Yangon: A Seaport and Administrative Center of the British Colony in Burma, 1852-1948

Abstract

This article studies about Yangon as a maritime trading port and the British colonial center of Burma between 1852-1948. The objectives of this study were: 1) the development of the city of Yangon, and 2) landscape modification and urban structuring by British colonial rulers. The concept of the article is the urban and cosmopolitan development using historical methods to analyze primary and secondary historical evidence.

The study found that the British transformed the area by building the city according to modern standards along with urban planning. The grid layout of Yangon has a direct impact on the city's perception of orderliness and modernity. In addition, the management of the urban structure is considered to adjust the city’s landscape to feel like a European city. This article has contributed to our understanding of the development of Yangon as an area that has developed by leaps and bounds. This was a turning point that transformed Yangon into a rapidly expanding colonial city in Southeast Asia between the 19th and 20th centuries.