25 Facts About Maha Bandula

General Maha Bandula was commander-in-chief of the Royal Burmese Armed Forces from 1821 until his death in 1825 in the First Anglo-Burmese War.

Maha Bandula had three siblings: brother Aye, sister Dok, and brother Myat Ne.

Maha Bandula had to quit his studies before he turned 13 after his father died of illness.

Maha Bandula had to take on early responsibilities in his youth after the death of his father.

Maha Bandula worked the sesame fields with his mother and looked after his younger siblings.

Maha Bandula got married a few years later to Shin Min Bu.

Maha Bandula commanded an infantry force of 5000 men and 500 cavalry, followed by Gen.

Maha Bandula sent in commandos who scaled the hills at night and broke open the stout gates, allowing the Burmese to take the fort and the capital.

Maha Bandula collected mercenaries from Bengal and started to strengthen his army and constructed fortifications to prevent further invasion of Burmese.

Maha Bandula left a military garrison of 2000 men commanded by Gen.

Maha Bandula was part of the war party at Bagyidaw's court, which included Queen Me Nu and her brother, the lord of Salin.

Maha Bandula believed that a decisive victory could allow Ava to consolidate its gains in its new western empire in Arakan, Manipur, Assam, Cachar and Jaintia, as well as take over eastern Bengal.

Maha Bandula's plan was to attack the British on two fronts: Chittagong from Arakan in the southeast, and Sylhet from Cachar and Jaintia in the north.

Maha Bandula personally commanded the Arakan theater while Uzana commanded the Cachar and Jaintia theaters.

Maha Bandula believed that he could take on a well-armed British force of 10,000 head-on.

Maha Bandula fell back to his rear base at Danubyu, a small town not far from Yangon, in the Irrawaddy delta.

The first British attack failed, and Maha Bandula attempted a counter charge, with foot soldiers, cavalry and 17 fighting elephants.

Maha Bandula had walked around the fort to boost the morale of his men, in his full insignia under a glittering golden umbrella, discarding the warnings of his generals that he would prove an easy target for the enemy's guns.

Maha Bandula failed to imagine the use of guerrilla tactics or any innovative strategy.

Maha Bandula remains extremely popular in Burmese imagination, and is often the only general ranked alongside famous Burmese kings.

Maha Bandula's popularity is perhaps not just due to his skills as a military commander.

Rather, Maha Bandula's continued popularity is because of his courage to fight on against an overwhelmingly superior enemy.

The Burmese remember that Maha Bandula's death was followed by a series of one ignominious setback after another that eventually led to the loss of sovereignty in 1885.

For whatever reason, Maha Bandula remains the most famous general in Burmese history.

Team Maha Bandula is one of five student teams into which all students in every Burmese primary and secondary school are organized.