List of colonial governors of Burma

The colonial governors of Burma were the colonial administrators responsible for the territory of British Burma, an area equivalent to modern-day Myanmar.

Governor of Burma
Standard of the Governor, 1939–1948
Longest serving
Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler

28 October 1915–22 September 1917
21 December 1922–20 December 1927
StyleHis Excellency
ResidenceGovernment House, Rangoon
AppointerMonarch of the United Kingdom
Formation31 January 1862
First holderArthur Purves Phayre
Final holderSir Hubert Elvin Rance
Abolished4 January 1948
SuccessionPresident of Myanmar
Burma [Upper (orange) and Lower (pink)], 1886.

As a result of the Second Anglo-Burmese War, Burma was initially set up as a province of British India. Later it was made a separate crown colony within the British Empire. Following invasion by the Empire of Japan during World War II, it was controlled by a Japanese military governor. After the Japanese were expelled, it was under a Allied military commander, then a civilian governor until independence.

List

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(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

  acting

No. Portrait Name
(birth–death)
Term of office
Took office Left office Time in office
British Burma
Chief commissioner
1   Arthur Purves Phayre
(1812–1885)
31 January 1862 16 February 1867 5 years, 16 days
2   Albert Fytche
(1820–1892)
16 February 1867 18 April 1871 4 years, 61 days
3   Ashley Eden
(1831–1887)
18 April 1871 14 April 1875 3 years, 361 days
4   Augustus Rivers Thompson
(1829–1890)
14 April 1875 30 April 1877 2 years, 16 days
30 April 1877 30 March 1878 334 days
5   Charles Umpherston Aitchison
(1832–1896)
30 March 1878 2 July 1880 2 years, 94 days
6   Charles Bernard
(1837–1901)
2 July 1880 4 April 1882 1 year, 276 days
4 April 1882 2 March 1883 332 days
7 Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite
(1835–1915)
2 March 1883 28 February 1884 363 days
28 February 1884 25 September 1886 2 years, 209 days
(6)   Charles Bernard
(1837–1901)
25 September 1886 12 March 1887 168 days
(7) Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite
(1835–1915)
12 March 1887 10 December 1890 3 years, 273 days
8   Alexander Mackenzie
(1842–1902)
10 December 1890 3 April 1895 4 years, 114 days
9 Frederick William Richards Fryer
(1845–1922)
3 April 1895 1 May 1897 2 years, 28 days
Lieutenant governor
1 Frederick William Richards Fryer
(1845–1922)
1 May 1897 4 April 1903 5 years, 338 days
2 Sir Hugh Shakespear Barnes
(1853–1940)
4 April 1903 9 May 1905 2 years, 35 days
3   Sir Herbert Thirkell White
(1855–1931)
9 May 1905 19 May 1910 5 years, 10 days
4 Sir Harvey Adamson
(1854–1941)
19 May 1910 28 October 1915 5 years, 162 days
Sir George Shaw
(1858–1931)
Acting
15 May 1913 1 November 1913 170 days
5   Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler
(1869–1938)
28 October 1915 22 September 1917 1 year, 329 days
Walter Francis Rice
(1871–1941)
Acting
22 September 1917 15 February 1918 146 days
6   Sir Reginald Henry Craddock
(1864–1937)
15 February 1918 21 December 1922 4 years, 309 days
5   Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler
(1869–1938)
21 December 1922 2 January 1923 12 days
Governor
1   Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler
(1869–1938)
2 January 1923 20 December 1927 4 years, 352 days
2   Sir Charles Alexander Innes
(1874–1959)
20 December 1927 20 December 1932 5 years
3 Sir Hugh Landsdowne Stephenson
(1871–1941)
20 December 1932 8 May 1936 3 years, 140 days
4 Sir Archibald Douglas Cochrane
(1885–1958)
8 May 1936 6 May 1941 4 years, 363 days
5   Sir Reginald Hugh Dorman-Smith
(1899–1977)
6 May 1941 31 August 1946 5 years, 117 days
Japanese Occupation of British Burma
Military commander
1   Lieutenant general
Shōjirō Iida
(1888–1980)
20 April 1942 18 March 1943 332 days
2   General
Masakazu Kawabe
(1886–1965)
18 March 1943 30 August 1944 165 days
3   General
Heitarō Kimura
(1888–1948)
30 August 1944 15 August 1945 1 year, 350 days
Allied military administration
Military governor
1   Actg. Admiral
Lord Mountbatten
(1900–1979)
1 January 1944 October 1945 1 year, 9 months
2   Major general
Sir Hubert Elvin Rance
(1898–1974)
October 1945 31 August 1946 10 months
British Burma
Governor
1   Sir Hubert Elvin Rance
(1898–1974)
31 August 1946 4 January 1948 1 year, 126 days

See also

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References

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