Question

The British separated Burma (Myanmar) from India in 1935. What was the major reason for this separation?
A) The British found it very difficult to rule over India and Burma as an integrated unit.
B) The All India National Congress pleaded for nationalism and appealed to the British Government to separate Burma from India.
C) The British wanted to use Burma as a gate barrier against the Japanese imperialism to escape their Indian empire.
D) The British separated Burma from India in the hope of weakening the Burmese freedom struggle.

Answer 1

Hint: From the successive three Anglo-Burmese wars to the development of Burma as a Province of British India to the establishment of an independently ruled colony, and finally, independence, British rule in Burma lasted from 1824 to 1948. British Burma was the name given to the area under British rule.

Complete answer:
- Initially, the dispute between the British and the Burmese was limited to a few cross-border clashes, but the British soon began looking for ways to satisfy their long-term greedy desires of exploring Burma's rich forest resources and keeping a lid on French influence in the country.
- Burma erupted into a ferocious nationalist movement after World War I. A large-scale boycott of British goods and administration was launched. Burmese nationalists allied with the Indian National Congress soon after. British partitioned Burma from India in 1937 in order to weaken the Burmese nationalist movement. After the World War II, under the leadership of U Aung San, this movement reached its pinnacle, and Burma gained independence on January 4, 1948.
- Due to the significant role played by Scotsmen in colonising and running Burma, like Sir James Scott, the country is often referred to as "the Scottish Colony." It is clear that the British split Burma from India in order to disrupt the Burmese independence movement.

Hence the answer is option D.

Note: Burma preferred to become a completely independent republic rather than a British Dominion after independence. This was in contrast to India's and Pakistan's independence, which both culminated in the acquisition of dominion status.