Subject: bo gyoke military commander
Culture: Burmese / Bamar
Setting: Konbaung empire, Burma mid 18th-late 19thc
Context (Event Photos, Period Sources, Secondary Sources)
* Black 1999 p
"
* Edgerton 1968 p92
"The system of the army is a decimal one. The army is divided into lacs, or 10,000 lú tatawa, or 1,000, and lú taya, or 100 men each. Besides the superior Bó over the larger divisions, each company is commanded by an inferior Bó, or captain, and he has under him two inferior Chekli, and also a Nakhan and his assistant."
* Bečka 1995 p46
"BO. A Myanmar term for commander, leader of a force, or military officer." ...
* Bečka 1995 p47
"BOGYOKE. A Myanmar term meaning 'general, senior commander.'" ...
Costume
* Fogg ed. 2013 p171 (describing a Burmese military court costume myit-do-myi-she, 1878-85)
"The ensemble consists of a long, maroon velvet and silk robe and jacket with full-length, tight sleeves. The upper section is composed of white lining fabric, which is covered with a short, sleeveless velvet and silk jacket with a flared front opening and flares along the side vents. Ties at the neck and a sash belt hold the jacket closed. The outfit was worn with a helmet, called a shwe-pe-kha-mauk, made of gilded palm leaves or metal, with a central spike. Sumptuary laws regulated the clothing and accessories that each rank of Burmese society could wear and these are illustrated in detailed manuscript drawings from the nineteenth century. A court chamberlain was responsible for the royal wardrobe and ensured that dress protocol was maintained. Military court dress would have been worn on ceremonial occasions, such as Kadaw Day, an annual event when princes, tributary rulers, ministers, provincial officials, and other members of the elite appeared in full ceremonial dress at the Burmese court to renew their allegiance to the king."
Saber
* Edgerton 1968 p92
"Besides the 'dao' or short sword, the common weapon is the cutlass, the blade of which is curved in continuation of the curve of the handle."
