Manmaw, also known as Wanmaw or Banmaw (Bhamo) was a Shan state in what is today

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

. It was an outlying territory, located away from the main

Shan State Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...

area in present-day

Kachin State Kachin State (; Jingpho language, Kachin: ) is the northernmost administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. It is bordered by China to the north and east (Tibet Autonomous Region, Tibet and Yunnan, respectively), Shan State to the sou ...

close to the border with

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. The state existed until 1772. The main town was Manmaw (Bhamo). The name of the state means 'the village of pots (or potters)' in the

Shan language Shan is the native language of the Shan people and is mostly spoken in Shan State, Myanmar. It is also spoken in pockets in other parts of Myanmar, in Northern Thailand, in Yunnan, in Laos, in Cambodia, in Vietnam and decreasingly in Assam an ...

.Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 8, p. 47. - Bhamo District, History
/ref>

History

The early history of the state is obscure. But legends tell of a powerful predecessor Tai state having been established in the area previously which had its capital at the now ruined place of Sampenago. The ruins of the old city walls, dating from the fifth Century, are found some 5 km from the modern town of

Bhamo Bhamo ( ''ban: mau mrui.'', also spelt Banmaw), historically known as Manmaw (; ) or Hsinkai () is a city in Kachin State in northern Myanmar, south of the state capital, (Myitkyina). It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within of the border ...

. The ancient capital of Sampenago was renowned for its

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

s housing

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

s of the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

. In 1668 a ''saopha'' of Manmaw named Sao Ngawk Hpa is said to have instigated an attack by the Chinese against the Kingdom of Burma. Manmaw was subsequently occupied by Burma between 1669 and 1685 and again in mid 18th century. After regaining independence in 1742 it was again occupied by Burma from 1767 to 1770 after a Chinese invasion was repelled. Finally Manmaw was annexed by the Burmese

Ava Kingdom The Ava Kingdom (, ; INN-wa pyi) also known as Inwa Kingdom or Kingdom of Ava was the dominant kingdom that ruled upper Burma (Myanmar) from 1365 to 1555. Founded in 1365, the kingdom was the successor state to the petty kingdoms of Myinsa ...

in 1772. The control of this frontier state by the Burmese Kingdom was loose and at the time of the beginning of

British rule in Burma British colonial rule in Burma lasted from 1824 to 1948, from the successive three Anglo-Burmese wars through the creation of ''Burma'' as a province of British India to the establishment of an independently administered colony, and finally i ...

the wun in charge of the administration of the territory was ''de facto'' quite independent.

Rulers

The rulers of the state bore the title ''

Saopha Saopha (), also spelled Sawbwa, was the title used by hereditary rulers of Shan states in Upper Myanmar. Chaopha and Chao Fa were similar titles used by the hereditary Tai rulers in mainland Southeast Asia and the Ahom kingdom in India. Nam ...

''. Myowuns or wuns were the administrators of the territory of the former state after annexation by Burma.

Saophas

This state existed 1470-1772, when it was incorporated into Burma. Saophas: * Hso Len Hpa 1470-1482 * Hso Heng Hpa 1482-1485 * Hso Hang Hpa 1485-1507 * Hso Hsao Hpa 1507-1518 * Hso Tiaw Hpa 1518-1543 * Hso Sawk Hpa 1543-1582 * Hso Hkwa Hpa (Hso Yung Hpa) 1582-1588 * Hso Hseng Hpa (Hso Kyaung Hpa) 1588-1603 * Hseng Lung Hpa 1603-1634 * Sao San Hpa 1634-1646 * Sao Law San 1646-1647 * Sao Lin Hpa 1647-1653 * Sao Hsawk Hpa 1653-1668 * Sao Ngawk Hpa 1668-1669 * Min Gon burmese general 1669-1674 * Nge Myat burmese merchant 1674-1685 * Sao Hpi Hpa 1685-1706 * Sao Tun Hpa 1706-1719 * Hpo U 1719-1720 * Sao Möng Hpa 1720-1727 * Sao Tung Ngai 1st time 1727-1735 * Haw Kit 1735-1742 * Sao Tung Ngai 2nd time 1742-1768 * Vacant 1768-1770 * Sao Myat Aung 1770-1772 (b.1690-c.1772) son of saopha of Mongmit Myowuns: * 1772-17??: Mingyi Wailuthaya (U Shwe Ye) * 1853-18??: Mingyi Maha Minhtin Yaza * 1878-18??: U Pho Hla

References

External links

"Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan states"
Shan States Kachin State {{Kachin-geo-stub