The First Burma War was an elementary initiation by the British imperialists, who had tried to lay their hands on the yet to be tarnished Burmese regions.

On 17th January 1824, the British East India Company sepoys (soldiers) and local levies under command of Major Thomas Newton (1783-1842) clashed with approximately 4000 Burmese at Bikrampur on the Sylhet (presently in Bangladesh) frontier. As a result, the strong Burmese band took to their heels. A follow up attack on a Burmese stockade in Cachar failed in February 1824.

On 5th March 1824, Lord Amherst (1773-1857), as Governor-General in Council in Calcutta, formally proclaimed a declaration of war with the Government of Ava (in Burma). In May, a Burmese army of more than 6000 led by Maha Bandula (d.1825) passed through the Arakan, crossed the frontier and occupied Ramu. This thrust offered a potential threat to Chittagong, which eased when the British attack on Rangoon forced the recall of Bandula`s troops. On 11th May, General Sir Archibald Campbell (1769-1843) with a troop comprising 11,000 men of the Madras Army and Captain Marryat with a force of the Royal Navy landed and occupied Rangoon without opposition.

On 11th June, two attacks by General Campbell on the Kemmendine Stockade won control of the Irrawaddy above Rangoon and forced the Burmese fifty miles upstream to fortifications at Donabew. During the months of September to November, British forces on the Tenasserim coastline captured Tavoy on September 8, Merguri on October 6, and Martaban on November 1 respectively. On 31st October, parts of the 26th, 47th, 62nd and Native Indian regiments mutinied at Barrackpore (Barrackpur) when they were ordered to serve in Burma. British cannon fire killed several sepoys (soldiers) and dispersed the remainder. On November 2nd, the British hanged six mutinous ringleaders.

Between the days of 1st to 16 December 1824, an army of approximately 60,000 Burmese led by Maha Bandula attacked various British defensive positions surrounding Rangoon. They were subsequently fought off by 1300 British soldiers and 2500 sepoys with assistance from naval gunboats.

Failing on his first attempt to capture Donabew, Major-General Willoughby`s force was reinforced by General Campbell in the days of 1st to 2nd April 1825. The second attack on the fortifications succeeded following the death of the Burmese commander, Maha Bandula. In April, Burmese forces evacuated the Arakan, Assam, Brahmaputra Valley, and Manipur, leaving their possession to the British. On 1st December 1825, General Campbell launched a naval and ground attack on Burmese forces, threatening communications between Prome and Rangoon. The Burmese were defeated and their commander, Maha Newlow was shot down.

In February 1826, due to Burmese delaying strategies and the breakdown of treaty negotiations, Campbell renewed hostilities capturing Malown. On 24th February, General Campbell dictated the terms of the Treaty of Yandabo, by which the King of Alva ceded to the British the territories of Lower Burma, Rangoon, the Arakan, Tenasserim, Assam, Cachar, Jaintia and Manipur. Burma was to pay a 1 million pounds indemnity. The British would be allowed to place a Resident at the Burmese Court and to receive Burmese representation at Calcutta. The First Burma War thus came to a close, with the English seizing and confiscating most of Burma dominions.