Konbaung dynasty

Quick Facts: Who was Konbaung dynasty?

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Konbaung dynasty

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The last imperial dynasty of Burma, ruling from 1752 to 1885.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Konbaung dynasty (Burmese: ကုန်းဘောင်မင်းဆက်), also known as the Third Burmese Empire (တတိယမြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်), was the last dynasty that ruled Burma from 1752 to 1885. It created the second-largest empire in Burmese history and continued the administrative reforms begun by the Toungoo dynasty, laying the foundations of the modern state of Burma. The reforms, however, proved insufficient to stem the advance of the British Empire, which defeated the Burmese in all three Anglo-Burmese Wars over a six-decade span (1824–1885) and ended the millennium-old Burmese monarchy in 1885. Pretenders to the dynasty claim descent from Myat Phaya Lat, one of Thibaw's daughters. An expansionist dynasty, the Konbaung kings waged campaigns against the Lushai Hills, Manipur, Assam, Arakan, the Mon kingdom of Pegu, Siam, and the Qing dynasty of China—thus establishing the Third Burmese Empire.

Career & Major Achievements

Subject to later wars and treaties with the British, the modern state of Myanmar can trace its current borders to these events. Throughout the Konbaung dynasty, the capital was relocated several times for religious, political, and strategic reasons. The dynasty was founded by a village chief, who later became known as Alaungpaya, in 1752 to challenge the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom which had just toppled the Taungoo dynasty. By 1759, Alaungpaya's forces had reunited all of Burma (and Manipur) and driven out the French and the British who had provided arms to Hanthawaddy. Alaungpaya's second son, Hsinbyushin, came to the throne after a short reign by his elder brother, Naungdawgyi (1760–1763).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He continued his father's expansionist policy and finally took Ayutthaya in 1767, after seven years of fighting. In 1760, Burma began a series of wars with Siam that would last well into the middle of the 19th century. By 1770, Alaungpaya's heirs had destroyed Ayutthaya (1765–1767), subdued much of Luang Phrabang and Vientiane (both 1765) and defeated four invasions by Qing China (1765–1769). With the Burmese preoccupied for another two decades by another impending invasion by the Chinese, Siam reunified by 1771, and went on to capture Lan Na by 1776. The Burmese made additional invasions to the newly reconstituted Siam in 1785 and 1786 but failed.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1752: 1752 Milestone — The Konbaung dynasty (Burmese: ကုန်းဘောင်မင်းဆက်), also known as the Third Burmese Empire (တတိယမြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်), was the last dynasty that ruled Burma from 1752 to 1885.
2. 1759: 1759 Milestone — By 1759, Alaungpaya's forces had reunited all of Burma (and Manipur) and driven out the French and the British who had provided arms to Hanthawaddy.
3. 1760: 1760 Milestone — Alaungpaya's second son, Hsinbyushin, came to the throne after a short reign by his elder brother, Naungdawgyi (1760–1763).
4. 1767: 1767 Milestone — He continued his father's expansionist policy and finally took Ayutthaya in 1767, after seven years of fighting.
5. 1770: 1770 Milestone — By 1770, Alaungpaya's heirs had destroyed Ayutthaya (1765–1767), subdued much of Luang Phrabang and Vientiane (both 1765) and defeated four invasions by Qing China (1765–1769).
6. 1771: 1771 Milestone — With the Burmese preoccupied for another two decades by another impending invasion by the Chinese, Siam reunified by 1771, and went on to capture Lan Na by 1776.
7. 1785: 1785 Milestone — The Burmese made additional invasions to the newly reconstituted Siam in 1785 and 1786 but failed.
8. 1824: 1824 Milestone — The reforms, however, proved insufficient to stem the advance of the British Empire, which defeated the Burmese in all three Anglo-Burmese Wars over a six-decade span (1824–1885) and ended the millennium-old Burmese monarchy in 1885.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Konbaung dynasty

True or False: “The Konbaung dynasty successfully repelled all major foreign invasions throughout its entire existence.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While they fought successfully against the Qing dynasty multiple times, the dynasty ultimately lost three wars to the British Empire.

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