Sieur de Bruno Sieur de Bruno was a French adventurer and diplomat of the 18th century . He took an important role in developing French influence in Burma , and in leading French efforts at supporting the Mons during their conflicts against the Burmese . The Governor - General of French India Joseph François Dupleix had started to show interest in Burma since 1727 , on account of the country ' s abundance in teak and crude oil . As a result , a French shipyard was established in the city of Syriam in 1729 , building ships for Pondicherry . The shipyard was abandoned in 1742 due to the revolt of the Mon . Envoy in Burma . A few years later , a Mon envoy visited Dupleix requesting French help in the fight against the Burmese . Dupleix promised men and munitions and dispatched Sieur de Bruno with the objective of developing French influence in the country . He arrived at Pegu in July 1751 . Sieur de Bruno reported back that a few hundred French troops would be able to take control of the Irrawaddy Delta , triggering an official request by Dupleix to the French court to obtain the necessary military support . Sieur de Bruno obtained a treaty and formed an alliance between France and the Mons . Governor Saunders of Madras attempted to counter the French moves in the region by sending a military force to survey the island of Negrais under Captain Thomas Taylor . He also tried to negotiate the cession of Syriam to the British . The Mons firmly opposed these attempts at British encroachment under the counsel of Sieur de Bruno , who had considerable influence at the Mon court and was especially on excellent terms with the Heir Apparent . Saunders finally decided to occupy Negrais forcibly , occupying the island on 26 April 1753 . However , Dupleix ' s proposals to take control of the Irrawady delta were rejected by the French government , strongly limiting his capacity to intervene there . Participation in the Burman - Mon conflict . Following their 1740 revolt against Burmese rule , the Mon sacked Ava in 1752 , and overran most of Burma , putting an end to the Toungoo dynasty . Soon however , the Burmese were able to repeal the Mons under the leadership of Alaungpaya . The Mons had to retreat , as Alaunpaya first recovered northern Burma , capturing the city of Ava on January 14 , 1754 . By February 1755 , Central Burma was secured . The Burmese soon threatened the capital of Pegu , as well as the city of Syriam . In Syriam , Sieur de Bruno was helping the Mons in organizing their defense . Sieur de Bruno was insistently requesting more help from Pondicherry . He acted as a military advisor to the Mons , and French warships participated in fighting against the Burmese in Syriam and Dagon ( ancient Rangoon ) . Alaungpaya on the other hand was asking the British for guns and ammunitions . Alaungpaya managed to capture Syriam in July 1756 . Sieur de Bruno and the other French with him were captured and tortured . Two French ships , " Fleury " and " Galathée " , with reinforcements and supplies were also captured by Alaungpaya , when Alaungpaya forced Bruno to write a letter to trick them . The French captains were killed and the 200 sailors forced to join the Burmese army Sieur de Bruno was roasted to death . From the two ships , Alaugpaya managed to put his hands on 35 ships guns ( 24 pounders ) , five field guns , 1300 muskets , and a large quantity of ammunitions . France was precluded from further intervention in Burma , with the advent of the Seven Years ' War in Europe ( 1756 – 1763 ) . The French troops with their guns and muskets were incorporated in the Burmese army as gunners , and played a key role in the later battles between the Burmese and the Mons . They were treated well and received Burmese wives . They became an elite corps , which was to play an important role in the Burmese battles against the Siamese and the Manchus . One of them , the Chevalier Milard , was ultimately nominated Captain of the Guard and Master of the Ordnance for the Konbaung dynasty . When they reached old age , the French soldiers were able to retire in Shwebo villages , with the spiritual support of a priest . To this day , some Catholic villages are still extant in the area where an awareness of some European ancestry remains .