# List of colonial governors of Burma

The colonial governors of Burma were the colonial administrators responsible for the territory of British Burma, an area equivalent to modern-day Myanmar.
As a result of the Second Anglo-Burmese War, Burma was initially set up as a province of British India. Later it was made a separate crown colony within the British Empire. Following invasion by the Empire of Japan during World War II, it was controlled by a Japanese military governor. After the Japanese were expelled, it was under a Allied military commander, then a civilian governor until independence.

## List

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
acting
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office |
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| British Burma ||||||
| Chief commissioner ||||||
| 1 | | Arthur Purves Phayre (1812–1885) | 31 January 1862 | 16 February 1867 | 5 years, 16 days |
| 2 | | Albert Fytche (1820–1892) | 16 February 1867 | 18 April 1871 | 4 years, 61 days |
| 3 | | Ashley Eden (1831–1887) | 18 April 1871 | 14 April 1875 | 3 years, 361 days |
| 4 | | Augustus Rivers Thompson (1829–1890) | 14 April 1875 | 30 April 1877 | 2 years, 16 days |
| 4 | | Augustus Rivers Thompson (1829–1890) | 30 April 1877 | 30 March 1878 | 334 days |
| 5 | | Charles Umpherston Aitchison (1832–1896) | 30 March 1878 | 2 July 1880 | 2 years, 94 days |
| 6 | | Charles Bernard (1837–1901) | 2 July 1880 | 4 April 1882 | 1 year, 276 days |
| 6 | | Charles Bernard (1837–1901) | 4 April 1882 | 2 March 1883 | 332 days |
| 7 | | Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite (1835–1915) | 2 March 1883 | 28 February 1884 | 363 days |
| 7 | | Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite (1835–1915) | 28 February 1884 | 25 September 1886 | 2 years, 209 days |
| (6) | | Charles Bernard (1837–1901) | 25 September 1886 | 12 March 1887 | 168 days |
| (7) | | Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite (1835–1915) | 12 March 1887 | 10 December 1890 | 3 years, 273 days |
| 8 | | Alexander Mackenzie (1842–1902) | 10 December 1890 | 3 April 1895 | 4 years, 114 days |
| 9 | | Frederick William Richards Fryer (1845–1922) | 3 April 1895 | 1 May 1897 | 2 years, 28 days |
| Lieutenant governor ||||||
| 1 | | Frederick William Richards Fryer (1845–1922) | 1 May 1897 | 4 April 1903 | 5 years, 338 days |
| 2 | | Sir Hugh Shakespear Barnes (1853–1940) | 4 April 1903 | 9 May 1905 | 2 years, 35 days |
| 3 | | Sir Herbert Thirkell White (1855–1931) | 9 May 1905 | 19 May 1910 | 5 years, 10 days |
| 4 | | Sir Harvey Adamson (1854–1941) | 19 May 1910 | 28 October 1915 | 5 years, 162 days |
| – | | Sir George Shaw (1858–1931) Acting | 15 May 1913 | 1 November 1913 | 170 days |
| 5 | | Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler (1869–1938) | 28 October 1915 | 22 September 1917 | 1 year, 329 days |
| – | | Walter Francis Rice (1871–1941) Acting | 22 September 1917 | 15 February 1918 | 146 days |
| 6 | | Sir Reginald Henry Craddock (1864–1937) | 15 February 1918 | 21 December 1922 | 4 years, 309 days |
| 5 | | Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler (1869–1938) | 21 December 1922 | 2 January 1923 | 12 days |
| Governor ||||||
| 1 | | Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler (1869–1938) | 2 January 1923 | 20 December 1927 | 4 years, 352 days |
| 2 | | Sir Charles Alexander Innes (1874–1959) | 20 December 1927 | 20 December 1932 | 5 years |
| 3 | | Sir Hugh Landsdowne Stephenson (1871–1941) | 20 December 1932 | 8 May 1936 | 3 years, 140 days |
| 4 | | Sir Archibald Douglas Cochrane (1885–1958) | 8 May 1936 | 6 May 1941 | 4 years, 363 days |
| 5 | | Sir Reginald Hugh Dorman-Smith (1899–1977) | 6 May 1941 | 31 August 1946 | 5 years, 117 days |
| Japanese Occupation of British Burma ||||||
| Military commander ||||||
| 1 | | Lieutenant general Shōjirō Iida (1888–1980) | 20 April 1942 | 18 March 1943 | 332 days |
| 2 | | General Masakazu Kawabe (1886–1965) | 18 March 1943 | 30 August 1944 | 165 days |
| 3 | | General Heitarō Kimura (1888–1948) | 30 August 1944 | 15 August 1945 | 1 year, 350 days |
| Allied military administration ||||||
| Military governor ||||||
| 1 | | Actg. Admiral Lord Mountbatten (1900–1979) | 1 January 1944 | October 1945 | 1 year, 9 months |
| 2 | | Major general Sir Hubert Elvin Rance (1898–1974) | October 1945 | 31 August 1946 | 10 months |
| British Burma ||||||
| Governor ||||||
| 1 | | Sir Hubert Elvin Rance (1898–1974) | 31 August 1946 | 4 January 1948 | 1 year, 126 days |