The Making of Modern Burma

by Thant Myint-U

The Making of Modern Burma is a history of the country from the nineteenth to early twentieth century. In a sophisticated and much-needed account, the author argues that many aspects of contemporary Burmese society are the creations of the nineteenth century when Burma fought the British and tried to modernize the country. The book will be an important resource for students and policymakers as a basis for understanding contemporary politics and the challenges of the modern state, as well as for historians interested in British colonial expansion during the period.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Asia, Politics

Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Thant Myint-U was educated at Harvard and Cambridge University and later taught history for several years as a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. He has also served on three United Nations peacekeeping operations, in Cambodia and the former Yugoslavia, as well as with the United Nations Secretariat in New York. He is the author of a personal history of Burma, The River of Lost Footsteps.

Reviews

[Phyu Hninn Nyein · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a brief summary of how Konbaung kingdom in Myanmar was set up and how it has changed under colonial rules. This is full of facts, so one can get overwhelmed by those facts if s/he is picking this book to learn about Myanmar history. I wouldn't recommend this book unless/until you are quite familiar with Myanmar history already.

[Ahsan Sajid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Myint-U’s The Making of Modern Burma is not the best place to start reading about the history of the Southeast Asian country if you’re new to the subject, but it’ll certainly be a base to expand on further reading.

Upon asking a Burmese colleague about the writer (because you can always tell a lot about a writer by how they’re received in their home country), the first thing I’m told is that Thant Myint-U is the grandson of the former UN Secretary-General U Thant. This coupled with the writer’s body of work, and his political and policy credentials made me see this book as the ideal opening to understanding a very complicated piece of the colonial puzzle.

It may have been the sizzle that sold me the steak, but it’s the meat that made me stick. This is a thoroughly researched book, and hardly apt for a nightly skim-through. I found myself highlighting heavily; with the density of form and content, there are parts you’ll want to come back to, and you’ll need to be able to find your way.

The reason this book isn’t an ideal place to start on such an ambitious subject is simply because this book is not a primer. As the name suggests, its focus is on the 19th century, detailed around the fall of the Konbaung dynasty and the Court of Ava, and preceding the worst periods of Empire or subsequent military rule. You’ll gain an intimate understanding of the Court of Ava, the judicial and social structures of the period, gender, inheritance, economy, and all the dizzying detail of it. You will see the Anglo-Burmese wars unfold one by one, and you’ll understand the eventuality of it.

Most importantly, you’ll understand what makes the “Myanma” identity as it developed during the Kingdom of Ava. You’ll understand the role of Theravada Buddhism to this and its import from Ceylon. You’ll understand how ethnicities began to be classified. This will be a matter of contention given the crossroads of history the country now finds itself in in reckoning with itself and the rest of the world.

Having read this book, I am now looking forward to reading the rest of Thant Myint-U’s oeuvre, and hopefully reading a bit more widely. I want to read more about the Kingdom of Pagan which preceded the Kingdom of Ava, I want to read more about the British colonialism of the 20th century, I want to read more about the subsequent military rule, and what exactly makes for a fertile ground for one of the worst humanitarian disasters of our lifetime.

If you want to read one book to understand the entirety of Myanmar’s history, this isn’t it. However, if you want to read widely, include this in your list.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the Konbaung Dynasty and the steady growth of British dominance and eventual seizure of the state.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written book with a lot of research behind it. To date this is the best book I have found which explains society in Burma in the 19th century. It starts by outlining the traditional social structures in Burma in the early 19th century. We then see how these change during the reigns of the last 2 kings of the country as they attempted to modernise in the face of British aggression and wars.

The book intertwines social, political, economic and legal changes that take place. It also provides a good look at the Royal Court and its tentacles of influence in local society and its collapse of influence under King Thibaw. Following this it looks at the institutions and societal changes introduced by the British during their rule of the country and how with independence the vacuum that was left at the heart of society was filled with patriotism and the army and a cycle of coups which is ongoing even today.

This is an essential book if you want to understand how modern Burmese society was created from what was inherited from the troubles of the 19th century.

[James Ojascastro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authoritative history of Burma immediately prior to British colonization. Well-researched and comprehensive.

[Peter Woltemade · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the author's books The River of Lost Footsteps and The Hidden History of Burma naturally cover some events that are also described in this book (sometimes including even a minor detail already presented here), those books can profitably be read together with this one.

[Saw Than Myat Soe · Rating 5 out of 5]

One day, if a chance I would like to see the people alike us in North-East India.

[Ei Ei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank for app goodread.