Burma Province

British Burma
Province of British India (1886–1937) Colony of the United Kingdom (1937–1948)
1824–1942 1945–1948
Flag since 1937 Coat of arms
Anthem God Save the King (1824–1837; 1901–1942; 1945–1948) God Save the Queen (1837–1901)
Burma during World War II Dark green: Japanese occupation of Burma. Light silver: Remainder of British Burma. Light green: Occupied and annexed by Thailand.
Capital		Rangoon
Languages		English (official) Scots (national) Burmese (forbidden)
Religion		Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam
Political structure		Colony
Monarch
•	1862–1901	Victoria
•	1901–1910	Edward VII
•	1910–1936	George V
•	1936	Edward VIII
•	1936–1947	George VI
Governor
•	1923–1927	Harcourt Butler (first)
•	1946–1948	Hubert Rance (last)
Chief Commissioner
•	1862–1867	Arthur Purves Phayre (First)
•	1895–1897	Frederick William Richard Fryer (last)
Legislature		Legislative Council of Burma (1897-1936) Legislature of Burma (1936-1947)
•	Upper house	Senate
•	Lower house	House of Representatives
Historical era		Colonial era
•	First Anglo-Burmese War	5 March 1824
•	Anglo-Burmese Wars	1824–1826, 1852, 1885
•	Anti-colonial movement	1918–1942
•	Separation from British India	1937
•	Japanese occupation and Thai occupation	1942–1945
•	Independence from the United Kingdom	4 January 1948
Currency		Burmese rupee, Indian rupee, Pound sterling
Preceded by Succeeded by British Raj Konbaung Dynasty State of Burma State of Burma Saharat Thai Doem Post-independence Burma, 1948–62

Colonial India

Imperial entities of India
Dutch India	1605–1825
Danish India	1620–1869
French India	1769–1954
Portuguese India (1505–1961)
Casa da Índia	1434–1833
Portuguese East India Company	1628–1633
British India (1612–1947)
East India Company	1612–1757
Company rule in India	1757–1858
British Raj	1858–1947
British rule in Burma	1824–1948
Princely states	1721–1949
Partition of India	1947

British rule in Burma lasted from 1824 to 1948, from the Anglo-Burmese wars through the creation of Burma as a Province of British India to the establishment of an independently administered colony, and finally independence. Various portions of Burmese territories, including Arakan, Tenasserim were annexed by the British after their victory in the First Anglo-Burmese War; Lower Burma was annexed in 1852 after the Second Anglo-Burmese War. The annexed territories were designated the minor province (a Chief Commissionership), British Burma, of British India in 1862.

After the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885, Upper Burma was annexed, and the following year, the province of Burma in British India was created, becoming a major province (a Lieutenant-Governorship) in 1897. This arrangement lasted until 1937, when Burma began to be administered separately by the Burma Office under the Secretary of State for India and Burma. British rule was disrupted during the Japanese occupation of much of the country during the Second World War. Burma achieved independence from British rule on 4 January 1948.

Burma is sometimes referred to as "the Scottish Colony", due to the heavy role played by Scotsmen in colonising and running the country, one of the most notable being Sir James Scott, and the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company.

The province of Burma, after 1885 was administered as follows:

The "Frontier Areas", also known as the "Excluded Areas" or the "Scheduled Areas", compose the majority of states within Burma today. They were administered separately by the British with a Burma Frontier Service, and later united with Burma proper to form Myanmar's geographic composition today. The Frontier Areas were inhabited by ethnic minorities such as the Chin, the Shan, the Kachin and the Karenni.