Shan State
East (Shan State) |
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1.
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Inlay Lake | ||
2.
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Pindaya Region | ||
3.
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Kalaw | ||
4.
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Kyaukme` & HsiPaw | ||
5.
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Kyaing Tong | ||
Tai, Dai, Shan
Another fascinating feature of this area is the number of different ethnic peoples that live in the state. The ethnic majority here is the population of four million Shan, though they actually call themselves Tai or Dai, the word 'Shan' having been derived by the British from Siam. Their close relatives, the Thais, often refer to the Shan as Tai Yai ('big Thai'), and the Shan call their land Muang Tai rather than Shan State. Like many other ethnic peoples, the Shan were driven out of their home in South and central China by the Tartars, and they migrated to South-East Asia. They settled in Myanmar, but later Myanmar kings and the Kachin drove them out of the north to the northern mountains. The Shan also settled in the north of Thailand, the Hanoi region of Vietnam, India's Assam and the Chinese province of Yunnan.Shan Saophas
Until the mid-19th, the present Shan State was divided into principality. The Shan had a feudal system, with princes and princesses who lived in beautiful teak palaces (haw), from which they ruled over provinces of various sizes. The prince was called saopha, which means 'lord of the sky'. He was highly respected by the people, but if he himself broke the law he could be driven from office. Like their neighbours the Myanmar, the Shan also had a supreme monarch, the king, and at various points a Shan king even ruled over Bagan. However, there were frequent conflicts between the rival kingdoms in Myanmar. In the mid-15th century, some princes in the lowlands were forced to accept the authority of Myanmar kings, but the Shan peoples in the eastern plateau were virtually unaffected by this and were able to keep their traditions.Under British Rule
During British colonial rule, the saophas were generally allowed to stay in power, but between 1922 and 1935 they gradually ceded their authority to a democratically elected parliament. After the military takeover in 1962, their status were completely removed. Today only the Palace of Nyaung Shwe, a few kilometers north of Inle Lake, is open to the public.Ethnic Groups in Shan State
Palaung |
Akha |
Wa | |
Shan |
Pa-O
Akha, Lahu, Lisu
Black Lahu |
Red Lah |
The Akha, Lahu and Lisu are smaller ethnic groups who also live in the mountains of the Shan Plateau and speak a Tibeto-Myanmar language. The Akha belong to the lolo people, and there are more clans living in China, northern Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. They have a strong belief in the spirits, have shamans, and build so-called 'spirit gates' outside every village to ward off the demons of the forest. The Lahu and Lisu live in Thailand, Laos and China as well as Myanmar, and, like most of the other smaller ethnic groups in Shan State, are for the most part animists