Battle of Ramu
Ramu, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
What happened
Burmese forces under Maha Thiha Thura and U Sa fought a British East India Company force under Captain Thomas Noton. At the start of the First Anglo-Burmese War, a Burmese army marched from Arakan into British-held Chittagong. Burmese troops took positions around the British camp at Ramu over several days. Noton ordered a retreat, which broke up under attack.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The defeat caused panic in Chittagong and Calcutta. Stories of Burmese strength spread widely.
What came next
The Burmese commander Maha Bandula stopped short of Chittagong because the British landed at Rangoon. Burma lost the war and signed the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826.
Did you know?
Burmese chronicles claimed 10,000 British troops at Ramu, probably based on exaggerated reports.
Timeline
- 5 March 1824The First Anglo-Burmese War begins.
- 11 May 1824British forces land at Rangoon.
- 13–16 May 1824Battle of Ramu.
- 24 February 1826Treaty of Yandabo.