Background
Ba Maw was born in Maubin. Ba Maw came from a distinguished family of mixed Mon-Burmese parentage which bred many scholars and lawyers.
Ba Maw was born in Maubin. Ba Maw came from a distinguished family of mixed Mon-Burmese parentage which bred many scholars and lawyers.
In 1924 Ba Maw obtained his initial degree at the University of Calcutta and went on to obtain a doctoral degree from the University of Bordeaux, France. Ba Maw wrote his doctoral thesis in the French language on aspects of Buddhism in Burma.
During the early 1930s Ba Maw became a prominent opponent of Britain’s plan to remove Burma (Myanmar) from the jurisdiction of the Indian viceroy, since he believed that a separate Burma would receive a much smaller measure of self-rule than India as a result. In 1934, however, he reversed his position, agreeing to support the pro-separationists in a coalition government. That year he was made minister of education for Burma. When the new constitution, providing for separation of Burma from India, went into effect on April 1, 1937, he became the first premier, and he held office until he was defeated by a coalition in February 1939.
After his defeat, Ba Maw allied with other Burmese leaders to form the Freedom Bloc, which opposed Burma’s participation with the Allies in World War II. In August 1940 he was arrested by the British for sedition and remained in prison until the Japanese invasion in 1942. During the Japanese occupation (1943–45), he was adipati (head of state) of a theoretically independent Burma, although the country was actually a Japanese satellite. He fled to Japan when the Allies reentered Burma. After a brief time in an Allied prison, he returned and unsuccessfully attempted to reenter politics. He later retired to private life.
Ba Maw married Kinmama Maw (December 13, 1905 - 1967) on April 5, 1926. The couple went on to have 7 children.