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Colonial
Times in
Myanmar or
Burma
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Myanmar,
Burma, birma,
Portuguese
colonial
times, Prome,
Tenasserim,
Taninthari,
Ayuthaya,
Portuguese,
sixteen
century,
Alfonso de
Albuquerque,
Malacca,
Martaban.
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A golden Myanmar of
trade between Asia and Europe.
The trade
between Myanmar Burma and the rest of the
world is somehow a golden Myanmar of trade between
Asia and Europe, the pattern over time via
colonialism through world war 2 and the
problems after are somehow linked together.
If someone wants to understand the trade and
business between Asia and Europe it is
necessary to look into the golden Myanmar.
The colonial
impact.
Myanmar Burma
from very early times Myanmar received
travelers from Europe and other countries.
There is evidence to suggest that the
country was known to Venetian merchants who
conducted a lucrative trade in spices by way
of the Persian Gulf and the Arabic
Peninsular.
The route across
Tenasserim in southern Myanmar, known today
as Taninthari, through the old capital of
Siam , Ayuthaya in Thailand, was one of the
great trade routes of the East
The first
important contact with Myanmar was made by
the Portuguese in the early days of the
sixteen century.
When Alfonso de
Albuquerque conquered Malacca in 1511, he
sent an ambassador to the King of Pegu /
Bago intending to trade with the country.
There was no immediate success but
ultimately the Portuguese played an
important role in Myanmar.
The first
important contact with Myanmar was made by the
Portuguese in the early days of the sixteen
century. |
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When Alfonso de Albuquerque
conquered Malacca in 1511, he sent an ambassador
to the King of Pegu / Bago intending to trade
with the country. There was no immediate success
but ultimately the Portuguese played an
important role in Myanmar.
Portuguese colonial times church at Syriam near Yangon.
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Portuguese church in Syriam near Yangon 18th.jpg
British army at the entrance to the Yangon river
colonial times Myanmar Burma
British army storming stockades in Rangoon -
Yangon river colonial times Myanmar Burma
British navy at the entrance to the Pathein
river colonial times Myanmar Burma |
Early Portuguese activities are detailed in a
narrative by Mendez Pinto, a trader who
arrived at the Martaban River during a
expedition led by Branginoco. The King of Pegu /
Bago was on war Kingdom of Martaban.
The King
was assisted by four Portuguese ships commanded
by John Cayero. Pinto's ship dropped anchor in
the river on the night of March 27th , 1547,
intending to proceed to Martaban in the morning.
The visitors were disturbed by the sound of
heavy gunfire from the direction of Martaban.
Despite unease at not being able to identify the
source of the firing, the galleon continued its
voyage in the morning.
As the vessel came in
sight of the massive walls and numerous towers
of Martaban, the signs of tremendous conflict
were revealed. Pinto soon contacted his
countrymen who were serving in the Pegu camp.
He
found them a nondescript crew, but ''all rich
and in good condition.' He was pressed to join
them, but preferred the freedom and lack of
responsibility of a spectator.
What he saw did
not stimulate his national pride. The King of Martaban, after holding out gallantly against
tremendous odds, was at length betrayed into a
surrender by some Portuguese captains. He threw
himself on the neck of his elephant and said:
'Let me not see those ungrateful and wicked men!
Kill me or remove them or I will not go
further.'
Upon this the Myanmar guard reviled the
Portuguese and bade them all retire and shave
their heads. 'Not to tell a lie,' observed
Pinto, 'I was never more hurt in my life than by
this public insult offered to the honour of my
countrymen.'
Portuguese grave
Syriam near Yangon
It is easy to believe the veracious chronicler,
for the deed of betrayal was vile. Branginoco
promised to spare the life of the King and of
his women and children. However, no sooner
did he get the unfortunate King into his power
than he proceeded to wreak vengeance upon his
captive in truly oriental fashion.
The Queen, her children and
ladies-in-waiting, numbering one-hundred and
forty in all, were suspended by their feet
from gibbets until death put an end to their
suffering. The King and forty of his nobles were
cast into the sea with stones tied to their
necks. So revolting was the whole business that
Branginoco's own men rose in protest but the
tyrant, having accomplished his end, withdrew to
Pegu and so escaped the threat.
Branginoco followed his conquest of Martaban
with an attack on Prome. After a siege of five
months.
Prome was captured and burned and its
inhabitants put to the sword. The atrocities
which stained his victory at Martaban were
repeated. |
Portuguese grave Syriam near Yangon 18th
Century |
According to Portuguese writers two
thousand children were cut to pieces and given
as food to wild animals. The Queen was publicly
whipped and killed after horrible treatment at
the hand of soldiers. Later the corpse of the
ill-fated lady was tied to the person of the
King and with this gruesome encumbrance, he was
thrown into the river.
A similar fate befell three hundred principal
inhabitants of the city. Subsequently a vast
army led by Branginoco and including a thousand
Portuguese laid siege to Ayuthaya. Despite a
gallant defence led by another Portuguese force
commanded by James Pereyra, Ayuthaya would
probably have fallen had not news reached
Branginoco of a revolution in Pegu. The siege
was raised and the forces marched back to Pegu.
The Portuguese contributed to a great turbulence
in the region during the latter part of the
sixteenth and much of the seventeenth century.
The first Portuguese traders and explorers were
followed by a group of adventurers
of the worst type ' depraved men of base
instincts with no sense of honor. Most
of them were buccaneers who ravaged
shipping and imposed tolls on the
extensive trade in the Indian seas.
he Portuguese were scattered throughout the
countries of the Indian Ocean but at the
beginning of the seventeenth century there was a |
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considerable concentration in Arakan, now known
as Rakhine. Visitors were attracted by the local
king whose name is given as Shimili Shah or
Xilimixa. This potentate had made himself master
of Pegu and took into his service as many
European adventurers as he could secure to help
him extend his influence.
One of the Portuguese from Arakan, Philip de Brito, better known as Nicote, established
himself at Syriam on the Pegu river very close
to present day Yangon, nominally as a servant of
Shimili Shah. Nicote became de facto ruler of
Pegu and of the neighbouring kingdom of Toungoo.
After failing to remove Nicote by force, Shimili
Shah resorted to chicanery to obtain his
objective. He proposed as a mark of regard to
transfer a port in Arakan to Nicote who then
sent a number of his countrymen to settle on the
spot. At the same time, Nicote sent his son and
a large retinue to the court of the King of
Arakan.
As soon as the treacherous monarch had his
victims in his power he murdered them all.
Meanwhile, the King of Toungoo joined with the
King of Ava in an effort to destroy
Nicote. A great army laid siege to Syriam and
soon made Nicote's position quite desperate. The
adventurer was betrayed by one of his officers
and died after being impaled by his savage
conquerors. The downfall of Nicote coincided
with the rise of another European adventurer a
Spaniard named Sebastian Gonzales de Tibao.
If you are somehow
interested to know something about this times -
almost essential if you are interested in Asian
golden Myanmar you must read Siamese White from Maurice
Collis
at e-books
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Colonial
Times in
Myanmar or
Burma
|
|
Myanmar,
Burma, birma,
Portuguese
colonial
times, Prome,
Tenasserim,
Taninthari,
Ayuthaya,
Portuguese,
sixteen
century,
Alfonso de
Albuquerque,
Malacca,
Martaban
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