Arakanese - Burmese War 1824-1826

Around the end of the 18th century, Bo Daw Maung Wine(Badonmin),the Burmese king, was envied British,Spanish and Frish intrudera all over the world. He appointed his eldest son Maung Po as General to occupy the Kingdom of Arakan.

Therefore,General Maung Po marched and occupied the Kingdom of Arakan on Saturday 31st December 1784.A.D. So the Kingdom of Aarakan was under the Burmese occupation in 1784.A.D. After they had occupied the Kingdom of Arakan General Maung Bo appointed Nan Da Pa Kyan and Min Khaung Kyaw as leaders with ten thousands Burmese musketeers to enslave and troture the Arakanese people.

Nan Da Pa Kyan and Min Khaung Kyaw were cruel. The Burmese musketeers tied the Arakanese childern's hands and legs with rope and threw them into the water, some childern were also thrown into fire. They hoisted upto many Arakanese innocent babies, childrens and stabbed them. they also inserted these babies inside paddy mortars pounded them with pestles. They stabbed many pregenant women. They force innocent men and women to make enclosures on the beach and stay inside when the tied went up. These people were drowned on the beach. These places came to the called like "Let Phan Pya" (the place where Arakanese people show their fingers) in Pauk Taw Tounship,"Ah Ro Pon Htaung" (mountain of bones) and Gaubg Pru Pyin(Arakanese people's head field near by Mrauk U, ancient capital of Arakan. There are some historical estimates of the dead toll. Arakanese(eye witness) recorded that 553,225 buildings including Buddhist Monasteries were destroyed in Mrauk U, another 3,730 monasteries and pagodas were burned down by Burmese musketeers. Asuming five(5) persons for each family, the total of 553,225 X 5 =2,766,125 Arakanese people were killed by the Burmese muderers in Mrauk U.

In Arakanese Era 1146,1784 AD, brass and bronze palaces of Arakanese Kings were destroyed and carried away to Upper Burma together with Arakanese captives, by raft of the Bay of Bengal.As soon as they arrived Upper Burma, they melted the brass and bronze royal plates into the Mingun bronze Bell at Sagaing to commemorate their victory over the Kingdom of Arakan. Each Burmese Goverment are proud of Mingun bronze Bell, the world third biggest, which weights 555,555 viss(1.6 KG).

At the time, Arakanese Kings were worshipped the Mahamuni image of Lord of Buddha. This Mahamuni image was also carried away by raft of the bay of Bengal and along the Irrawaddy river to Mandalay, the ancient capital of Burma by General Maung Po.

General Maung Po, brought along(3,000) able-bodied Arakanese captives to Maldalay and force them to bake bricks to build the Mingun pagoda from 1790 to 1797.Bones of dead Arakanese captives arescattered nearby Mingun Pagoda. Burmese astrologers predicted that when completed, the pagoda will suffer damage due to a devastating earthquake in 1838.So it was left unfinished Mingun pagoda, would have risen to height of 50 feet,the largest one in the whole of Burma.As it stands it is the biggest brick pile in the world,the bottomterace beeing a square of 450 feet. If Arakanese captices were not able to work somehow on Migun pagoda construction, Burmesedictators cut hands of Arakanese captives. Besides, the Burmese musketeers also force 3,000 captives to dig the long lake of Meiktila. Therefore, countless Arakanese captives died of sickness and lack of medicine, starved to death, died or hard labour. When Arakanese captives died, their dad bodies were buried in lng lake of Meiktila. This lake was full of Arakanese bones. People of Arakan suffered from misery thatsurpasses despriction.On the other hand,the invagers or the Burmese musketees committed sacrileges upon the pagodas in the whole of Arakan.

Burmese king Bo Daw Maung Wine,died 1819 A.D. therefore,his eldest son(Mayor of Sagaing twon),grand child of Maung Wine,Bagyidaw in 1819 A.D at Amarapura in Upper Burma.

In the entitled the river "Gassapa naddy,and Never to be under others" Mastery, our historical duty written by Tekkatho Kyaw Lin Khaing, it was mentioned as follows: "the mayor of ancient capital of Mrauk U, Maung San Pyaw(Min Khaung Kyaw) sent a massage to the Burmesae king Bagyidaw para in Amarapura informing him about the British Army's arrival at the Chittagong, near Arakan, with a large amount of arms and ammunition.When Bagyidaw heard that news, he appointed Mayor Maung Rit of Ahlone town asa Bandoola(general) and Maung Sa( Myawaddy Secretary U Sa) and sent them to Arakan with 16,000 Burmese musketeers into Chittagong to confront British armed froces. The Burmese army, let by Gen. Maha Bandoola, marched and attacked British army led by Captain Norton commander of light Infantry company#40, at Ramu(Pen Wa) on May 16, 1819. In the battle, the British army suffered heavy casaultied and retreated. The Burmese army occupied the Kingdom of Arakan in 1784 A.D.


References

Arakan Historical Reserarch Journal by Khaing Min Wah