 The British sent in their own force to meet the Burmese in Cachar, resulting in the first clashes between the two.The war formally broke out on 5 March 1824, following border clashes in Arakan.As the commander-in-chief of the Burmese army, Maha Bandula was supported by twelve of the country's best battalions, including one under his personal command, totaling ten thousand men and five hundred horses.