် စစ် ) in Burmese language accounts, was the first of three wars fought between the British and Burmese empires in the 19th century. The war, which began primarily over the control of what is now Northeastern India , ended in a decisive British victory, giving the British total control of Assam , Manipur , Cachar and Jaintia as well as Arakan Province and Tenasserim . The Burmese submitted to

1992-554: The Indian Rebellion of 1857 , the British sent Bahadur Shah II , the last Mughal emperor, to Yangon to live in exile. Colonial Yangon, with its spacious parks and lakes and mix of modern buildings and traditional wooden architecture, was known as "the garden city of the East." By the early 20th century, Yangon had public services and infrastructure on par with London. Before World War II , about 55% of Yangon's population of 500,000

2075-479: The Tenasserim coast as well as two million pounds sterling of indemnity. The Burmese would not agree to give up Arakan and the large sum of indemnity. In November 1825, the Burmese decided to throw everything they had into a last-ditch effort. Starting in mid-November, the Burmese forces, consisting mainly of Shan regiments led by their sawbwas , threatened Prome in a daring circular movement that almost surrounded

2158-480: The capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government relocated the administrative functions to the purpose-built capital city of Naypyidaw in north central Myanmar. With over five million people, Yangon is Myanmar's most populous city and its most important commercial centre. Yangon boasts the largest number of colonial-era buildings in Southeast Asia, and has a unique colonial-era urban core that

2241-655: The 100-foot (30 m) Lanmadaw Road is followed by 30-foot (9.1 m)-wide 17th and 18th streets then the medium 50-foot (15 m) Sint-Oh-Dan Road, the 30-foot 19th and 20th streets, followed by another 100-foot (30 m) wide Latha Road, followed again by the two numbered small roads 21st and 22nd streets, and so on. The roads running parallel west to east were the Strand Road, Merchant Road, Maha Bandula (née Dalhousie) Road, Anawrahta (Fraser) Road, and Bogyoke Aung San (Montgomerie) Road. The largest and best maintained parks in Yangon are located around Shwedagon Pagoda . To

2324-422: The 1980s. Today, Greater Yangon encompasses an area covering nearly 600 square kilometres (230 sq mi). During Ne Win 's isolationist rule (1962–88), Yangon's infrastructure deteriorated through poor maintenance and did not keep up with its increasing population. In the 1990s, the military government's more open market policies attracted domestic and foreign investment, bringing a modicum of modernity to

2407-428: The British cannons fired exploding shells. Unbeknown to him, the British had just received the first shipment of Congreve rockets , a new weapon in the war that the Burmese had never seen. More ominously for the Burmese, the speedy march through the hilly regions of Rakhine Yoma and Assamese ranges had left their troops exhausted. On 30 November, in what turned out be the biggest mistake of his career, Bandula ordered

2490-416: The British only needed a few to vanquish a vast horde sent against them. According to the Burmese royal chronicles, the number was around 16,000. Bandula believed that he could take on a well-armed British force of 10,000 head-on. Although the Burmese were numerically superior, only around half the army were musketeers with the rest armed with spears and swords. The Burmese cannons fired only balls whereas

2573-570: The Burmese by 5 December. The defeat in Prome effectively left the Burmese army in disarray, and it was in constant retreat from then on. On 26 December, they sent a flag of truce to the British camp. Negotiations having commenced, the Burmese capitulated to the British terms to end the war, signing the Treaty of Yandabo in February 1826. The British demanded and the Burmese agreed to: The Treaty of Yandabo

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2656-536: The Burmese, who had been fighting in the jungles of Manipur and Assam for nearly a decade, were more familiar with the terrain, which represented "a formidable obstacle to the march of a European force". Uzana had already defeated the British units in Cachar and Jaintia in January 1824. The British sent reinforcements but they were largely indecisive. In May, a Burmese column of some 4000 men led by Maha Thiha Thura , fought their way into Bengal, defeating British troops at

2739-544: The Burmese. Convinced that war was inevitable, Burmese commander-in-chief Maha Bandula became the main proponent of offensive policy against the British. Bandula was part of the war party at Bagyidaw's court, which also included Queen Me Nu and her brother, the Lord of Salin. Bandula believed that a decisive victory could allow Ava to consolidate its gains in its new western empire in Arakan, Manipur, Assam, Cachar, and Jaintia, as well as take over eastern Bengal. In September 1823,

2822-410: The East India Company's ships was landed to assist in the defense of Calcutta. But Bandula, not wanting to overstretch, stopped U Sa from proceeding to Chittagong. Had Bandula marched on to Chittagong, which unbeknown to him was lightly held, he could have taken it and the way to Calcutta would have opened. Had they been able to threaten Calcutta, the Burmese could have obtained more favourable terms in

2905-495: The back of the impressive military success of the previous seventy-five years, had come crashing down. The Court of Ava could not come to terms with the loss of the territories and made unsuccessful attempts to get them back. An uninvited British resident in Ava was a daily reminder of the humiliating defeat. In addition, the burden of indemnity left the Burmese royal treasury bankrupt for years. The indemnity of one million pounds sterling

2988-534: The capital Naypyidaw . Yangon Central Railway Station is the main terminus of Myanmar Railways ' 5,403-kilometre (3,357 mi) rail network whose reach covers Upper Myanmar ( Naypyidaw , Mandalay , Shwebo ), upcountry ( Myitkyina ), Shan hills ( Taunggyi , Lashio ) and the Taninthayi coast ( Mawlamyine , Dawei ). Yangon Circular Railway operates a 45.9-kilometre (28.5 mi) 39-station commuter rail network that connects Yangon's satellite towns. The system

3071-482: The capital of all British-ruled Burma after the British had captured Upper Burma in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of 1885. By the 1890s Yangon's increasing population and commerce gave birth to prosperous residential suburbs to the north of Royal Lake (Kandawgyi) and Inya Lake . The British also established hospitals including Rangoon General Hospital and colleges including Rangoon University . After

3154-702: The city continue to be profoundly impoverished and lack basic infrastructure. The name Yangon ( ရန်ကုန် ) is derived from the combination of the Burmese words yan ( ရန် ) and koun ( ကုန် ), which mean 'enemies' and 'run out of', respectively. This word combination can be translated as 'End of Strife'. The name is pronounced / ˌ j æ ŋ ˈ ɡ ɒ n / yang- GON in British English and / ˌ j ɑː n ˈ ɡ oʊ n / yahn- GOHN in American English. The former romanization, Rangoon ,

3237-407: The city had few human casualties, three-quarters of Yangon's industrial infrastructure was destroyed or damaged, with losses estimated at US$ 800 million. In November 2005, the military government designated Naypyidaw , 320 kilometres (199 mi) north of Yangon, as the new administrative capital, and moved much of the government to the newly developed city. Yangon remains the largest city and

3320-558: The city to its industrial back country. Still, much of Yangon remains without basic municipal services such as 24-hour electricity and regular garbage collection. Yangon has become much more indigenous Burmese in its ethnic make-up since independence. After independence, many South Asians and Anglo-Burmese left. Many more South Asians were forced to leave during the 1960s by Ne Win's xenophobic government. Nevertheless, sizeable South Asian and Chinese communities still exist in Yangon. The Anglo-Burmese have effectively disappeared, having left

3403-484: The city's electricity grid. Newer satellite towns such as North Dagon and South Dagon are in a grid layout. The satellite towns—old or new—receive little or no municipal services. Downtown Yangon 's road layout follows a grid pattern, based on four types of roads: The east–west grid of central was laid out by British military engineers Fraser and Montgomerie after the Second Anglo-Burmese War . The city

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3486-503: The city's infrastructure. Some inner city residents were forcibly relocated to new satellite towns. Many colonial-period buildings were demolished to make way for high-rise hotels, office buildings, and shopping malls, leading the city government to place about 200 notable colonial-period buildings under the Yangon City Heritage List in 1996. Major building programs have resulted in six new bridges and five new highways linking

3569-422: The city, carrying over 4.4 million passengers a day. All buses and 80% of the taxis in Yangon run on compressed natural gas (CNG), following the 2005 government decree to save money on imported petroleum. Highway buses to other cities depart from Dagon Ayeyar Highway Bus Terminal for Irrawaddy delta region and Aung Mingala Highway Bus Terminal for other parts of the country. Motor transportation in Yangon

3652-523: The city. The British forces led by General Archibald Campbell took positions inside the Shwedagon Pagoda compound, which was fortified. The British launched attacks on Burmese lines and, by July 1824, had successfully pushed the Burmese towards Kamayut , five miles (8 km) from Shwedagon. Burmese efforts to retake Shwedagon in September failed. King Bagyidaw ordered a near-complete withdrawal from

3735-455: The coast, as well as a squadron of cavalry under the command of Gen. Morrison, attacked Burmese positions in Arakan. Despite their superior numbers and firearms, the British had to fight depleted Burmese forces for nearly two months before they reached the main Burmese garrison at Mrauk-U , Arakan's capital. On 29 March 1825, the British launched their attack on Mrauk-U. (At the same time, Campbell also launched an attack on Bandula's positions in

3818-513: The commercial and political hub of British Burma . After the war, the British moved the capital of British Burma from Moulmein (present-day Mawlamyine ) to Yangon. Based on the design by army engineer Lt. Alexander Fraser, the British constructed a new city on a grid plan on delta land, bounded to the east by the Pazundaung Creek and to the south and west by the Yangon River . Yangon became

3901-721: The construction of mezzanines . Despite their less-than-perfect conditions, the buildings remain highly sought after and most expensive in the city's property market. In 1996, the Yangon City Development Committee created a Yangon City Heritage List of old buildings and structures in the city that cannot be modified or torn down without approval. In 2012, the city of Yangon imposed a 50-year moratorium on demolition of buildings older than 50 years. The Yangon Heritage Trust , an NGO started by Thant Myint-U , aims to create heritage areas in Downtown, and attract investors to renovate buildings for commercial use. A latter-day hallmark of Yangon

3984-619: The cost of the indemnity. The British, eventually waging the Second and Third Anglo-Burmese Wars against a much-weakened Burma, would assume control of the entire country by 1885. By 1822, Burmese expansion into Manipur and Assam and its "forward policy" of probing into the hill states of Jaintia and Cachar , had put pressure on British Bengal . Calcutta unilaterally declared Cachar and Jaintia British protectorates and sent in troops. Cross-border raids into these newly acquired territories from British territories and spheres of influence vexed

4067-427: The country for future British plans whereas previous envoys were concerned principally with trade concessions. Anglo-French rivalry had already played a role during Alaungpaya's endeavours of unifying the kingdom. The Burmese in these wars were advancing into smaller states not ruled by the British or the subject of expansionist goals by the British before the war began, and the British were not so much preoccupied by

4150-465: The country or intermarried with other Burmese groups. Yangon was the centre of major anti-government protests in 1974 , 1988 and 2007 . In particular, the 8888 Uprising resulted in the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of Burmese civilians, many of them in Yangoon where hundreds of thousands of people flooded into the streets of the former capital city. The Saffron Revolution saw mass shootings and

4233-534: The enlarged town "Yangon". In the 1790s, the East India Company opened a factory in Yangon. The estimated population of Yangon in 1823 was about 30,000. The British captured Yangon during the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–26), but returned the city to Burmese rule after the war. The city was destroyed by a fire in 1841. The British captured Yangon and all of Lower Burma in the Second Anglo-Burmese War of 1852, and subsequently transformed Yangon into

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4316-468: The equivalent of around US$ 50,000, goes for US$ 250,000. Illegally imported unregistered cars are cheaper – typically about half the price of registered cars. Nonetheless, car usage in Yangon is on the rise, a sign of rising incomes for some, and already causes much traffic congestion in highway-less Yangon's streets. In 2011, Yangon had about 300,000 registered motor vehicles in addition to an unknown number of unregistered ones. Within Yangon city limits, it

4399-418: The former parading ground on important national days when Yangon was the capital. A few miles north of the pagoda lies the 37-acre (15-ha) Inya Lake Park – a favourite hangout place of Yangon University students, and a well-known place of romance in Burmese popular culture. Hlawga National Park and Allied War Memorial at the outskirts of the city are popular day-trip destinations with tourists. Yangon

4482-404: The governors of Danyawaddy, Wuntho, and Taungoo. Bandula's plan was to attack the British on two fronts: Chittagong from Arakan in the southeast, and Sylhet from Cachar and Jaintia in the north. Bandula personally commanded the Arakan theatre while Uzana commanded the Cachar and Jaintia theater. Early in the war, battle-hardened Burmese forces were able to push back the British forces because

4565-567: The ground floor) mainly because city regulations, until February 2008, required that all buildings higher than 75 feet (23 m) or eight stories to install lifts. The code calls for elevators in buildings higher than 62 feet (19 m) or six stories, likely ushering in the era of the six-story apartment building. Although most apartment buildings were built only within the last 20 years, they look much older and rundown due to shoddy construction and lack of proper maintenance. Unlike other major Asian cities, Yangon does not have any skyscrapers. This

4648-570: The heavy cost in lives and money which the war had entailed. Some 40,000 British and Indians troops had been involved, of whom 15,000 died. British casualties were blamed on poor planning and logistics as only a quarter of the casualties were from the fighting while almost 70% were from tropical diseases. In the Arakan Campaign alone, 659 Europeans out of 1,500 and some 3,500 Indians out of a total of 8,000 died in hospital. The 1st Madras European Regiment lost 600 out of 900 men in two years. Despite

4731-572: The junta unfit to make such changes, nor by many publications and news bureaus, including, most notably, the BBC and foreign nations including the United Kingdom and the United States.) Since independence, Yangon has expanded outwards. Successive governments have built satellite towns such as Thaketa , North Okkalapa and South Okkalapa in the 1950s to Hlaingthaya , Shwepyitha and South Dagon in

4814-593: The late 1980s, however, the city began a rapid spread north to where Yangon International Airport now stands. But the result is a stretching tail on the city, with the downtown area well removed from its geographic centre. The city's area has steadily increased from 72.52 square kilometres (28.00 sq mi) in 1901 to 86.2 square kilometres (33.3 sq mi) in 1940 to 208.51 square kilometres (80.51 sq mi) in 1974, to 346.13 square kilometres (133.64 sq mi) in 1985, and to 598.75 square kilometres (231.18 sq mi) in 2008. Downtown Yangon

4897-510: The most important commercial, economic and cultural center of Myanmar. On 7 May 2005, a series of coordinated bombings occurred in the city of Yangon, Myanmar. Eleven people were killed in the attack, and one of the 162 people that were injured was a member of the LCMS mission team to Myanmar. In the 2020s, life in Yangon was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and 2021 coup d'état . The city

4980-621: The official reports' emphasis on the disparity of death from disease and combat casualties, Captain Frederick Doveton commented on the British casualties that they were nevertheless high for the troops that engaged, "in the case before us the proportion of killed and wounded to the numbers engaged and space of time occupied may bear in comparison to the palmy and bloody days of Talavera and Waterloo!" The cost to British India's finances had been almost ruinous, amounting to approximately 13 million pounds sterling. The cost of war contributed to

5063-508: The province of Arakan; in the north, the Burmese were expelled from Assam; and the British had made some progress in Cachar, though their advance was finally impeded by the thick forests and jungle. Peace negotiations that began in September broke down by early October after the Burmese would not agree to British terms. The British had demanded no less than the complete dismemberment of the Burmese western territories in Arakan , Assam, Manipur, and

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5146-468: The refugee problem initially as by the threat posed by the French until further incidents forced their hand. The commander in chief of the Burmese army, Maha Bandula , was supported by twelve of the country's best divisions, including one under his personal command, all totaling 10,000 men and 500 horses. His general staff included some of the country's most decorated soldiers, men such as the Lord of Salay and

5229-430: The royal army. Campbell's despatches stated the Burmese suffered some 6,000 casualties over the fifteen day battle. The rest of the Burmese army, most of them conscripts fled and returned to their homes. The British losses were considered heavy in proportion as well: 40 officers and 500 other ranks were killed or wounded in combat with a much larger number ill from disease. Bandula fell back to his rear base at Danubyu ,

5312-430: The south-east of the gilded stupa is the most popular recreational area in the city – Kandawgyi Lake . The 150-acre (61-ha) lake is surrounded by the 110-acre (45-ha) Kandawgyi Nature Park , and the 69.25-acre (28-ha) Yangon Zoological Gardens , which consists of a zoo, an aquarium and an amusement park. West of the pagoda towards the former Hluttaw (Parliament) complex is the 130-acre (53-ha) People's Square and Park ,

5395-468: The subsequent peace negotiations. Instead of fighting in hard terrain, the British took the fight to the Burmese mainland. On 11 May 1824, a British naval force of over 10,000 men (5,000 British soldiers and over 5,000 Indian sepoys) entered the harbour of Yangon (Rangoon), taking the Burmese by surprise. The Burmese, pursuing a scorched earth policy, left an empty city behind and chose to fortify positions along an east–west 10-mile (16 km) arc outside

5478-437: The title Agga Maha Thenapati ( Pali : Aggamahāsenāpati ), the highest possible military rank. Bandula was also made the governor of Sittaung. By November, Bandula commanded a large army outside Yangon. There is great disparancy of the numbers ranging from 30,000 to 60,000 mostly from British sources. Terrance Blackburn discuss the numbers and felt that Campbell had exaggerated the Burmese numbers in his reports to imply that

5561-416: The town and cut off communications lines to Yangon. In the end, the superior firepower of the British guns and missiles won out. On 1 December, Gen. Campbell, with 2500 European and 1500 Indian sepoys, supported by a flotilla of gunboats, attacked the main Burmese position outside Prome. On 2 December, Maha Ne Myo was killed by a shell launched from the flotilla. After Maha Ne Myo's death, the British dislodged

5644-510: The town from 1364 to 1392, and her grandniece, Shin Saw Pu , who later became the only female queen regnant in Burmese history . Queen Saw Pu built a palace next to the Shwedagon Pagoda in the town in 1460 and spent her semi-retired life at that palace until her death in 1471. In 1755, King Alaungpaya , the founder of the Konbaung dynasty captured Dagon, added settlements around it, and called

5727-414: The town with their heavy guns and raining their rockets on every part of the Burmese line. Bandula was killed by a mortar shell. Bandula had walked around the fort to boost the morale of his men, in his full insignia under a glittering golden umbrella, disregarding the warnings of his generals that he would prove an easy target for the enemy's guns. After Bandula's death, the Burmese evacuated Danubyu. U Sa

5810-511: The treaty and in the territories such as the Rangoon area which were occupied for several years to guarantee compliance with the financial terms of the treaty. While both nations suffered heavy military and financial losses, the treaty imposed a more severe financial burden on the Burmese Kingdom and effectively left it crippled. The British terms in the negotiations were strongly influenced by

5893-480: The use of crematoria in Yangoon by the Burmese government to erase evidence of their crimes against monks, unarmed protesters, journalists and students. The city's streets saw bloodshed each time as protesters were gunned down by the government, most notably during the 1988 , 2007 , and the 2021 mass protests, all of which were started in Yangon itself, signifying its importance as the cultural centre of Burma . In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit Yangon. While

5976-508: The war was, in addition to expanding British Bengal 's sphere of influence, the desire for new markets for British manufacturing. The British were also anxious to deny the French the use of Burmese harbours and concerned about French influence at the Court of Ava , as the kingdom was still known to them. British Ambassador Michael Symes 's mission was equipped to gain as much knowledge as possible of

6059-567: The western front—Bandula from Arakan and Bengal, and Uzana from Assam, Cachar, and Jaintia to meet the British in Yangon. In August, in the midst of monsoon season, Bandula and his army crossed the Arakan Yoma . Moving tens of thousands of men over the 3,000-foot-high Arakan hills, or 10,000-foot-high Assamese ranges, heavily forested with only narrow footpaths and open to attack by tigers and leopards, would have been difficult even in mild weather conditions. The King later granted both Bandula and Uzana

6142-530: The year. In 2008, Cyclone Nargis made landfall as a Category 4 cyclone, making it the worst cyclone on the country's record. Until the mid-1990s, Yangon remained largely constrained to its traditional peninsula setting between the Bago , Yangon, and Hlaing Rivers . People moved in, but little of the city moved out. Maps from 1944 show little development north of Inya Lake and areas that are now layered in cement and stacked with houses were then virtual backwaters. Since

6225-484: Was Indian or South Asian , and only about a third was Bamar (Burman). Karens , Chinese , Anglo-Burmese and others made up the rest. After World War I , Yangon became the center of the Burmese independence movement, with leftist Rangoon University students leading the way. Three nationwide strikes against British rule in 1920, 1936, and 1938 all began in Yangon. Yangon was under Japanese occupation (1942–45), and incurred heavy damage during World War II. The city

6308-599: Was based on the Rakhine dialect , and pronounced / r æ ŋ ˈ ɡ uː n / rang- GOON in English. Yangon was founded as Dagon in the early 11th century ( c.  1028–1043 ) by the Mon people , who inhabited Lower Burma at that time. Dagon became an important pilgrimage pagoda town, starting in the 14th century, during the Hanthawaddy Kingdom . Notable governors of Dagon included Princess Maha Dewi , who ruled

6391-509: Was considered a large sum in Europe at that time. It appeared even more daunting when converted to the Burmese kyat equivalent of 10 million. The cost of living of the average villager in Upper Burma in 1826 was one kyat per month. The British would wage two less expensive wars against the weaker Burmese in 1852 and 1885 , and annex Burma by 1885. Under the command of General Cotton: Under

6474-493: Was expanded to cover the entire city. First Anglo-Burmese War British victory [REDACTED] British Empire [REDACTED] Konbaung dynasty [REDACTED] Royal Burmese Army 72 percent of European casualties died from disease (25 percent killed in action) Over 3,500 Indian and others The First Anglo-Burmese War ( Burmese : ပထမ အင်္ဂလိပ်-မြန်မာ စစ် ; [pətʰəma̰ ɪ́ɰ̃ɡəleiʔ-mjəmà sɪʔ] ; 5 March 1824 – 24 February 1826), also known as

6557-495: Was later developed by the Public Works Department and Bengal Corps of Engineers. The pattern of south to north roads is as follows: one broad 100-foot (30 m) wide broad road, two narrow streets, one mid-size street, two more narrow streets, and then another 100-foot (30 m) wide broad road. This order is repeated from west to east. The narrow streets are numbered; the medium and broad roads are named. For example,

6640-644: Was left to command the remaining Burmese troops in Arakan after Bandula's death and the main battalions were ordered to withdraw from Arakan by Bagyidaw to meet the British invasion in Yangon in August 1824. Sa held on to Arakan throughout 1824 while fighting was concentrated in Yangon. After Gen. Archibald Campbell finally defeated Gen. Bandula in the Battle of Yangon in December 1824, the British turned their sights on Arakan. On 1 February 1825, an invasion force of 11,000 soldiers supported by gunboats and armed cruisers along

6723-658: Was retaken by the Allies in May 1945. Yangon became the capital of the Union of Burma on 4 January 1948 when the country gained independence from British rule. Soon after Burma's independence in 1948, many colonial-era names of streets and parks were changed to more nationalistic Burmese names. In 1989, the military junta changed the city's English name to "Yangon", along with many other changes in English transliteration of Burmese names. (The changes have not been accepted by many Burmese who consider

6806-493: Was signed by General Campbell from the British side and Governor of Legaing Maha Min Hla Kyaw Htin from the Burmese side on 24 February 1826. The Burmese paid 250,000 pounds sterling in gold and silver bullion as the first installment of the indemnity, and also released British prisoners of war. The war was thus brought to an end, and the British army moved south. The British army remained in the territories surrendered to it under

6889-524: Was the location of mass protests in response to the coup. The pandemic and protests prompted authorities to enforce numerous lockdowns and curfews . The city's economy subsequently slowed. Yangon is located in Lower Burma (Myanmar) at the convergence of the Yangon and Bago Rivers about 30 km (19 mi) away from the Gulf of Martaban at 16°48' North, 96°09' East (16.8, 96.15). Its standard time zone

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