The article deals with the origin and development of the Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA) in Burma, from its foundation in 1906 until its transformation into the General Council of Burmese Associations in 1920. The author argues that the YMBA, which basically aimed to redress some, namely religious and racial, inequalities brought about in the Burmese society by the imposition of British colonial rule, became increasingly involved in the campaigns for the administrative reforms in Burma, thereby bringing modern Burmese nationalism openly onto the political scene shortly after the end of World War I.