BURMAH. 



pra princes who fled from Mandalay raised 

 bands of adherents. The Bhamo district in the 

 north was one of the least disturbed, though 

 robberies were committed by wild Kachyens 

 from Katran and by dakoits, who, in Novem- 

 ber, 1886, attacked the town and set fire to 

 some buildings. The Sawbwa of Woontho, a 

 Shan state west of Bhamo, who had been a 

 loyal vassal of Thebaw, refused to recognize 

 the rule of the British, although they offered 

 to leave undisturbed the privileges he had 

 hitherto enjoyed, and promised not to interfere 

 in the internal administration of the state. 

 The Shans farther north, where mines of jade 

 and amber and India-rubber forests are found, 

 manifested a friendly disposition. 



On Oct. 1, 1886, the army of occupation con- 

 sisted of 1,328 British infantry, 15,684 native 

 infantry. 2,273 native cavalry, and 991 artil- 

 lery. The measures adopted for the pacifica- 

 tion of the country were the establishment of 

 troops at various posts, and the formation of 

 movable columns ; the organization of a Bur- 

 mese and Indian police; the establishment of 

 armed steamers on the rivers ; amnesty to all 

 who would cease hostility and the general dis- 

 armament of the people ; division of the coun- 

 try into administrative districts ; freedom of 

 trade and of religion ; codification of the laws ; 

 moderate taxation ; and improvement of com- 

 munication, especially the extension of the rail- 

 road from Toungoo to Mandalay. For pur- 

 poses of government, Upper Burmah was cut 

 up into four main divisions, and subdivided 

 into seventeen districts. The Indian code was 

 extended to the conquered country, but with 

 certain important limitations. The deputy- 

 commissioners were given juridical powers, 

 and could sentence criminals to imprisonment, 

 and even to death, subject to an appeal to the 

 commissioners. In most cases those who were 

 caught in acts of hostility were shot as dakoits 

 by their captors, without trial. The fierce 

 Mohammedan troops struck terror into the 

 hearts of the Burmana by their cruelty, not 

 less than by their prowess. The so called na- 

 tive police was composed of Sikhs and Ghoor- 

 kas, who cast off all restraints of discipline, 

 and plundered at will. The fanatical Moham- 

 medans, when they entered the monasteries, 

 were accustomed to destroy the statues of 

 Buddha. The climate was searely less trying 

 to the Indian than to the European troops. 

 During the year ending Oct. 31, 1886. 930 men 

 died, not reckoning 91 who were killed, and 

 2,032 were taken sick. 



When Sir Frederick Robert?, commander- 

 in-chief of the Indian army, assumed command 

 of the forces in Burmah in October, 1886, 

 after the death of Sir Herbert MacPherson, the 

 army of occupation was greatly strengthened 

 for a vigorous winter campaign against the in- 

 surgents. When cold weather came there were 

 more than 30,000 troops in the field. This 

 force was increased by Sikh military police, 

 who were to take the place of the soldiers 



after the formidable bodies of rebels were over- 

 thrown. But, since the Sikhs were themselves 

 unruly, and their behavior provocative of dis- 

 content, Sir Frederick Roberts pronounced in 

 favor of organizing a Burmese police, and con- 

 ceived the idea that the militant part of the 

 population, from which were recruited the 

 bands of the rebel leaders and the gangs of 

 dakoits, would afford excellent material for a 

 constabulary. 



A successful campaign was prosecuted in 

 1886 against the most important of the Alaung- 

 pra pretenders, the Minzaing prince. His 

 bands were successively routed, and he was 

 driven from every post, until he had to take 

 refuge with the Sawbwa of a small Shan state. 

 Here he died in August, 1886, and his adher- 

 ents, after quarrelling over the division of his 

 property, and killing the Sawbwa who had 

 given them an asylum, dispersed, and were not 

 heard of more as an organized force. 



Flying columns scoured the valley of the 

 Irrawaddy, and the outposts were advanced 

 into the interior after the rains had dried off 

 the plains and cool weather set in. The regu- 

 lar troops were invariably successful in their 

 encounters with the large bands of rebels, and 

 when the latter attempted to make a stand in 

 their stockades, they were driven out with 

 ease and killed by hundreds. The smaller 

 bands were not easily caught, and were often 

 able to inflict losses on the columns of infantry, 

 which could not protect their flanks while 

 moving through the jungle, and were too much 

 encumbered to be able to pursue their assail- 

 ants. The most effective service was performed 

 by the cavalry, which moved with impunity in 

 the bush and through ravines, where the Bur- 

 mese could have inflicted serious damage, but 

 were restrained by their common dread of 

 mounted troops, especially lancers. 



A large detachment of the re-enforcements 

 from India were sent against Boshway, while 

 river-pirates were suppressed by the naval bri- 

 gade in steam-launches. Columns of troops soon 

 swept the low country west of the Irrawaddy 

 of Boshway's bands, driving them and their 

 leader back into the Arakan hills. In the 

 Pugan district the agricultural and trading 

 classes had, to a large extent, returned to their 

 peaceful occupations before the beginning of 

 the cold season. The English district officer 

 was unable, however, to defend those who ac- 

 cepted British rule from the vengeance of the 

 rebels,who murdered native officials, and sacked 

 and burned friendly villages. Once Bo-cho 

 surrounded the deputy commissioner and his 

 guard with 900 men, and fired at them all day, 

 without, however, inflicting any damage. 

 When the troops took the field the district 

 was soon cleared of hostile bands. Before the 

 end of cold weather Bo-cho was a fugitive 

 with only 30 followers. He raised a new band 

 by uttering a prediction that the 16th of April, 

 which is the end of the Burmese year, would 

 terminate the British dominion, but could mus- 



