From division to control: The territorial-Administrative restructuring of Burma under British colonial rule

Abstract

This article analyzes the formation and transformation of Burma’s internal territorial–administrative structure from the First Anglo–Burmese War (1824-1826) until independence in 1948. Over more than a century of colonial rule, the British gradually established a modern state model with clearly defined and stable administrative boundaries-an unfamiliar concept to precolonial governance traditions. From dividing “Burma Proper” and the “Frontier Areas” to reorganizing administrative systems from provincial down to village levels, the colonial regime created a new territorial
order serving exploitation and governance. Yet these reforms also left enduring consequences, notably ethnic and political fragmentation, contributing to persistent postcolonial instability. Viewed through a historical-administrative lens, the article identifies the roots of several political and social challenges confronting Myanmar today.