The Collapse of British Rule in Burma: The Civilian Evacuation and Independence

Description

In May 1942 colonial Burma was in a state of military, economic and constitutional collapse. Japanese forces controlled almost the whole country and thousands of evacuees were trapped in a huge area of no-man’s-land in the north. They made their way to India through the so-called ‘jungles of death’, attempting to trek out of Burma amidst perilous conditions. Drawing on diverse and previously unpublished accounts, Michael D. Leigh analyses the experiences of evacuees in both Burma and India and critically examines the impact of evacuation on colonial and Burmese politics in the lead-up to independence in 1948. This study will be of particular interest to students and scholars of Burmese history, 20th-century imperialism and the global reach of the Second World War. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents List of Illustrations List of Maps List of Tables Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Foreword 1. Introduction 2. The Chindwin Valley–Manipur Evacuation Route 3. The Hukawng Valley to Margherita: Part One 4. The Hukawng Valley to Margherita: Part Two 5. The Chaukan Pass Evacuation Route 6. The Indian Tea Association 7. Returnees and Émigrés: India 1942–1945 8. The Post-War Mess 9. Anglo-Burmese Relations 1942–1947 10. Compensation Wars: British Government versus British Interests in Burma 11. Epilogue Glossary of Terms Notes Bibliography Index