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Revisiting the Amphibious Campaigns of the First and Second Anglo-Burmese Wars, 1824–53
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22156767 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sohini Mitra (Jadavpur University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-27 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-16 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Military History and Historiography (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2468-3299 • E-ISSN: 2468-3302 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1163/24683302-bja10081 |
| OpenAlex | W4410573073 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 9 |
The technology of steam power vastly changed the nature of 19 th -century naval warfare. Revisiting the oft-neglected amphibious campaigns of the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–26) and Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852–53), this article shows how the British changed their way of utilising steam power over the years. In 1826, after realising the potential of steamers, the English East India Company ( eic ) tried to use steamers as part of their deterrence policy to end the second war sooner and establish diplomatic relations with the Burmese. This article negates technological determinism and argues that the British did not solely win because of superior steam technology or firepower. Based on multi-archival research, this article also highlights the importance of the infantry, leadership, and strategic diplomacy which complimented military technology. This allowed the British to use discriminate violence systematically against the Burmese so that the eic could establish their rule in Lower Burma
Aeronautics · Burmese · Political science · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · Engineering · Environmental Science · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · Philosophy · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies
| Highly cited | No |
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