Towards a historical appreciation: "  The Myanmar conquest of Rakhine  Important chapter of Rakhine?s history: period of dramatic changes and a point of historical no-return  Negatively viewed from a Rakhine nationalist point of view  Need for a critical historical review:  A complex picture  The past (what happened), history (what is written down), memory (what and how people chose to remember), identity (who you are), autonomy (to stand on one?s own feet) and connection  The central perspective of the conqueror vs the view of the victims  Political and economic context  Long decline of Rakhine monarchy and receding political and economic role in the Bay of Bengal: not a threat anymore  Rise of Western colonialism: East India Company in Bengal (the British in India)  Resurgence of Myanmar expansionism (early Konbaung dynasty..."