The Battle of Maymyo ended the Third Qing Invasion of Burma, nearly annihilating the Manchu-led force and halting Qing expansion into Southeast Asia.
Key Facts
- Date
- March 1768
- Invasion force size
- 50,000 troops
- Qing commander
- Mingrui (nephew of Qianlong Emperor)
- Burmese commander
- Maha Thiha Thura
- Conflict context
- Part of Sino-Burmese War (1765–69)
- Outcome for Qing force
- Nearly wiped out; only a few survivors escaped
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
After two failed invasions using Green Standard Army and Yunnan border troops, the Qianlong Emperor ordered a third invasion in November 1767, placing his nephew Mingrui in command of a 50,000-strong Manchu Bannermen force. Initial Qing advances were successful, defeating Burmese forces at the Battle of Goteik Gorge and pushing deep into central Burma toward Ava.
Mingrui overextended his supply lines reaching Ava, while Burmese reinforcements returned from Siam and began severing Qing logistics. Harassed by guerrilla attacks and weakened by tropical disease, Mingrui was forced to retreat. Burmese commander Maha Thiha Thura intercepted the retreating Qing force at Maymyo and all but destroyed the invasion army, with only a handful of survivors escaping.
The near-total destruction of the Third Invasion force effectively ended Qing military ambitions in Burma. The battle demonstrated the limits of Qing power projection into mainland Southeast Asia and contributed to the eventual negotiated end of the Sino-Burmese War in 1769, with Burma retaining its independence.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Mingrui.
Side B
1 belligerent
Maha Thiha Thura.