Rudyard Kipling wrote "The Road to Mandalay" in 1892 when Burma was a British colony and Queen Victoria was the Empress of India. In the poem, Mandalay is a city some 500 miles along the Irrawaddy River from the capital, Rangoon. British troops stationed in Burma were transported on the river by paddle steamers. The picture painted of…

An overview of Burma's history and culture is discussed in this learning guide. The book begins with a geographical study of Asia's major land masses, archipelagoes, and the bodies of water that have made possible the movement of trade, religion, and culture from ancient to modern times. The early history of Burma's culture is discussed through…