Myanmar did not have a standard time before the British colonial period. Each region kept its own local mean time, according to the Burmese calendar rules: sunrise, noon, sunset and midnight.[note 1] The day was divided into eight 3-hour segments called baho (ဗဟို), or sixty 24-minute segments called nayi (နာရီ). Although the calendar consists of time units down to the millisecond level, the popular usage never extended beyond baho and at most nayi measurements; a gong was struck every nayi while a drum (စည်) and a large bell (ခေါင်းလောင်း) were struck to mark every baho.[4]
Type
Time
Burmese name
Description
Day
1 o'clock
နံနက် တစ်ချက်တီး
midway between sunrise and midday
2 o'clock
နေ့ နှစ်ချက်တီး
noon (midday)
3 o'clock
နေ့ သုံးချက်တီး
midway between noon and sunset
4 o'clock
နေ့ လေးချက်တီး
sunset
Night
1 o'clock
ည တစ်ချက်တီး
midway between sunset and midnight
2 o'clock
ည နှစ်ချက်တီး
midnight
3 o'clock
ည သုံးချက်တီး
midway between midnight and sunrise
4 o'clock
နံနက် လေးချက်တီး
sunrise
Colonial period
Burma at 6:30 ahead of the GMT on this 1928 world map of time zones
The use of a common time began in British Burma in the late 19th century. The first confirmed mention of Rangoon Mean Time (RMT) at GMT+6:24:40[note 2] being in use was in 1892,[5] a year before the country's first time ball observatory[note 3] was opened in Rangoon (Yangon) on 1 October 1893.[6][7] However, the use of RMT as the common time, at least in some sectors, most probably started earlier. (The country's first rail service, between Rangoon and Prome (Pyay), began on 2 May 1877,[8] and the non-authoritative IANA time zone database says RMT was introduced in 1880.[9]) On 1 July 1905,[10][11] a new standard time called Burma Standard Time (BST) at GMT+6:30—set to the longitude 97° 30' E, and 5 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of RMT—was first adopted by the Railways and Telegraph administrations.[10][12] Although the rest of the country came to adopt BST, RMT continued to be used in the city of Rangoon at least to 1927.[note 4] By 1930, however, BST apparently had been adopted in Rangoon as well.[note 5]
The standard time was reverted to GMT+6:30 after the war.[13] It has remained ever since, even after the country's independence in 1948. The only change has been its name in English; the official English name has been changed to Myanmar Standard Time[1] presumably since 1989 when the country's name in English was changed from Burma to Myanmar.[14] The country does not observe a daylight saving time.[2]
Standard time for British Burma from at least 1892 to 30 June 1905. Continued to be used in Rangoon (Yangon) at least to 1927[15] perhaps until 1929.[16]
Burma Standard Time
1 July 1905 – 30 April 1942
UTC+6:30:00
First adopted by Railways and Telegraph offices in 1905.[10][12] The October 2021 IANA database says it was introduced in 1920[13] but does not provide a source.
^(Clancy 1906: 57): The Burmese calendar recognizes two types of day: astronomical and civil. The mean Burmese astronomical day is from midnight to midnight, and represents 1/30th of a synodic month or 23 hours, 37 minutes and 28.08 seconds. The civil day comprises two halves, the first half beginning at sunrise and the second half at sunset.
^The time offset of 6:24:40 was the time used by the official time signal station in Rangoon per (Kinns 2020: 545) and the Admiralty (Admiralty 1895: 27); it was confirmed by the US Naval Intelligence report (USNI 1928: 723). The IANA database (https://www.iana.org/time-zones, version 2021e, released on 2021-10-21) gives 6:24:47, citing a secondary source (Reed and Low, The Indian Year Book, 1936–37, pp. 27–28); to be sure, the maintainers of the database do state that "this file is by no means authoritative." The 6:24:47 figure of (Reed and Low) may have been a typographical error from the 6:24:37 time given in (Indian Railway Board 1906: 7) which states that "... in Burma 6 1/2 hours ahead of Greenwich and 5 minutes 23 [sic] seconds earlier than Rangoon time." The Railway Board's 6:24:37 is likely false as the Admiralty records from 1898 to 1922 all say the official Rangoon time (per Kinns 2020: 545) was 6:24:40.
^(Kinns 2020: 544): The British apparently were using a local pagoda (later came to be known as the Signal Pagoda) in Rangoon for signaling at least since 1855, three years after their annexation of Lower Burma; but "no supporting evidence of a Rangoon time signal has been found in notices prior to 1893."
^An April 1927 dispatch by the US Naval Intelligence (USNI 1928: 723) says that the whole country, except Rangoon, used the standard time, GMT+6:30, while the city of Rangoon still used Rangoon Mean Time, which was 5 minutes 20 seconds behind Burma Standard Time (or GMT+6:24:40).
^(Kinns 2020: 545): the UK Admiralty records show that the time ball at the Rangoon time signal station was dropped twice each day, once at GMT+17:30:00 for 00:00:00 BST (i.e. GMT+6:30:00) and also at GMT+17:35:20 for 00:00:00 RMT (i.e. GMT+6:24:40); it was only in 1930 that the time ball at Rangoon was dropped for the standard time (GMT+6:30:00).
IANA Time Zone Database (2021-10-21). "Time Zone Database, 2021e". Retrieved 2022-01-01.
Kinns, Roger (2020). "Time Signals for Mariners in India, Burma and Ceylon" (PDF). Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. Chiang Mai: National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand. 23 (3): 523–552. Bibcode:2020JAHH...23..523K.
Kinns, Roger (2021). "Time Signals for Mariners in Southeast Asia: Time Balls, Discs, Bells, Guns and Lights". In Wayne Orchiston; Mayank N. Vahia (eds.). Exploring the History of Southeast Asian Astronomy: A Review of Current Projects and Future Prospects and Possibilities. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. ISBN978-3-030-62776-8.
The Railway Board of India (1906). Administration Report on the Railways in India for the Calendar Year 1905. Simla: Manager of Publications.
Union of Myanmar Ministry of Information (2002). Myanmar: Facts and Figures. Ministry of Information, Union of Myanmar.
United States National Bureau of Standards (1935). Standard Time Throughout the World. Washington: United States Department of Commerce.
United States Nautical Almanac Office (17 May 2013). The Nautical Almanac for the Year 2014. Government Printing Office. p. 262. ISBN978-0-16-091756-1.
United States Naval Observatory (1906). Publications of the United States Naval Observatory. Vol. IV. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
United States Office of Naval Intelligence (1928). Port Directory of the Principal Foreign Ports. Washington: US Naval Department.
March 14, 2023
myanmar, standard, time, burmese, mjəmà, sàɰ, dʑèiɰ, formerly, burma, standard, time, standard, time, myanmar, hours, ahead, calculated, basis, longitude, used, year, round, myanmar, does, observe, daylight, saving, time, time, zoneutc, offsetmmtutc, 30current. Myanmar Standard Time MMT Burmese မ န မ စ တ ခ န mjema saɰ dɔ dʑeiɰ formerly Burma Standard Time BST is the standard time in Myanmar 6 30 hours ahead of UTC UTC 06 30 MMT is calculated on the basis of 97 30 E longitude 1 MMT is used all year round as Myanmar does not observe daylight saving time 2 Myanmar Standard TimeTime zoneUTC offsetMMTUTC 06 30Current time12 23 14 March 2023 MMT refresh Observance of DSTDST is not observed in this time zone Contents 1 History 1 1 Pre colonial period 1 2 Colonial period 1 3 After independence 2 Timeline of common times 3 IANA time zone database 4 Notes 5 References 6 BibliographyHistory Edit The Alanpya Signal Pagoda in Rangoon Yangon in 1855 The time ball attached to the top of the pagoda by the British is visible 3 Pre colonial period Edit Myanmar did not have a standard time before the British colonial period Each region kept its own local mean time according to the Burmese calendar rules sunrise noon sunset and midnight note 1 The day was divided into eight 3 hour segments called baho ဗဟ or sixty 24 minute segments called nayi န ရ Although the calendar consists of time units down to the millisecond level the popular usage never extended beyond baho and at most nayi measurements a gong was struck every nayi while a drum စည and a large bell ခ င လ င were struck to mark every baho 4 Type Time Burmese name DescriptionDay 1 o clock န နက တစ ခ က တ midway between sunrise and midday2 o clock န န စ ခ က တ noon midday 3 o clock န သ ခ က တ midway between noon and sunset4 o clock န လ ခ က တ sunsetNight 1 o clock ည တစ ခ က တ midway between sunset and midnight2 o clock ည န စ ခ က တ midnight3 o clock ည သ ခ က တ midway between midnight and sunrise4 o clock န နက လ ခ က တ sunriseColonial period Edit Burma at 6 30 ahead of the GMT on this 1928 world map of time zones The use of a common time began in British Burma in the late 19th century The first confirmed mention of Rangoon Mean Time RMT at GMT 6 24 40 note 2 being in use was in 1892 5 a year before the country s first time ball observatory note 3 was opened in Rangoon Yangon on 1 October 1893 6 7 However the use of RMT as the common time at least in some sectors most probably started earlier The country s first rail service between Rangoon and Prome Pyay began on 2 May 1877 8 and the non authoritative IANA time zone database says RMT was introduced in 1880 9 On 1 July 1905 10 11 a new standard time called Burma Standard Time BST at GMT 6 30 set to the longitude 97 30 E and 5 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of RMT was first adopted by the Railways and Telegraph administrations 10 12 Although the rest of the country came to adopt BST RMT continued to be used in the city of Rangoon at least to 1927 note 4 By 1930 however BST apparently had been adopted in Rangoon as well note 5 The standard time was changed to Japan Standard Time JST during the Japanese occupation of the country 1942 1945 in World War II 13 After independence Edit The standard time was reverted to GMT 6 30 after the war 13 It has remained ever since even after the country s independence in 1948 The only change has been its name in English the official English name has been changed to Myanmar Standard Time 1 presumably since 1989 when the country s name in English was changed from Burma to Myanmar 14 The country does not observe a daylight saving time 2 Timeline of common times EditName Period Offset from UTC NotesRangoon Mean Time 2 May 1877 30 June 1905 UTC 6 24 40 Standard time for British Burma from at least 1892 to 30 June 1905 Continued to be used in Rangoon Yangon at least to 1927 15 perhaps until 1929 16 Burma Standard Time 1 July 1905 30 April 1942 UTC 6 30 00 First adopted by Railways and Telegraph offices in 1905 10 12 The October 2021 IANA database says it was introduced in 1920 13 but does not provide a source Japan Standard Time 1 May 1942 2 May 1945 UTC 09 00 00 Standard time during the Japanese occupationBurma Myanmar Standard Time 3 May 1945 present UTC 06 30 00IANA time zone database EditThe IANA time zone database contains one time zone named Asia Yangon for Myanmar 13 Country Code Coordinates Time Zone Comments UTC offset UTC DST offsetMM 1647 09610 Asia Yangon 06 30 06 30Notes Edit Clancy 1906 57 The Burmese calendar recognizes two types of day astronomical and civil The mean Burmese astronomical day is from midnight to midnight and represents 1 30th of a synodic month or 23 hours 37 minutes and 28 08 seconds The civil day comprises two halves the first half beginning at sunrise and the second half at sunset The time offset of 6 24 40 was the time used by the official time signal station in Rangoon per Kinns 2020 545 and the Admiralty Admiralty 1895 27 it was confirmed by the US Naval Intelligence report USNI 1928 723 The IANA database https www iana org time zones version 2021e released on 2021 10 21 gives 6 24 47 citing a secondary source Reed and Low The Indian Year Book 1936 37 pp 27 28 to be sure the maintainers of the database do state that this file is by no means authoritative The 6 24 47 figure of Reed and Low may have been a typographical error from the 6 24 37 time given in Indian Railway Board 1906 7 which states that in Burma 6 1 2 hours ahead of Greenwich and 5 minutes 23 sic seconds earlier than Rangoon time The Railway Board s 6 24 37 is likely false as the Admiralty records from 1898 to 1922 all say the official Rangoon time per Kinns 2020 545 was 6 24 40 Kinns 2020 544 The British apparently were using a local pagoda later came to be known as the Signal Pagoda in Rangoon for signaling at least since 1855 three years after their annexation of Lower Burma but no supporting evidence of a Rangoon time signal has been found in notices prior to 1893 An April 1927 dispatch by the US Naval Intelligence USNI 1928 723 says that the whole country except Rangoon used the standard time GMT 6 30 while the city of Rangoon still used Rangoon Mean Time which was 5 minutes 20 seconds behind Burma Standard Time or GMT 6 24 40 Kinns 2020 545 the UK Admiralty records show that the time ball at the Rangoon time signal station was dropped twice each day once at GMT 17 30 00 for 00 00 00 BST i e GMT 6 30 00 and also at GMT 17 35 20 for 00 00 00 RMT i e GMT 6 24 40 it was only in 1930 that the time ball at Rangoon was dropped for the standard time GMT 6 30 00 References Edit a b MFF 2002 1 a b USNAO 2013 262 Kinns 2020 544 Clancy 1906 57 Kinns 2020 544 545 Hydrographic 1895 27 Kinns 2021 445 Chailley Bert 1894 336 IANA TZ October 2021 Burma Myanmar a b c RE 1906 346 USBS 1935 3 a b USNO 1906 Volume IV Appendix II v a b c d IANA October 2021 Burma Myanmar BBC News 2 December 2011 USNI 1928 723 Kinns 2020 545Bibliography EditBBC News 2 December 2011 Who What Why Should it be Burma or Myanmar BBC News Chailley Bert Joseph 1894 The Colonisation of Indo China Translated by Arthur Baring Brabant London A Constable amp Company Clancy J C January 1906 T Lewis H P Hollis eds The Burmese Calendar A Monthly Review of Astronomy The Observatory XXIX 366 Hydrographic Office Admiralty 1895 Bay of Bengal Pilot London a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help IANA Time Zone Database 2021 10 21 Time Zone Database 2021e Retrieved 2022 01 01 Kinns Roger 2020 Time Signals for Mariners in India Burma and Ceylon PDF Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage Chiang Mai National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand 23 3 523 552 Bibcode 2020JAHH 23 523K Kinns Roger 2021 Time Signals for Mariners in Southeast Asia Time Balls Discs Bells Guns and Lights In Wayne Orchiston Mayank N Vahia eds Exploring the History of Southeast Asian Astronomy A Review of Current Projects and Future Prospects and Possibilities Cham Switzerland Springer ISBN 978 3 030 62776 8 The Railway Board of India 1906 Administration Report on the Railways in India for the Calendar Year 1905 Simla Manager of Publications Union of Myanmar Ministry of Information 2002 Myanmar Facts and Figures Ministry of Information Union of Myanmar United States National Bureau of Standards 1935 Standard Time Throughout the World Washington United States Department of Commerce United States Nautical Almanac Office 17 May 2013 The Nautical Almanac for the Year 2014 Government Printing Office p 262 ISBN 978 0 16 091756 1 United States Naval Observatory 1906 Publications of the United States Naval Observatory Vol IV Washington DC U S Government Printing Office United States Office of Naval Intelligence 1928 Port Directory of the Principal Foreign Ports Washington US Naval Department Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Myanmar Standard Time amp oldid 1100004685, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
