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History of Myanmar
From antiquity to the modern era — the historical eras, key events, and narrative that shaped Myanmar.
Overview
In the 15th century, the Toungoo Dynasty succeeded again in unifying under Burman rule a large, multi-ethnic kingdom. This dynasty, which lasted from 1486 until 1752, left little cultural legacy, but expanded the kingdom through conquest of the Shans. Internal power struggles, and the cost of protracted warfare, led to the eventual decline of the Toungoo.
The final Burman royal dynasty, the Konbaung, was established in 1752 under the rule of King Alaungpaya. Like the Toungoo Kings, the Konbaung rulers focused on warfare and conquest. Wars were fought with the ethnic Mons and Arakanese, and with the Siamese. The Burmese sacked the Siamese capital of Ayuthaya in 1767. This period also saw four invasions by the Chinese and three devastating wars with the British.
The British began their conquest of Burma in 1824, expanding their holdings after each of the three wars. At the end of the third war in 1885 the British gained complete control of Burma, annexing it to India. Under British control, which lasted until 1948, Burma underwent enormous change. The British established strong administrative institutions and reorganized the economy from subsistence farming to a large-scale export economy. By 1939 Burma had become the world’s leading exporter of rice.
Burmese nationalists, led by General Aung San and 29 other "Comrades," joined the Japanese forces in driving out the British at the outbreak of World War II. However, the Burmese Army switched sides in mid-1945 and aided U.S. and British forces in their drive to Rangoon. After the war, the Burmese, with General Aung San at the helm, demanded complete political and economic independence from Britain. The British Government acceded to these demands. A constitution was completed in 1947 and independence granted in January 1948. General Aung San was assassinated with most of his cabinet before the constitution was put into effect.
During the weak constitutional period from 1948 to 1962 Burma suffered widespread conflict and internal struggle. Constitutional disputes and persistent division among political and social groups contributed to the democratic government’s weak hold on power. In 1958, the military was invited in temporarily by Prime Minister U Nu to restore political order. The military stepped down after 18 months; however, in 1962 General Ne Win led a coup abolishing the constitution and establishing a xenophobic military government with socialist economic priorities. These policies had devastating effects on the country’s economy and business climate.
In March 1988 student disturbances broke out in Rangoon in response to the worsening economic situation which evolved into a call for regime change. Despite repeated violent crackdowns by the military and police, the demonstrations increased in size as the general public joined the students. During mass demonstrations on August 8, 1988, military forces killed more than 1,000 demonstrators. It was at a rally following this massacre that Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of General Aung San, made her first political speech and assumed the role of leader of the opposition.
On September 18, 1988, the military deposed Ne Win’s Burmese Socialist Program Party (BSPP), abolished the constitution, and established a new ruling junta called the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). In an effort to "restore order," the SLORC sent the army into the streets to suppress the ongoing public demonstrations. An estimated additional 3,000 were killed, and more than 10,000 students fled into the hills and border areas.
The SLORC ruled by martial law until national parliamentary elections were held on May 27, 1990. The results were an overwhelming victory for Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which won 392 of the 485 seats, even though she was under house arrest. However, the SLORC refused to call the Parliament into session and imprisoned many political activists.
The ruling junta changed its name to the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) in 1997, but did not change its policy of autocratic control and repression of the democratic opposition. In 2000, the SPDC announced it would begin talks
Historical Eras
The major periods of {country}’s history at a glance.
Pagan Dynasty
1044 – 1287
King Anawrahta unified Burma for the first time in 1044, establishing Pagan as a glittering capital along the Irrawaddy River adorned with thousands of pagodas and monasteries. Theravada Buddhism took root as the defining faith of Burmese civilization during this golden age. The dynasty collapsed in 1287 when Mongol forces under Kublai Khan sacked and destroyed the city.
Toungoo Dynasty
1486 – 1752
After a period of fragmented Shan rule centered at Ava, the Toungoo kings reunified Burma's multi-ethnic territories through aggressive military expansion, extending dominion over the Shans and neighboring kingdoms. With Portuguese assistance, the dynasty reasserted Burman supremacy across mainland Southeast Asia. Prolonged warfare and internal power struggles eventually drained the state's resources, leading to its collapse by the mid-eighteenth century.
Konbaung Dynasty
1752 – 1885
Founded by King Alaungpaya, the Konbaung dynasty pursued relentless conquest, sacking the Siamese capital of Ayutthaya in 1767 and repelling four Chinese invasions. The dynasty also fought three catastrophic wars with Britain beginning in 1824, losing territory after each defeat. The Third Anglo-Burmese War of 1885 ended with the capture of Mandalay and the complete annexation of Burma into British India.
British Colonial Era
1885 – 1948
Under British rule, Burma was reorganized into a large-scale export economy, becoming the world's leading rice exporter by 1939, while strong administrative institutions reshaped Burmese society. Nationalist sentiment grew fiercely, and General Aung San and his Thirty Comrades allied with Japan to expel the British in 1942 before switching sides in 1945 to aid the Allied liberation. Independence was granted in January 1948, though Aung San was assassinated before the new constitution took effect.
Parliamentary & Early Military Rule
1948 – 1962
The Union of Burma's early parliamentary years were marked by widespread ethnic insurgencies, constitutional disputes, and chronic political instability that undermined democratic governance. Prime Minister U Nu invited the military to temporarily restore order in 1958, a precedent that proved fateful. In 1962, General Ne Win staged a full coup, abolished the constitution, and imposed a xenophobic military-socialist state that systematically isolated Burma from the world economy.
Military Junta Era
1962 – present
Ne Win's socialist dictatorship devastated Burma's economy over more than two decades, culminating in the 1988 pro-democracy uprising in which military forces killed over a thousand demonstrators on August 8. The junta reconstituted itself as SLORC and later SPDC, refusing to honor the NLD's landslide 1990 election victory and repeatedly imprisoning Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Military dominance over political life has persisted into the twenty-first century, punctuated by cycles of protest, violent suppression, and nominal reform.
Timeline Preview
The first 7 key events. View the full chronology on the timeline page.
1057
King Anawrahta founds the first unified Burmese state at Pagan.
King Anawrahta founds the first unified Burmese state at Pagan and adopts Theravada Buddhism.
1287
The forces of Kublai Khan overran Burma.
The forces of Kublai Khan overran Burma. The royal city of Bagan (Pagan) was abandoned under threat from Kublai Khan in the 13th century. The brick temple of Ananda Pahto is in Bagan. More than 4,400 pagodas and 3,000 other religious structures of bricks and stones were built in Bagan, Myanmar’s former capital, during a 243-year period from the 11th to 13th centuries, the result of extraordinary Buddhist fervor.
1531
Toungoo dynasty, with Portuguese help, reunites Burma.
Toungoo dynasty, with Portuguese help, reunites Burma.
1824 – 1826
First Anglo-Burmese war.
First Anglo-Burmese war. The war ends with the Treaty of Yandabo, according to which Burma ceded the Arakan coastal strip, between Chittagong and Cape Negrais, to British India.
1850
Rangoon, Burma, was destroyed by fire.
Rangoon, Burma, was destroyed by fire.
1852
Second Anglo-Burmese War, where General Bandoola died.
Second Anglo-Burmese War, where General Bandoola died.
1885
Britain captures Mandalay after a brief battle.
Britain captures Mandalay after a brief battle; Burma becomes a province of British India.