 While the Bamar heartland was directly administered, first as a part of India and then, from 1937, as British Burma, ethnic regions outside the heartland were allowed some measure of self-rule along the lines of the Princely States of India.This led to split loyalties among the various ethnic groups to outside powers in Burma either to the British or Japanese.The dominant ethnic group in Burma are the Bamar, who make up approximately sixty-eight percent of the population.