Battle of Goteik Gorge

Overview

The Battle of Goteik Gorge took place during the Sino–Burmese War (1765–1769) fought between the Konbaung Dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) and the Qing Dynasty of China in late December 1767 or early January 1768. It was the first major battle in the third invasion by the Chinese who had previously unsuccessfully invaded Burma in 1765 and 1766. The Chinese victory cleared the way for the main Chinese army to Ava, the Burmese capital.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Goteik Gorge was the opening major engagement of China's third invasion of Burma, following two failed campaigns in 1765 and 1766. A Qing force of approximately 15,000 troops under Mingrui faced a significantly smaller Konbaung force of 7,000–8,000 men under Maha Sithu. The Chinese victory at the gorge removed the primary obstacle blocking the advance toward Ava, the Burmese capital, and opened the route for the main Qing army to push deeper into Burmese territory. By clearing this position, the battle gave the third invasion its initial momentum, distinguishing it from the stalled earlier efforts and raising the prospect that the campaign might succeed where its predecessors had not.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)