List of colonial governors of Burma

This is a list of European (as well as Japanese) 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
Sir Hubert Elvin Rance, the last Governor of Burma
Style	His Excellency
Residence	Government House, Rangoon
Appointer	Monarch of the United Kingdom
Formation	31 January 1862
First holder	Arthur Purves Phayre
Final holder	Sir Hubert Elvin Rance
Abolished	4 January 1948

Burma [Upper (orange) and Lower (pink)], 1886.

As a result of the Second Anglo-Burmese War, Burma was initially setup as a province of British India. Later it was made a separate crown colony within the British Empire. Following capture 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

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Tenure	Portrait	Incumbent	Notes
British Burma
31 January 1862 to 16 February 1867		Arthur Purves Phayre, Chief Commissioner	Arakan, Tenasserim, and Pegu are united as British ("Lower") Burma (within British India)
16 February 1867 to 18 April 1871		Albert Fytche, Chief Commissioner
18 April 1871 to 14 April 1875		Ashley Eden, Chief Commissioner
14 April 1875 to 30 March 1878		Augustus Rivers Thompson, Chief Commissioner	Acting until 30 April 1877
30 March 1878 to 2 July 1880		Charles Umpherston Aitchison, Chief Commissioner
2 July 1880 to 2 March 1883		Charles Bernard, Chief Commissioner	Acting until 4 April 1882, 1st time
2 March 1883 to 25 September 1886		Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite, Chief Commissioner	Acting until 28 February 1884, 1st time. On 1 January 1886, as a result of the Third Anglo-Burmese War, remnant of Kingdom of Awa ("Upper Burma") annexed to British Burma (within British India). On 26 February 1886, Upper and Lower Burma united as Burma (within British India)
25 September 1886 to 12 March 1887		Charles Edward Bernard, Chief Commissioner	2nd time
12 March 1887 to 10 December 1890		Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite, Chief Commissioner	2nd time
10 December 1890 to 3 April 1895		Alexander Mackenzie, Chief Commissioner
3 April 1895 to 1 May 1897		Frederick William Richards Fryer, Chief Commissioner
1 May 1897 to 4 April 1903		Frederick William Richards Fryer, Lieutenant Governor
4 April 1903 to 9 May 1905		Sir Hugh Shakespear Barnes, Lieutenant Governor
9 May 1905 to 19 May 1910		Sir Herbert Thirkell White, Lieutenant Governor
19 May 1910 to 28 October 1915		Sir Harvey Adamson, Lieutenant Governor
15 May 1913 to 1 November 1913		Sir George Shaw, acting Lieutenant Governor	Acting for Adamson
28 October 1915 to 22 September 1917		Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler, Lieutenant Governor	1st time
22 September 1917 to 15 February 1918		Walter Francis Rice, acting Lieutenant Governor
15 February 1918 to 21 December 1922		Sir Reginald Henry Craddock, Lieutenant Governor
21 December 1922 to 2 January 1923		Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler, Lieutenant Governor	2nd time
2 January 1923 to 20 December 1927		Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler, Governor
20 December 1927 to 20 December 1932		Sir Charles Alexander Innes, Governor
20 December 1932 to 8 May 1936		Sir Hugh Landsdowne Stephenson, Governor
8 May 1936 to 6 May 1941		Sir Archibald Douglas Cochrane, Governor	On 1 April 1937, Burma separated from British India, as for provided for in the Government of India Act 1935
6 May 1941 to 31 August 1946		Sir Reginald Hugh Dorman-Smith, Governor	From May 1942 until October 1945 in exile at Shimla, British India
Japanese Occupation of British Burma
20 April 1942 to 18 March 1943		Shōjirō Iida, Military commander	Commander of the 15th Army
18 March 1943 to 30 August 1944		Masakazu Kawabe, Military commander	Commander of the Japanese Burma Area Army
30 August 1944 to 15 August 1945		Heitarō Kimura, Military Commander
Allied military administration
1 January 1944 to October 1945		Actg. Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Military Governor	Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia Command
October 1945 to 31 August 1946		Major general Sir Hubert Elvin Rance, Military governor
British Burma
31 August 1946 to 4 January 1948		Sir Hubert Elvin Rance, Governor
4 January 1948	Burma gains independence as Union of Burma, as provided for in the Burma Independence Act 1947 and the Burmese Declaration of Independence

For continuation after independence, see: President of Myanmar

See also

• Myanmar
  • Politics of Myanmar
  • President of Myanmar
  • List of presidents of Myanmar
  • Vice President of Myanmar
  • Prime Minister of Myanmar
  • State Counsellor of Myanmar
• Lists of Incumbents

Footnotes

External links

• World Statesmen – Myanmar (Burma)