While exploring the history of Southeast Asia, Myanmar is an ancient and mysterious land that is always a source of thought. Vietnam has long been under the influence of our country, but Myanmar has always maintained an elusive independence due to its unique geographical and political environment. This makes one wonder what impact would it have on our history and modernity if the wheel of history had changed slightly and Myanmar had become part of China
Myanmar, the sleeping lion of Southeast Asia, sits on a vast land area of 670,000 square kilometers, twice the size of Japan and six times the size of South Korea. As the second-largest country in Southeast Asia, it is almost unbelievably rich in natural resources. It has a high forest coverage, world-leading timber resources, rich minerals such as gold, copper, coin, and hydrogen, not to mention the oil and gas fields scattered throughout the territory, and the potential of these resources is enough to make any country covet.
However, the reality of Myanmar stands in stark contrast to its natural resources. The country's geological exploration and resource exploitation capacity is extremely limited, resulting in most of these treasures sleeping underground and underutilized. Myanmar's economic situation has been far from optimistic, and its per capita GDP has long been at the bottom of Southeast Asia, not only due to natural limitations, but also as a result of long-term political turmoil and governance failures. Historically, Myanmar has not always been so isolated. During the British colonial era, it was one of the world's major oil producers, and Myanmar produced 1 million tons of oil a year and was an important player in the international energy market.
At the same time, the quality of rubies here is world-leading, and it is known as a slow sale of rubies. However, these advantages of natural affluence in Myanmar have not translated into long-term national prosperity, which is inextricably linked to Myanmar's complex political and military background. In fact, Myanmar's historical strength is not without trace. In 1044 A.D., after Ajantodra usurped the throne, he incorporated various lands into the empire with Qiao's hard military methods, and achieved the great unification of Burma.
His reign is somewhat comparable to that of Qin Shi Huang in Chinese history. Burma's cities also explain why, historically, even China, the vast and powerful China, the Tang, Han, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties failed to conquer this neighboring country. Myanmar not only has a complex terrain, full of rugged mountains and dense rivers, but also has a tenacious military and a national defense capability that should not be underestimated.
The fertile plains and numerous rivers of southern Myanmar provide unique conditions for its agricultural production. According to statistics, Myanmar has more than 300 million acres of arable land, while the population is only more than 50 million, and the per capita arable land area far exceeds that of China. In addition, Myanmar's 3,200 kilometres of coastline are supposed to provide it with easy access to the sea**, but the reality is a depressed scenario. Myanmar's marine resources have not been effectively exploited, and the sea** has not reached its potential heights.
During the Yuan Dynasty, Mongol rule covered northern China, ushering in a new era in the country's history. The Mongols shared their love of war and threw their careers into a wider area. After defeating Dali, their horses turned to Burma and began a massive military campaign. The military success of the Yuan dynasty was evident, and their bravery on the battlefield, especially the frequent encounters with the Pugan dynasty on the Yunnan border, demonstrated their military prowess. Although the Burmese side dispatched 40,000 or 50,000 soldiers and nearly 800 war elephants, it was still defeated under the strong pressure of the Yuan army. The Yuan dynasty had reached the peak of its history by this time, but then the Burmese royal family's internal strife and civil strife shook its political structure.
The decline of the Purgan dynasty and the independence of the Shan states led to the gradual acceptance of the Yuan dynasty in Burma. In the mid-to-late 14th century, with the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, a new page was opened in Chinese history. The Yuan dynasty's political and military tactics were very different from those of their predecessors, and they not only focused on territorial unification, but also strengthened military defenses in places such as Yunnan to prevent the cleansing of Southeast Asian countries. The reform of the Yuan dynasty's regime, which included the destruction of independent political forces and the promotion of popular identity through education and propaganda, greatly strengthened the Yuan dynasty, but Burma did not give in.
During the Ming Dynasty, Burma completed the unification of the country and went to war with China again. Despite repeated military defeats, the Tatmadaw did not give up, but changed tactics and adopted a policy of gradual erosion. In this case, although the official positions, divisions and other positions established by the Ming Dynasty in Yunnan gave them huge power, as time went by, these positions gradually ceased to be controlled by the Ming Dynasty, so that the Burmese army could easily defeat these scattered forces one by one.
With the advent of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty reached the peak of its history. Far on the frontier, however, the Qing Dynasty did not seem to be strong enough to fear. Burma continued to exert pressure on the Tusi on the Qing border and forced taxes to be levied on them. Under this double pressure, the Tusi of Bian Jin were caught in a dilemma of having to pay taxes to the Qing Dynasty and to pay to Burma, which seemed helpless to the extent that Burma was able to take advantage of the situation.
Emperor Qianlong was finally outraged by the provocations in Burma and decided to take military action. However, in successive battles, the Qin Dynasty failed to achieve decisive victories, and many battles ended in failure. In the last war, although the Qing army had a slight advantage, it was ultimately unable to completely conquer Burma, and the two sides had to choose a peace truce. This series of wars not only had a profound impact on the history of Burma and China, but also provided us with rich food for thought for historians and political observers today.
Myanmar's tenacity and resistance, as well as the changes in China's foreign policy amid the change of dynasties, reflect the complexity of history and the delicate balance of relations between states. These historical events are not only a review of the past, but also provide valuable lessons and references for the future.