Maha Bandula

Maha Bandula, born Maung Yit in 1782, was commander-in-chief of the Royal Burmese Armed Forces from 1821 until he died in action in 1825 during the First Anglo-Burmese War. He rose from the royal bodyguard of a crown prince to governor of his hometown Dabayin, served in the Burmese invasions of Manipur and Assam under the Konbaung dynasty, and received the title Maha Bandula from King Bagyidaw in 1819. His British opponents nicknamed him the Sable Bonaparte and the Wellington. He was a key figure in the Konbaung policy of expansion in Manipur and Assam that ultimately led to war with the British, and he led the Burmese resistance in that war. He is celebrated in Myanmar as a national hero, and some of the most prominent places in the country are named after him.