SOAS Research Online

Abstract

By the time of the Second World War writing on political subjects in Burmese was well established; jet right up to the early years of this century there had been nothing like it in eight centuries of Burmese literature. This thesis attempts to trace the beginning of political writing in Burma, to point out the circumstances that led to its emergence, and to follow its development up to the end of the Second World War. Burmese writing before the introduction of the printing press consisted mainly of verse; what prose writing existed was confined to such subjects as history, law and medicine. But with the adrent of printing and a new mass readership the scope of writing was enlarged to include plays and novels. From the time of the First World War there developed a growing involvement in international affairs, hostility against the colonial government and a demand for independence; so writers came to write on politics, a subject which had now become of paramount importance for every nationalist Burmese. Political writing became acceptable to the Burmese largely as the result of the work of one man, Saya Lun (also known as Mr. Maung Hmaing and as Thakhin Kodaw Hmaing) and that is the reason he is given special prominence in this thesis. Saya Lun had already established himself as a successful playwright and poet and had earned a considerable reputation as a scholar before he launched into political writing. He already had a willing audience whom he gently introduced into the sphere of political debate. Apart from the influence he wielded at the time.;he had no small effect on the future development of the country;he supported and encouraged the young independence fighters and shaped many of the ideas of the men who were to become leaders of an independent Burma.