A distinctly Tai kingdom called Nan Chao (650-1253 AD) flourishing in what is now known as Yunnan and Sichuan province of China. This great kingdom of all Tais was founded over three hundred years before the Pagan Kingdom (10-13 AD), the first historical kingdom of Burma. Nan Chao maintained close relations with imperial China and the two neighbours enjoyed cultural exchange.

Nan Chao is believed to have consisted of six separate entities similar to states, and therefore seems to have existed in a federation form of state. The Shan chronicles refer to Nan Chao as "The six Tai United States" (Tai-Hok-Mueng").

Many modern anthropologists believe that the Tais that include the present Thai, Laotians, Shans and Tai Ahom began migrating down south into what is now known as Shan State within the Union of Burma, upper Burma, Thailand and Laos since 8th century AD. There they branched off. The Shan, also known as Thai Yai (elder Thai) went to the present Shan State and Kachin State in the Union of Burma and upper Burma. Some settled in Assam, India where they for six hundred long years ruled their own kingdom until the dawn of the British conquest in the early 19th century. The kingdom was known in Tai language as "Meung-Duan-Suon-Kham (The Golden Kingdom)". Another groups settled in Laos, and yet another occupied the island of Hainan, off the Vietnamese coast.

The various branches of Tai as existing today are Tai Ahom in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, India, Dai in Yunnan and Sichuan, China, Dai Dam or Black Tai in Vietnam, Shan of Shan State, Kachin State and parts of the union of Burma, Laotian and Thai. These different entities, in fact, became gradually developed and obviously recognised for centuries beginning from the time Kublai Kham and his Mongol army conquered Nan Chao in 1253 AD that triggered a second wave of Tai migrating down south into many areas of south-east Asia.
Shan

A number of migrating Tai became mercenaries for the Khmer armies in the early 12th Century AD as depicted in the walls of the famous Angkor Wat. The Khmer called the Tai "Syam," derived from Sanskrit Syama meaning golden as the Tais at that time had a yellow or golden skin colour.

The present Thai kingdom came to be called "Syam" or "Sayam." In Burma the pronunciation of Syam became 'Shan'. 'Shan' is indeed a corruption of Siam by the Burmese and is the nearest to the original sound the Burman can pronounce the word Siam. The Burman actually use the word Shan when referring to Tai people who form the largest minority in the union according to 1931 Census done during the British time. However, the Shan always call themselves 'Tai' or 'Dai', not Shan. The English trader James Lancaster was the first to have used the first known English transliteration of the name Siam in 1592.

The Present ShanThe Shan are now found on all sides of the borders in Burma, Thailand, Laos, China and even in north-western Vietnam. There are also Shan in northern and southern Kochi State, the Union of Burma. Bertil Lintner, a Burmese specialist observes in his Prologue to the White Umbrella that "in addition, the Shan have two northern Shan States in north-western Burma outside the boundaries of the modern-day Shan State: Singkaling Hkamti and Hsawnghsup (corrupted in Burmese to Thaungdut)".

The Glass Palace (Hman-nan-yazawin), the Burmese own chronicle records the important political role played by the Shan for 300 years (14th- 16th AD). The Shan were actually beginning to assert their influence since the fall of the first Burmese kingdom, Pagan in 1287 AD. The historical states in ancient Burma such as Pinya (Pangya in Shan), Ava and Sagaing were founded by the Shan kings. The Shan rulers known as 'The Shan three brothers' did so much to develop social, cultural and religious life of their subject regardless of their races.
Under the British

The Shan are the people who established and ruled themselves princely states all over many areas. The Shan had always existed as separate entity and nation. Although both Burma and China engaged in frequent military clashes with fiercely independent princes, Bertil Lintner points out, neither was able to achieve effective conquest of their princely states. Only 19th Century British conquest ended the hostilities between the Shan and Burmese. Britain annexed Shan States in two years 1887-89. Burma lost its independence to Britain in 1885 when Mandalay fell and King Thibaw (Theebau) and his queen, Suphayalat were taken away to Ratanagir, near Bombay where he died in 1916.

Within colonial India, of which Burma was also a part, the Shan States were administered separately from Burma with Saophas (ruling princes) retaining recognition of the British to their traditional rule. Thus, the Shan continued to enjoy their way of life, culture and some administrative power. The economic, the highest judiciary and political power were, however, vested in the hands of the British officials.
Union with Burma

After the World War II, the Shan States' decision to join Burma and ask for independence from Britain was taken at a conference of representatives attended by Saophas, delegations of Shan people, Kachin, Karenni and Chin in February 1947. In the Shan town of Panglong the Burmese nationalist leader Gen. Aung San (the father of Aung San Suu Kyi) representing Burman and twenty-three other ethnic leaders signed the Panglong Agreement , the key document in the post-war relations between frontier peoples and Rangoon.

Among other points, the document promised full internal autonomy for frontier states such as Shan, Karenni, Chin and Kachin, and the right to secede from the Union after a ten years trial period.

Just before independence, the Burman nationalist leader Aung San and other state leaders were assassinated. Among them, was Saopha Sam Tun of Mong Pawn, the Shan States leader. Shan States was now entering an ever more complex phase of political history as the Shan had forged an ally with their untrustworthy arch-enemies, the Burma to free themselves from almost six decades of colonial rule.

The World War II has just ended with the Japanese being defeated by the allied forces. Like any others, the Shan lived to tell how they had suffered in the hands of the Japanese army and how the allied forces bombed their homeland. With that fresh memory, came a strong consciousness ad desire for freedom and peace. That was the main factor driving them to join Burma to form a union. The Shan indeed were leading all the way in persuading the other minorities to join the union. The Shan agreed to demarcate some of their land to become what is now Kachin State. The Shan love peace and would do everything to achieve it. The Panglong Treaty was signed with all the sacrifices and support from the Shan leaders. The conferences were held and the Agreement was reached in Shan States.

Independence from Britain
To keep the Shan happy in the Union, the Burma agreed to elect the senior Saopha of Shan, Sao Shwe Taik of Yawnghwe as the first president of the newly independent Union of Burma. The president's role was, however, ceremonial compared to the all-powerful Prime Minister position, always held by the Burman.

Following the independence from Britain, with the Karen nationalists seeking for independence and the Burmese communists taking up arms in 1948, and with the nationalist Chinese forces (KMT), having been defeated by the communists, now crossed into Shan States establishing a reign of terror, the once peaceful paradise of the east, Shan States became embroiled not only in the divisive political crisis of Burma but also had to suffer the consequences of the Chinese civil war.

Despite all political flames engulfing from all sides, Shan States was still firmly in favour of keeping the Union as agreed initially in 1935 with the Burman. The Shan leaders proved their seriousness in staying within the Union in 1949 when the Karen overran most parts of the country including Insein, the suburb of Rangoon. The Shan made every effort to defend the Union, and did not consider leaving the Union even when the central government in Rangoon was in its most difficult moment.

Grievances of the Shan
However, the grievances the Shan had suffered for being in the Union during the ten years period (1948-58) were beyond their belief. They were disappointed and felt completely betrayed by the Burman who had tried to dominate the Union with chauvinistic agendas. The Shan's grievances in education, economic development, culture, transport and national politics are detailed by one of the Shan mass's leaders U Htun Myint of Taung Gyi in late 1950s.

Though a federalist himself, U Htun Myint could not help but admit the overwhelming feeling of the Shan people to secede from the Union due to the injustice and inequality done to them. The Burman have been since dominating the central government, the armed forces and the civil servants. The minorities felt as if they were living under the institutionalised discrimination in the hands of the majority Burman who form about half of the population.

The Shan and the other ethnic leaders were only aware of the explosive situation only too well. They made every effort to bring back the federal spirit into the constitution. The ethnic seminar in early 1962 was a part of this process. The Burmese Army had other plans though. In early hours of March 2, 1962 the Army took power in the coup and arrested the Prime Minister U Nu, and over thirty Shan and Karenni leaders. The 1947 federal constitution was abolished, and the parliament dissolved in the following day. Within a few months, the Shan lost their leader, Sao Shwe Taik who was believed to have been tortured and died while in prison. The federalism that existed for fourteen years and the parliament democracy were crushed despite all the Shan and other ethnic leaders' efforts to revive them.

Shan Armed Struggle
Squeezed between the two forces, Burmese Army that came into Shan States in 1954 and The Chinese nationalists (KMT) perceived as foreign, a strong nationalist movement developed in Shan States, which flowered into armed struggle. The first Shan army was called Noom Suk Harn (The Young Warriors) formed of thirty comrades in Mong Ton, eastern Shan States in 21st May 1958, about five and half months after the end of the ten years trial Union. The first battle took place in Tang-yan, northern Shan States in 1959. The Shan States consisting of over thirty princedoms were unified as one state and became Shan State when the ruling princes agreed to hand over power to the people. In the meanwhile, the armed struggles to free Shan State from foreign rule continue.

The Chamber of Commerce Journal, Britain reported on 15th November 1882 (That was three years before the British conquer of Mandalay and the whole Burma) Mr. Colquhoun's visit to Shan States which was independent nation as follows;
"... When we bear in mind that the Shan people are a quiet, commercial race, and not aggressive or war-like nation, that they grow the finest tea of Asiatic countries, and that the mineral wealth of the country is great, we at once see these facts alone that Mr. Colquhoun has made a discovery of considerable importance..."   

In 11865, twenty years before the fall of the last Burmese Kingdom, Mandalay to the British, Sir Arthur Phayre wrote of Shan States: (Quoted in Amongst The Shans by Archabal Ross Colquhoun., published in London and New York in 1885., p.377)
"To the north-east of British Burmah lies the country of the Shans, a people divided into small states, under independent chiefs. They are industrious and energetic, long for free trade, and possess a marvelous capacity for traveling as petty traders..."
After the annexation of Mandalay and all upper Burma (not Shan States), The Manchester Courier, a well-known news paper in 1880s wrote of the railway that later was to be know as China road.
"... ... already there is one Burmese railway and the plans for its extension to Bangkok and to Esmok' in the Independent Shan countryhas been drawn out."

Article contributed by JD