Pandaw Magazine

36
F E A T U R E
WHERE
THE OLD
FLOTILLA LAY...
Paul Strachan uncovers the extraordinary story of the
Irrawaddy Flotilla, from 1852 to 1942, the commercial
backbone of Burma – made in Glasgow…
The story of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, on
whose heritage Pandaw is based, is central to
Burma’s modern history.
The flotilla was the means by which two colonial
wars were won by the British and its expansion and
economic dominance helps account for the
immense prosperity Burma achieved under British rule. The
technical brilliance of the ships, their scale and beauty, remain
unrivalled to this day. Their scuppering in the Second World War in
the face of a rampant Imperial Japanese Army symbolised the
humiliating end of empire, while nationalisation after Burmese
independence represents the country’s long rejection of world. It is
only now coming to an end.
How did it all happen? It is, as they say, a long story.
After the First Anglo-Burmese war of 1824-25 the Arakan and
Moulemein, Burma’s coastal territories, were ceded to Britain’s
Indian Empire. Secluded in the palace city of Ava the Burmese king,
Bagyidaw, withdrew into a state of melancholy bordering on insanity.
By the 1830s government had all but broken down as dacoity
[banditry] enveloped the country. Village was pitted against village
and piracy made the Irrawaddy unnavigable.
In 1837 the Tharrawaddy Prince [Min in Burmese] rebelled and
took power and the court was moved back to Amarapura. He refused
to honour the treaty with the British and relations worsened.
In 1854 the Pagan Min in turn rebelled and seized power from his
unstable father, but proved even more vicious.
Unlike its predecessor, the Second Anglo-Burmese War of 1852
was not caused by Burmese invasion of British territory. Rather it
was about “face” — in this case British face. The Burmese came to
neglect the terms of the 1826 Treaty of Yandabo, which ended the
first war, and her port governors set about harassing British
merchants. An anti-British party at court achieved the appointment
of a belligerent governor for Rangoon who succeeded in provoking
the local commander Commodore Lambert into naval action. The
latter became known as the ‘combustible commodore’ and was
reprimanded by The Earl of Dalhousie, the (Scottish) Governor-
General of India. Yet, war became inevitable and in 1852 the Province
of Pegu or Lower Burma was annexed.
Unlike the first war, when the British had been caught out by
the monsoon, this campaign was a highly organised affair.
Preparations in India were extensive and included the transfer of
steam paddle ships of the Bengal Marine for troop transportation on
the Irrawaddy. These were officered by British and crewed by Bengali
lascars. Taking advantage of divisions in the court, the expedition