Battle of Rangoon (1852)

Overview

The battle of Rangoon was fought between 11 and 14 April 1852 over the city of Rangoon, capital of the Third Burmese Empire, as one of the crucial clashes during the Second Anglo-Burmese War between 1852 and 1853. Just after a few days after sparking the conflict British expeditionary troops took control over the city and forced the Burmese army to retreat up north. British Empire then established Rangoon as the capital of British Burma until the end of its rule in 1948.

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

Significance

The fall of Rangoon in April 1852 was one of the decisive early engagements of the Second Anglo-Burmese War. A British expeditionary force under Godwin and Lambert, outnumbered nearly two to one, took control of the city within days, forcing the Burmese army to retreat northward. Rangoon was the capital of the Third Burmese Empire, and its rapid capture shifted the strategic initiative firmly to the British. The city subsequently became the administrative capital of British Burma and remained so until the end of British rule in 1948, making the battle a foundational moment in the territorial consolidation of British India's eastern frontier.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)