The Burma Research Society was founded on 29 March 1910 at a meeting held at the Bernard Free Library

Bernard Free Library

The Bernard Free Library was established on 21 February 1883 when the Commissioner of Lower Myanmar, Sir Charles Edward Bernard opened a library, with his collection of books, in the centre of Rangoon . This library was the first free public library in Myanmar...

 in Rangoon

Yangon

Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...

 by J S Furnivall, J A Stewart, Gordon H Luce

Gordon H Luce

Gordon Hannington Luce was a colonial scholar in Burma. He was born on 20 January 1889 and died on 3 May 1979. His outstanding library containing books, manuscripts, maps and photographs - The Luce Collection - was acquired by the National Library of Australia in 1980, as part of its major research...

 and Pe Maung Tin

Pe Maung Tin

Pe Maung Tin was a scholar of Pali and Buddhism and educator in Myanmar, formerly Burma. Born an Anglican and named Maung Tin at Pauktaw, Insein Township, Rangoon, he was the fifth child of U Pe and Daw Myaing. His grandfather was the first Burmese pastor of Henzada...

.

It published original research which appeared in the Journal of the Burma Research Society. Its aims were "the investigation and encouragement of Art, Science and Literature in relation to Burma

Myanmar

Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....

and the neighbouring countries ".The Journal of the Burma Research Society (1911-1977) consists of 59 volumes, being 136 Journals comprising more than 1300 articles. Since 1962 publication has been subject to government regulation. The Society also published its Fiftieth Anniversary Publications (Rangoon: Burma Research Society, 1960-61. 2 vols). The first volume consisted of papers read at the Society's fiftieth anniversary conference, and the second, 524 pages, reprinted a selection of articles from earlier issues of the Journal.

As well as publishing the Journal, the Burma Research Society also published Burmese historical and literary manuscript texts and prescribed school textbooks.