The Shan people (, , or , ), also known as the Tai Long (တႆးလူင်, ) or Tai Yai, are a
Tai ethnic group of
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
. The Shan are the biggest minority of
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 ...
(
Myanmar
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 has ...
)
and primarily live in the
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 ...
, but also inhabit parts of
Mandalay Region
Mandalay Region (, ; formerly Mandalay Division) is an administrative divisions of Myanmar, administrative division of Myanmar. It is located in the center of the country, bordering Sagaing Region and Magway Region to the west, Shan State to the ...
,
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 ...
,
Kayah State,
Sagaing Region
Sagaing Region (, ; formerly Sagaing Division) is an administrative divisions of Myanmar, administrative region of Myanmar, located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and longitude 94° 97' east. It is border ...
and
Kayin State
Kayin State (, ; ; , ), formerly known as Karen State, is a Administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. The capital city is Hpa-An, also spelled Pa-An.
The terrain of the state is mountainous; with the Dawna Range running along the ...
, and in adjacent regions of
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 ...
(
Dai people
The Dai people ( Burmese: ရှမ်းလူမျိုး; ; ; ; , ; , ; zh, c=, p=Dǎizú) are several Tai-speaking ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture ...
),
Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
,
Assam
Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
and
Meghalaya
Meghalaya (; "the abode of clouds") is a states and union territories of India, state in northeast India. Its capital is Shillong. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the Assam: the United Khasi Hills an ...
(
Ahom people
The Ahom (Pron: ) or Tai-Ahom (; ) is an ethnic group from the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The members of this group are admixed descendants of the Tai people who reached the Brahmaputra valley of Assam in 1228 and the loc ...
),
Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
(
Kula people),
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
and
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. Though no reliable census has been taken in Burma since 1935, the Shan are estimated to number 4–6 million,
with
CIA Factbook
''The World Factbook'', also known as the ''CIA World Factbook'', is a reference resource produced by the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print ver ...
giving an estimate of five million spread throughout Myanmar
which is about 10% of the overall Burmese population.
'Shan' is a generic term for all
Tai-speaking peoples within Myanmar (Burma). The capital of Shan State is
Taunggyi
Taunggyi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Shan State, Myanmar
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 As ...
, the fifth-largest city in Myanmar with about 390,000 people. Other major cities include
Thibaw (Hsipaw),
Lashio,
Kengtung and
Tachileik
Tachileik (also spelt Tachilek; , ; , ; , , ) is a border town in Shan State of eastern Myanmar. It is the administrative seat of Tachileik Township and Tachileik District and most populated city in eastern Shan State with 51,553 residents per 201 ...
.
Etymology
The Shan use the endonym Tai (တႆး) in reference to themselves, which is also used in Chinese ( zh, c=傣族, p=Dǎizú, s=, t=).
Shan (ရှမ်း) is an
exonym
An endonym (also known as autonym ) is a common, name for a group of people, individual person, geographical place, language, or dialect, meaning that it is used inside a particular group or linguistic community to identify or designate them ...
from the
Burmese language
Burmese (; ) is a Tibeto-Burman languages, Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Myanmar, where it is the official language, lingua franca, and the native language of the Bamar people, Bamar, the country's largest ethnic group. Burmese dialects are a ...
; the term itself was historically spelt သျှမ်း (
MLCTS
The Myanmar Language Commission Transcription System (1980), also known as the MLC Transcription System (MLCTS), is a transliteration system for rendering Burmese in the Latin alphabet. It is loosely based on the common system for romanization of ...
: ''hsyam:''), and is cognate with the term "
Siam
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
," the former name of Thailand.
The term is extant to
Old Burmese, first attested to a
Bagan era inscription from 1120, where it referred to Tai-speaking populations east of the kingdom.
"Shan" has also been borrowed into Chinese ( zh, c=掸族, p=Shànzú, s=, t=).
In
Thai, the Shan are called Tai Yai (ไทใหญ่, ) or ''Ngiao'' () in
Tai yuan language. The Shan also have a number of exonyms in other minority languages, including
Pa'O: ဖြဝ်ꩻ,
Western Pwo Karen: ၥဲၫ့, and
Mon သေံဇၞော် (''seṃ jnok)''.
Sub-ethnicity
Major subdivisions
The major groups of Shan people are:
# Tai Yai (
Shan: ) or Thai Yai (); the 'Shan Proper', by far the largest group, by which all Shan people are known in the
Thai language
Thai,In or Central Thai (historically Siamese;Although "Thai" and "Central Thai" have become more common, the older term, "Siamese", is still used by linguists, especially when it is being distinguished from other Tai languages (Diller 2008:6 ...
.
#
Tai Lü or Tai Lue (
Shan: ). Its traditional area is in
Xishuangbanna
Xishuangbanna, sometimes shortened to Banna, is one of the eight autonomous prefectures of Yunnan Province. The autonomous prefecture for Dai people is in the extreme south of Yunnan province, China, bordering both Myanmar and Laos. Xishuangbanna ...
(
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 ...
) and the eastern states.
# Tai Khuen or Tai Khün (
Shan: ), a subgroup of the Tai Yai making up the majority in the
Keng Tung area. The former ruling family of
Kengtung State
Kengtung (; ''Chiang Tung;'' ), known as Menggen Prefecture ( zh, 孟艮府) or Möng Khün tusi, Chiefdom or Mueng Khuen Fu (administrative division)#China, Fu (Khün language, Tai Khün: ), classical name Khemarattha, was a Shan people, ...
belonged to this group.
#
Tai Nüa or ''Tai Neua'', (
Shan: ). The 'upper' or 'northern Tai'. This group lives north of the
Shweli River, mostly in the area of
Dehong, China.
The speakers of Shan, Lue, Khun and Nua languages form the majority of
Dai nationality in
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 ...
.
Other Tai Shan groups
There are various ethnic groups designated as ''Tai'' throughout
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 ...
,
Northern Sagaing Division and
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 ...
. Some of these groups in fact speak
Tibeto-Burman
The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non- Sinitic members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken throughout the Southeast Asian Massif ("Zomia") as well as parts of East Asia and South Asia. Around 60 million people speak ...
and
Mon-Khmer
The Austroasiatic languages ( ) are a large language family spoken throughout Mainland Southeast Asia, South Asia and East Asia. These languages are natively spoken by the majority of the population in Vietnam and Cambodia, and by minority popu ...
and
Assamese languages, although they are assimilated into Shan society.
[Edmondson, Jerold A. 2008. "Shan and other Northern Tier Southeast Tai languages of Myanmar and China: Themes and Variations." In Diller, Anthony, Jerold Edmondson, & Yongxian Luo, (eds.) ''The Tai–Kadai languages''. London: Routledge.]
*
Ahom people
The Ahom (Pron: ) or Tai-Ahom (; ) is an ethnic group from the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The members of this group are admixed descendants of the Tai people who reached the Brahmaputra valley of Assam in 1228 and the loc ...
: The Ahom people live in India's northeastern state of
Assam
Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
and
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and la ...
where tradition says that they established the
Ahom kingdom, or Mueng Doon Soon Kham, and ruled for almost 600 years (1228–1826). They now speak the
Assamese language
Assamese () or Asamiya ( ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam, where it is an official language. It has long served as a ''lingua franca'' in parts of Northeast India."Axomiya is the major langu ...
with the
Ahom language
Ahom or Tai-Ahom (Ahom:𑜁𑜪𑜨 𑜄𑜩 𑜒𑜑𑜪𑜨 or 𑜁𑜨𑜉𑜫 𑜄𑜩 𑜒𑜑𑜪𑜨; ) is a dormant, Southwestern Tai language formerly spoken by the Ahom people. It's currently undergoing a revival and mainly used in r ...
falling into disuse by the 19th century.
* Tai Mao, living in the area along the banks of the
Shweli River (Nam Mao). Chinese Shan language is also known as (Tai) Mao, referring to the old Shan State of
Mong Mao
Mong may refer to:
People
*A proposed original name for the Hmong people, based on the main group, the Mong community
*Bob Mong (), American journalist and academic administrator
*Henry Mong (), American surgeon and Presbyterian missionary
*Mong M ...
.
*
Tai Khamti. The Tai Khamti an
outlier
In statistics, an outlier is a data point that differs significantly from other observations. An outlier may be due to a variability in the measurement, an indication of novel data, or it may be the result of experimental error; the latter are ...
group speaking the
Khamti language. Traditionally they lived in the northernmost and westernmost edges of Shan-settled areas, such as
Putao-O,
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 ...
. Part of the Tai Khamti were once ruled by the
Mongkawng Shan.
*
Tai Laing
Tai Leng (, ; variously spelt Tai Laing, Tai Leng or Tai Nine), also known as Shan-Ni (, ), is a Tai language of Burma, closely related to Khamti and Shan. It is written in its own variant of Burmese script, and though not taught in schools, ...
, Tai Leng, or Shan-ni (), a Tai group living north of
Myitkyina
Myitkyina (, ; Jingpho language, Jinghpaw: ''Myitkyina'', ; , ''Sèna'') is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar (Burma), located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese language, Burmese it means "near the big river", and Myitkyina i ...
in the Kachin / Shan State border area.
* Tai Ting, a group living around the confluence of the
Ting and
Salween
The Salween is a Southeast Asian river, about long, flowing from the Tibetan Plateau south into the Andaman Sea. The Salween flows primarily within southwest China and eastern Myanmar, with a short section forming the border of Myanmar and Tha ...
rivers, just to the west of
Gengma County,
Yunnan
Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...
, China.
* Tai Taɯ: ''Taɯ'' means 'under' or 'south.' This group lives in southern Shan State.
* Tai Nui, a group living to the south and east of Kengtung town.
*
Tai Phake. Related to the Tai Khamti, this group has a significant presence in
Assam
Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
, India.
* Tai Saʔ. The Tai Saʔ speak a variety of Ngochang (
Achang
The Achang ( zh, c=, p=Āchāngzú), also known as the Ngac'ang (their own name) is an ethnic group. They are one of Tibeto-Burman languages, Tibeto-Burman languages speaking people. They form one of the List of Chinese ethnic groups, 56 ethnic g ...
), but are part of mainstream Shan society.
* Tai Loi. The Tai Loi speak a
Palaungic language resembling De'ang (especially the Bulei dialect of Yunnan) and Silver Palaung. They take part in mainstream Shan society.
*
Tai Dam: Also known as the "
Black Tai."
*
Tai Dón: Also known as the "White Tai".
*
Maingtha, a Shan group that speaks a Northern
Burmish language[Sawada, Hideo. 2017. ''Two Undescribed Dialects of Northern Burmish Sub-branch: Gyannoʔ and Thoʔlhang''. Presented at ICSTLL 50, Beijing, China.]
Religion and culture
The majority of Shan are
Theravada Buddhists
''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' (anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or ''Dhamma'' in th ...
, and
Tai folk religion
The Tai folk religion, Satsana Phi or Ban Phi is the ancient native ethnic religion of Tai people still practiced by various Tai groups. Tai folk religion was dominant among Tai people in Asia until the arrival of Hinduism and Buddhism. It is ...
. The Shan constitute one of the four main Buddhist ethnic groups in Burma; the others are the
Bamar
The Bamar people (Burmese language, Burmese: ဗမာလူမျိုး, ''ba. ma lu myui:'' ) (formerly known as Burmese people or Burmans) are a Sino-Tibetan-speaking ethnic group native to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). With an esti ...
, the
Mon and the
Rakhine. The Mon were the main source of early Shan Buddhism and
Shan script
Shan may refer to;
People and languages
*Shan (surname), or 单 in Chinese, a Chinese surname
*Shan, a variant of the Welsh given name usually spelled Siân
*Occasionally used as a short form of Shannen/Shannon (given name), Shannon
Ethnic grou ...
s.
Most Shan speak 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 ...
and are bilingual in
Burmese. The Shan language, spoken by about 5 or 6 million, is closely related to
Thai and
Lao, and is part of the family of
Tai languages
The Tai, Zhuang–Tai, or Daic languages (Ahom language, Ahom: 𑜁𑜪𑜨 𑜄𑜩 or 𑜁𑜨𑜉𑜫 𑜄𑜩 ; ; or , ; , ) are a branch of the Kra–Dai languages, Kra–Dai language family. The Tai languages include the most widely spo ...
. It is spoken in
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 ...
, some parts of
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 ...
, some parts of
Sagaing Division
Sagaing Region (, ; formerly Sagaing Division) is an administrative divisions of Myanmar, administrative region of Myanmar, located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and longitude 94° 97' east. It is border ...
in Burma, parts of
Yunnan
Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...
, and in parts of northwestern Thailand, including
Mae Hong Son Province and
Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai is the largest Provinces of Thailand, province (''changwat'') of Thailand by area. It lies in Northern Thailand#Regional classification of northern Thailand, upper northern Thailand and has a population of 1.78 million people. It ...
. The two major dialects differ in number of
tones:
Hsenwi Shan has six tones, while
Mongnai Shan has five.
The
Shan alphabet is an adaptation of the
Mon–Burmese script
The Mon–Burmese script (, ; , , also called the Mon script and Burmese script) is an abugida that derives from the Pallava Grantha script of southern India and later of Southeast Asia. It is the primary writing system for Burmese, Mon, Sh ...
via the
Burmese alphabet
The Burmese alphabet (, MLCTS: ''mranma akkha.ya'', ) is an abugida used for writing Burmese, based on the Mon–Burmese script. It is ultimately adapted from a Brahmic script, either the Kadamba or Pallava alphabet of South India. The ...
.
However, only a few Shan can read and write in their own language. Shan state is the most illiterate state with over a million illiterates in Myanmar due to lack of basic infrastructures and
long ongoing civil war.
The Shan are traditionally
wet-rice cultivators, shopkeepers, and
artisan
An artisan (from , ) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art, sculpture, clothing, food ite ...
s.
History
The
Tai-Shan people are believed to have migrated from
Yunnan
Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...
in
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 Shan are descendants of the oldest branch of the Tai-Shan, known as ''Tai Luang'' ('Great Tai') or Tai Yai ('Big Tai'). The Tai-Shan who migrated to the south and now inhabit modern-day
Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
and
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
are known as ''Tai Noi'' (or ''Tai Nyai''), while those in parts of northern Thailand and Laos are commonly known as ''Tai Noi'' ('Little Tai' – Lao spoken)
The Shan have inhabited the
Shan Plateau and other parts of modern-day
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 ...
as far back as the 10th century CE. The Shan kingdom of
Mong Mao
Mong may refer to:
People
*A proposed original name for the Hmong people, based on the main group, the Mong community
*Bob Mong (), American journalist and academic administrator
*Henry Mong (), American surgeon and Presbyterian missionary
*Mong M ...
(Muang Mao) existed as early as the 10th century CE but became a Burmese
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
state during the reign of King
Anawrahta
Anawrahta Minsaw (, ; 11 May 1014 – 11 April 1077) was the founder of the Pagan Empire. Considered the father of the Burmese nation, Anawrahta turned a small principality in the dry zone of Upper Burma into the first Burmese Empire that ...
of
Pagan
Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...
(1044–1077).
After the
Pagan Kingdom fell to the
Mongols
Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China ( Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family o ...
in 1287, the Shan chiefs quickly gained power throughout central Burma, and founded:
Many
Ava and
Pegu
Bago (formerly spelled Pegu; , ), formerly known as Hanthawaddy, is a city and the capital of the Bago Region in Myanmar. It is located north-east of Yangon.
Etymology
The Burmese name Bago (ပဲခူး) is likely derived from the Mon lang ...
kings of Burmese history between the 13th–16th centuries were of (partial) Shan descent. The kings of Ava fought kings of Pegu for control of the
Irrawaddy valley. Various Shan states fought Ava for the control of
Upper Burma
Upper Myanmar ( or , also called Upper Burma) is one of two geographic regions in Myanmar, the other being Lower Myanmar. Located in the country's centre and north stretches, Upper Myanmar encompasses six inland states and regions, including ...
. The states of
Monyhin (Mong Yang) and
Mogaung
Mogaung ( ; ) is a town in Kachin State, Myanmar. It is situated on the Mandalay-Myitkyina railway line.
History
Mogaung or Möng Kawng was the name and capital (royal seat) of a relatively major one of the petty Shan (ethnic Tai) princ ...
were the strongest of the Shan States. Monhyin-led
Confederation of Shan States defeated Ava in 1527, and ruled all of Upper Burma until 1555.
The Burmese king
Bayinnaung
, title = King of Toungoo
, image = Bayinnaung.JPG
, caption = Statue of Bayinnaung in front of the National Museum of Myanmar
, reign = 30 April 1550 – 10 October 1581
, coronation = 11 January 1551 at Taungoo, ...
conquered all of the Shan states in 1557.
Although the Shan states would become a tributary to Irrawaddy valley based Burmese kingdoms from then on, the Shan
Saophas retained a large degree of autonomy. Throughout the Burmese feudal era, Shan states supplied much manpower in the service of Burmese kings. Without Shan manpower, it would have been harder for the
Burmans
The Bamar people (Burmese language, Burmese: ဗမာလူမျိုး, ''ba. ma lu myui:'' ) (formerly known as Burmese people or Burmans) are a Sino-Tibetan-speaking ethnic group native to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). With an esti ...
alone to achieve their victories in
Lower Burma
Lower Myanmar (, also called Lower Burma) is a geographic region of Myanmar and includes the low-lying Irrawaddy Delta ( Ayeyarwady, Bago and Yangon Regions), as well as coastal regions of the country ( Rakhine and Mon States and Tanintharyi ...
,
Siam
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, and elsewhere. Shans were a major part of Burmese forces in the
First Anglo-Burmese War of 1824–1826, and fought valiantly—a fact even the British commanders acknowledged.
In the latter half of the 19th century Shan people migrated into
Northern Thailand
Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is a region of Thailand. It is geographically characterized by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys that cut through them. ...
reaching
Phrae Province. The Shan population in Thailand is concentrated mainly in
Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai (, ; , ) is the northernmost major city in Thailand, with a population of about 200,000 people. It is located in Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai Province. Chiang Rai was established as a capital city in the reign of King Ma ...
,
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...
,
Mae Hong Son
Mae Hong Son (; , ) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in north-west Thailand, capital of Mae Hong Son Province. It is in the Shan Hills, near the border with Burma along the banks of the River Pai. As of 2018, the town had 7,066 inhabitants. The ...
,
Mae Sariang,
Mae Sai and
Lampang, where there are groups which settled long ago and built their own communities and temples. Shan people are known as "Tai Yai" in north Thailand, where the word ''Shan'' is very seldom used to refer to them.
After the
Third Anglo-Burmese War
The Third Anglo-Burmese War (), also known as the Third Burma War, took place during 7–29 November 1885, with sporadic resistance continuing into 1887. It was the final of three wars fought in the 19th century between the Burmese and the Br ...
in 1885, the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
gained control of the
Shan states. Under the British colonial administration, the
Shan principalities were administered separately as British protectorates with limited monarchical powers invested in the Shan
Saophas.
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the Shan and other ethnic minority leaders negotiated with the majority
Bamar
The Bamar people (Burmese language, Burmese: ဗမာလူမျိုး, ''ba. ma lu myui:'' ) (formerly known as Burmese people or Burmans) are a Sino-Tibetan-speaking ethnic group native to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). With an esti ...
leadership at the
Panglong Conference
The Panglong Conference (), held in February 1947, was a historic meeting that took place at Panglong, Southern Shan State, Panglong in the Shan States in Burma between the Shan people, Shan, Kachin people, Kachin and Chin people, Chin ethnic mi ...
, and agreed to gain independence from Britain as part of
Union of Burma. The Shan states were given the option to secede after 10 years of independence. The Shan states became Shan State in 1948 as part of the newly independent Burma.
General
Ne Win
Ne Win (; ; 24 May 1911 – 5 December 2002), born Shu Maung (; ), was a Burmese army general, politician and Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974, and also President of Burma from 1962 to 1981. Ne Win was Burma's mili ...
's
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup
, is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
overthrew the democratically elected government in 1962, and abolished Shan saopha system.
Conflict in Shan State
A Shan independence movement has been active and engaged in armed struggle, leading to intermittent
civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
within Burma for decades. Currently two main Shan armed insurgent forces operate within Shan State: the
Shan State Army/Special Region 3 and
Shan State Army/Restoration Council of Shan State. In 2005 the
Shan State National Army (SSNA) was effectively abolished after its surrender to the Burmese government. Some SSNA units joined the SSA/RCSS, which has yet to sign any agreements, and is still engaged in
guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include recruited children, use ambushes, sabotage, terrori ...
against the
Burmese Army.
During conflicts, Shan civilians are often burned out of their villages and forced to flee into Thailand. Some of the worst fighting in recent times occurred in 2002 when the Burmese army shelled the Thai border town of
Mae Sai, south of
Tachileik
Tachileik (also spelt Tachilek; , ; , ; , , ) is a border town in Shan State of eastern Myanmar. It is the administrative seat of Tachileik Township and Tachileik District and most populated city in eastern Shan State with 51,553 residents per 201 ...
, in an attempt to capture members of the
SSA's
Southern Faction who had fled across the
Nam Ruak. While in July of that same year, in the Shan Township of
Mong Yawng, the killing of a member of an
NGO by the
Burmese Tatmadaw, and the subsequent closure of the border to Thailand, caused an evacuation of the surviving members across the
Mekong River
The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's List of rivers by length, twelfth-longest river and List of longest rivers of Asia, the third-longest in Asia with an estimated l ...
to
Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
. This evacuation was aided by members of the Shan State Army, and in turn brought tighter measures restricting foreign aid in the area as violence increased.
Whether or not there is an ongoing conflict, the Shan are subject to depredations by the Burmese regime; in particular, young men may be conscripted into the Burmese Army indefinitely, or enslaved to do road work for a number of months—with no wages and little food. The horrific conditions inside Burma have led to a massive exodus of young Shan males to neighbouring Thailand, where they are not given
refugee
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
status. Shan people in Thailand often work as undocumented labourers. Males typically find low-paid work in construction, while many Shan females fall in the hands of
human trafficking
Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...
gangs and end up in the prostitution business or bride trafficking. Despite the hardships, Shan people in Thailand are conscious of their culture and seek occasions to gather in cultural events.
Although the
Government of Burma
Myanmar (Names of Myanmar, formerly Burma) () operates ''de jure'' as a unitary state, unitary assembly-independent republic under its 2008 Constitution of Myanmar, 2008 constitution. On 1 February 2021, Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military took ove ...
does not recognise
Wa State
Wa State is a '' de facto'' independent state and self-governing region in Myanmar that has its own political system, administrative divisions and army.29 December 2004佤帮双雄, Phoenix TV. While the Wa State government recognises Myanm ...
, the
Burmese military
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence (Myanmar), Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air For ...
has frequently used the
United Wa State Army
The United Wa State Army ( Parauk: , zh, s=佤邦联合军, t=佤邦聯合軍, p=Wǎbāng Liánhéjūn; , ), abbreviated as the UWSA or the UWS Army, is the military wing of the United Wa State Party (UWSP), the ''de facto'' ruling party of ...
(UWSA) as an ally for the purpose of fighting against Shan nationalist militia groups.
Communities in exile

Following the arrest of
Sao Shwe Thaik of
Yawnghwe in the
Burmese coup d'état in March 1962 by the Revolutionary Council headed by General
Ne Win
Ne Win (; ; 24 May 1911 – 5 December 2002), born Shu Maung (; ), was a Burmese army general, politician and Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974, and also President of Burma from 1962 to 1981. Ne Win was Burma's mili ...
,
his wife
Sao Nang Hearn Kham fled with her family to
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
in April 1962 and Sao Shwe Thaik died in prison in November the same year. In exile, his wife took up the cause of the independence struggle of the
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 ...
. In 1964 Sao Nang Hearn Kham with her son Chao-Tzang Yawnghwe helped to form the
Shan State War Council (SSWC) and the
Shan State Army (SSA), becoming chair of the SSWC,
and taking the Shan rebellion that started in 1958 to a new phase.
Sao Nang Hearn Kham died on 17 January 2003 in exile in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
at the age of 86.
[
Prince Hso Khan Pha (sometimes written as Surkhanfa in Thai), son of Sao Nang Hearn Kham of Yawnghwe lived in exile in ]Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. He was campaigning for the Burmese regime to leave the Federated Shan States and return to their own country, to respect the traditional culture and indigenous lands of the Shan people. He worked with the interim Shan Government, with Shan exiles abroad, and the Burmese regime to regain his country.
Opinion has been voiced in the Shan State, in neighboring Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, and to some extent in distant exile communities, in favor of the goal of "total independence for the Shan State." This came to a head when, in May 2005, Shan elders in exile declared the independence of the Federated Shan States.
The declaration of independence was rejected by most other ethnic minority
The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...
groups, many Shan living inside Burma, and the country's leading opposition party, Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi (born 19 June 1945) is a Burmese politician, diplomat, author, and political activist. She was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. She served as State Counsellor of Myanmar and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Myanmar), Ministe ...
's National League for Democracy
The National League for Democracy (, ; Abbreviation, abbr. NLD; Burmese abbr. ဒီချုပ်) is a deregistered liberal democratic political party in Myanmar (formerly Burma). It became the country's ruling party after a landslide victo ...
. Despite the domestic opposition to the declaration, the Burmese Army is rumoured to have used it as a reason to crack down on Shan civilians. Shan people have reported an increase in restrictions on their movements and an escalation in Burmese Army raids on Shan villages. The October 2015 Burmese military offensive in Central Shan State has displaced thousands of Shan people, as well as Palaung, Lisu and Lahu people
The Lahu people (; ; Lāhùzú; ) are an ethnic group native to China, Myanmar, and the rest of Southeast Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia.
Etymology
The Chinese name "Lahu" is a phono-semantic matching of the Lahu endonym, and literally means ...
, causing a new humanitarian crisis. Shan civil society organisations are concerned about the lack of international response on the recent conflict.
See also
* Poy Sang Long
Poy sang long () is a rite of passage ceremony among the Shan peoples, in Myanmar and in neighbouring northern Thailand, undergone by boys at some point between seven and fourteen years of age. It consists of taking novice monastic vows and par ...
* Tai peoples
Tai peoples are the populations who speak (or formerly spoke) the Tai languages. There are a total of about 93 million people of Tai ancestry worldwide, with the largest ethnic groups being Dai people, Dai, Thai people, Thai, Isan people, Isan, ...
* Shan Horse
* Shan Hills
The Shan Hills (; ''Shan Yoma''), also known as Shan Highland, is a vast mountainous zone that extends through Yunnan to Myanmar and Thailand. The whole region is made up of numerous peaks separated mostly by narrow valleys, as well as a few ...
* Saharat Thai Doem
''Saharat Thai Doem'' () was an administrative division of Thailand. It encompassed parts of the Shan States of British Burma annexed by the Thai government after the Japanese conquest of Burma.
By means of this annexation, Axis powers, Axis-a ...
* The Story of a Fairy and a Prince (Shan folktale)
References
External links
Shan State Government Office
Shan People
{{Authority control
Tai peoples
Ethnic groups in Myanmar
Ethnic groups in Vietnam
Ethnic groups in China
Ethnic groups in Thailand
Members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Buddhist communities of Myanmar
Ethnic groups in Northeast India