A Civil Servant in Burma

Name: A Civil Servant in Burma
Author: White, Herbert Thirkell, Sir

White, Herbert Thirkell, Sir

Burma

The description already given[124] of the position of women in Burma
may help to render intelligible the sketch of our life in Mandalay in
early days. For some months European ladies were not encouraged to come
to Mandalay. Most of us were extremely busy, and lived an austere life
in the Palace. For companionship we were dependent on one another and
on our Burmese friends. The people of whom I saw most in rare intervals
of relaxation were officials and their families and members of the
royal house. Queens and Princesses were many. For a melancholy reason
Princes were few. Except the Myingun Prince in Pondicherry, and the
Nyaung-yan and Nyaung-ôk Princes in Calcutta, only two of Mindôn Min’s
sons survived--the Kawlin and Pyinmana[125] Princes.[126] Educated in
India, these two have now for some years lived in charming domesticity
in Rangoon; each happily married to a lady of his House. Both are
honorary magistrates, and duly take their turn as members of a Bench
for the trial of petty cases. There were a few other Minthas, sons of
the Einshemin[127] and other Princes, besides more distant relations of
the King. Several of the Minthas have taken service under Government,
and occupy responsible positions as Assistant Commissioners, My̆o-ôks,
and in other departments. Almost all the ladies of the Royal House,
widows and daughters of Mindôn Min, or otherwise nearly related to
the King, were in great distress and poverty. For the most part
they had subsisted on meagre allowances, many of them being kept in
confinement or under restraint. All these ladies received pensions
from the British Government, but on so minute a scale that Sir Charles
Bernard’s proposals for their maintenance excited by their moderation
the surprise even of the Government of India. Yet when income-tax was,
as some think illegally, levied in Upper Burma on incomes derived
from Government, I am ashamed to say that these paltry stipends were
subjected to deduction. From time to time the scale of pensions was
raised, but it was not till many years later that I had the good
fortune to enlist Lord Minto’s active sympathy with these ladies, and
to secure for them allowances not utterly inadequate. Most prominent of
the royal ladies in Mandalay were two full sisters of King Thebaw, the
Pakangyi and Meiktila Supaya.[128] Meiktila Supaya married a commoner,
and died some years ago, leaving two charming daughters, of whom one
is the wife of a Government officer. The Amá-daw-gyi[129] brought up
her nieces, and lived quietly in Mandalay till recent days. Only one
of Mindôn Min’s wives of royal stock survived till our time. Wives of
inferior rank were not of royal blood, but for the most part daughters
of officials or chiefs. The three whom I knew best were three sisters,
the Limban, Thetpan, and Thayazein Queens, daughters of a Talaing
My̆o-thugyi in Lower Burma. They were ladies of dignity and refinement,
with whom my family and I were long on terms of intimacy. Only the

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Opening the text

A Civil Servant in BurmaWhite, Herbert Thirkell, Sir

History

A Civil Servant in Burma

White, Herbert Thirkell, Sir

Burma

The description already given[124] of the position of women in Burma
may help to render intelligible the sketch of our life in Mandalay in
early days. For some months European ladies were not encouraged to come
to Mandalay. Most of us were extremely busy, and lived an austere life
in the Palace. For companionship we were dependent on one another and
on our Burmese friends. The people of whom I saw most in rare intervals
of relaxation were officials and their families and members of the
royal house. Queens and Princesses were many. For a melancholy reason
Princes were few. Except the Myingun Prince in Pondicherry, and the
Nyaung-yan and Nyaung-ôk Princes in Calcutta, only two of Mindôn Min’s
sons survived--the Kawlin and Pyinmana[125] Princes.[126] Educated in
India, these two have now for some years lived in charming domesticity
in Rangoon; each happily married to a lady of his House. Both are
honorary magistrates, and duly take their turn as members of a Bench
for the trial of petty cases. There were a few other Minthas, sons of
the Einshemin[127] and other Princes, besides more distant relations of
the King. Several of the Minthas have taken service under Government,
and occupy responsible positions as Assistant Commissioners, My̆o-ôks,
and in other departments. Almost all the ladies of the Royal House,
widows and daughters of Mindôn Min, or otherwise nearly related to
the King, were in great distress and poverty. For the most part
they had subsisted on meagre allowances, many of them being kept in
confinement or under restraint. All these ladies received pensions
from the British Government, but on so minute a scale that Sir Charles
Bernard’s proposals for their maintenance excited by their moderation
the surprise even of the Government of India. Yet when income-tax was,
as some think illegally, levied in Upper Burma on incomes derived
from Government, I am ashamed to say that these paltry stipends were
subjected to deduction. From time to time the scale of pensions was
raised, but it was not till many years later that I had the good
fortune to enlist Lord Minto’s active sympathy with these ladies, and
to secure for them allowances not utterly inadequate. Most prominent of
the royal ladies in Mandalay were two full sisters of King Thebaw, the
Pakangyi and Meiktila Supaya.[128] Meiktila Supaya married a commoner,
and died some years ago, leaving two charming daughters, of whom one
is the wife of a Government officer. The Amá-daw-gyi[129] brought up
her nieces, and lived quietly in Mandalay till recent days. Only one
of Mindôn Min’s wives of royal stock survived till our time. Wives of
inferior rank were not of royal blood, but for the most part daughters
of officials or chiefs. The three whom I knew best were three sisters,
the Limban, Thetpan, and Thayazein Queens, daughters of a Talaing
My̆o-thugyi in Lower Burma. They were ladies of dignity and refinement,
with whom my family and I were long on terms of intimacy. Only the

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A Civil Servant in Burma

A Civil Servant in Burma

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