Konbaung dynasty
Myanmar, 1752–1885. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Konbaung dynasty, also known as the Third Burmese Empire, 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 and ended the millennium-old Burmese monarchy in 1885.
Seat of power: Shwebo
Rulers
Alaungpaya
King of Burma, 1752–1760
He was the founder and first king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma. He is considered one of the three greatest monarchs of Burma alongside Anawrahta and Bayinnaung.
Portrait of Alaungpaya: Phyo WP, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Naungdawgyi
King of Burma, 1760–1763
He was the second king of Konbaung Dynasty of Burma. As king, he spent much of his short reign suppressing multiple rebellions across the newly founded kingdom.
Hsinbyushin
King of Burma, 1763–1776
He is best known for his wars with Qing China and Siam, and is considered the most militaristic king of the dynasty. His successful defense against four Qing invasions preserved Burmese sovereignty. His 1765 invasion of Ayutthaya brought an end to the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
Singu Min
King of Burma, 1776–1782
He was the fourth king of the Konbaung dynasty of Myanmar. He largely put an end to his father Hsinbyushin's policy of territorial expansion, which had severely depleted the kingdom's manpower and resources.
Bodawpaya
King of Burma, 1782–1819
He was the sixth king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma. He was proclaimed king after deposing his nephew Phaungkaza Maung Maung. Bodawpaya moved the royal capital back to Amarapura in 1782.
Portrait of Bodawpaya: Kantabon, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
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Phaungkaza Maung Maung
King of Burma, 1782–1782
He was the fifth king of the Konbaung Dynasty of Burma, whose reign lasted six days. Phaungkaza Maung Maung was the shortest lived king among the Konbaung Kings.
Bagyidaw
King of Burma, 1819–1837
He was the seventh king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma from 1819 until his abdication in 1837. Bagyidaw's reign saw the First Anglo-Burmese War, which marked the beginning of the decline of the Konbaung dynasty.
Portrait of Bagyidaw: Harry Marriott Burton, PD-US, file
Tharrawaddy Min
King of Burma, 1837–1846
He repudiated the Treaty of Yandabo and almost went to war with the British. In February 1837, he raised the standard of rebellion after escaping to Shwebo, the ancestral place of the Konbaung kings.
Portrait of Tharrawaddy Min: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Pagan Min
King of Burma, 1846–1853
He was the ninth king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma. Pagan Min won the power struggle to succeed his father by having his rival brothers killed. The Second Anglo-Burmese War broke out during the reign of Pagan Min.
Portrait of Pagan Min: Archaeological Survey of India, Public domain, file
Mindon Min
King of Burma, 1853–1878
He was one of the most popular and revered kings of Burma because of his role in the Fifth Buddhist Council. He spent most of his reign trying to defend the upper part of his country from British encroachments, and to modernize his kingdom.
Portrait of Mindon Min: Ekyaw, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Thibaw Min
King of Burma, 1878–1885
He was the last king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma and also the last Burmese monarch in the country's history. His reign ended when the Royal Burmese armed forces were defeated by the forces of the British Empire in the Third Anglo-Burmese War, on 29 November 1885.
Portrait of Thibaw Min: Unknown author, Public domain, file
Culture
- The plan of Mandalay Palace largely follows the traditional Burmese palace design; it is inside a walled fort surrounded by a moat.
- The king was the chief executive with the final say on all matters, but he could not make new laws and could only issue administrative edicts.
- 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.
Picture
The palace in Mandalay was constructed between 1857 and 1859 as part of King Mindon's founding of the new royal capital city of Mandalay.
Image: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.