village called Doonwun near Thaton. When he grew up he went to Sukhotai and became a stable boy of the king. He was assigned to look after the royal elephants and to lead the elephant troops in times of war. He was also a good soldier and after a few successful campaigns he was promoted to the rank of captain of the guards. He later became acquainted with the king's daughter, eloped with her and brought her to Thaton. He involved himself in the local politics and later became the governor of Madama in 1281. He next turned his attention to Bago and was able to take it over in 1369, following which he established a dynasty which lasted from 1287 to 1539 (see Appendix III). During the reign of king Wareru, the Shans from Chiangmai and Thailand moved to Lower Myanmar. There they mixed and mingled with the Mons and became good cultivators in the delta area which later became the rice bowl of Southeast Asia. During the period of the Wareru dynasty, trade and commercial relations developed with European countries, bringing prosperity to Bago, Madama and the Taninthayi coastal region. Native products such as rubies and other gems of northern Myanmar, lac, ivory, horn, lead, tin, Bago or Madama jars, long peppers, and nyper wine made from dani palm were exchanged with products brought by European merchants such as camphor, pepper, scented wood, Chinese porcelain and velvet.

East of the Nam Kong River or the Salween, there are numerous Shan settlements called Waans and Kengs. The region is shaped like a triangle. Although the Shan immigrants of this area were closely affiliated ethnically to the Tai race, they retained local names such as Hkun, Lu, Lem, Ngio, Yun and Tai Nu. Based upon their Waan-Baan-Keng system the Tai ethnic people of this area established several Mongs and Kengs as their feudal states (see Appendix IV).

Kengtung is the largest of the feudal states in the eastern Shan State. It covers an area of over 12,000 square miles and is bounded by Thailand on the south, China on the north, and Laos on the east. Its inhabitants are mostly Hkun, Lu, Tai Long and many other ethnic groups, among them Yun, Ngio, Tai Nu, Lem, Laotian, Wa, La, Tai Loi, Kaw, Mu-Hso (La Hu), Ako, Li Saw, En, Hsen Hsum, Pyen, Palaung, Kwi (La Hu Chi), Kang, Yao, Hsem, Miao, Mang Tam, Sawn (son) and Thai.

The majority of the Tai Nu people have settlements mostly along the Yunnan-Myanmar border and the upper part of the Salween River in Yunnan where they had several feudal city states. Inside Myanmar the Tai Nu people live in Bhamo, Myitkyina, Mong Kawng, Mong Yang, Muse, Namhkam, Mong Kung, Laihka and Kengtung area especially in the northeastern part of the region around Mong Lem.

The Shans penetrated deep into Myanmar in the long course of their history, to occupy its plains, hills and valleys and turn wasteland into Na to produce rice either for their own consumption or for trade. They were hardy farmers and food cultivators and adopted a feudal type of administration and a self-sufficient sustainable economy. Wherever they migrated they introduced their system of Mong and Keng city-states. They frequently fought among themselves but also formed alliances against common enemies. Endless wars are recorded in their local chronicles.

The constant fighting among themselves and against neighboring foes exhausted their strength so that they eventually became very weak. They split and settled so much and so far that it became impossible for them to retain their unity as in the days of the Nanchao and Mong Maw Long.

Merging of the Shans with Myanmar

In 1555, a powerful new king called Bayinnaung emerged and brought all the feudal Shan chiefs under his suzerainty. From then on, they became subordinate to the Myanmar kings. The final blow came when three wars took place between the Myanmar and the British. The Shan chiefs supplied contingent after contingent to fight against the British. Many Shans lost their lives during these three wars and there are stories of Shan women fighting gallantly and bravely with their men against the British. But bravery alone could not beat off the British from Myanmar, and the Myanmar army with the Shan levies suffered heavy losses. Upper Myanmar was finally annexed by the British and similarly, the Shan states, the Shan chiefs and the Shan peoples became part of the British colonial empire, up to the time of the Second World War.

During British administration, the Shan states were separated from Myanmar proper, forming a Federated Shan States. Other Shan ethnic areas became either hill-tracts or frontier areas, which were the responsibility of the British governor through Commissioners, Residents and Assistant Residents, with the Shan Chiefs given the right to manage their own local affairs.

After the annexation, the British did not have an easy time in Myanmar. It took the British some years to pacify Upper Myanmar and the Shan States. Various forms of struggle for independence developed, sometimes mild and sometimes violent. After World War II, the movement for independence gathered greater momentum and finally, after talks and negotiations with the Myanmar leaders, the British agreed to grant independence.

Having gone through the unpleasant experience of colonial rule, the Shans decided to join hands with the Myanmar people in getting independence. Together with the leaders of other ethnic minorities from the hills, the Shan chiefs and representatives of the Shan people organized a conference in Pang Long in central Shan States to discuss matters relating to independence. All delegates attending the Pang Long Conference felt that independence for the Myanmar people, separate from that of the hill people led by the Shans, would be meaningless since these people had lived together from the beginning of the history of the country, and were as children coming from the same womb.

On February 12, 1947 the delegates signed the historic Pang Long Agreement, which agreed on national unity and un-separated independence for the whole country. This date was later declared Union Day, to commemorate the unity achieved in Pang Long. On the basis of this unity, Myanmar gained independence on January 4, 1948. The Shan ethnic people today join hands with other ethnic and Myanmar peoples in the building of the Union of Myanmar as a modern developed nation.
Appendix I: Former Shan Settlements in North Myanma

The successive conquests achieved by Sao Hsam Long Hpa over the northern territory encouraged greater Shan migration to these new areas and led to further establishment of their Ban-Mong system. Territories which now belong to Kachin State were once under the rule of the Mong Kawng Saohpa and many Shans (affiliated to the Thai-Long ethnic group) can still be found dominating the following Bans and Mongs of the region shown below:

 

Source: The Kachin Hill Manual. Rangoon: The Superintendent Government Printing, Union of Burma, 1959. pp. 17-18
Appendix II: Shan Kings in Myanmar

The list of Shan kings who succeeded the kings of Bagan and reigned at Myinsaing and Pinya is:

1. Athinhkaya, Yazathinkyan and Thihathu, the three Shan brothers who acquired power after the fall of Bagan and governed the country with equal status from A.D. 1298. Their joint reign lasted fourteen years.
2. Thihathu or Ta-tsi-shin, youngest of the three brothers who made himself king at Pinya in 1312 and reigned for ten years.
3. Uzana son of Kyawswa (1287-98, deposed king of Bagan) and the adopted son of Thihathu.
4. Ngasishin Kyawswa (half brother of 3), son of Thihathu, he became king in 1343 and reigned eight years.
5. Kyawswa-nge (son of 4) became king in 1350 and reigned five years.
6. Narathu (brother of 5) became king in 1354 and reigned nine years.
7. Uzana Pyaung (brother of 6) became king in 1364, and was assassinated after three months' rule by Thadonminbya.

Turning to Sagaing, there were seven Shan kings who reigned from 1315 to 1364:

1. Sawyun or Saoyun, the son of Thihathu or Tai-tsi-shin who also reigned at Myinsaing and Pinya. He became king in 1315 and reigned seven years.
2. Tarabyagyi (step brother of 1), became king in 1323 and reigned fourteen years.
3. Shwetaungtet (son of 2), became king in 1336 and reigned three years.
4. Kyawswa (son of 2), became king in 1340 and reigned ten years.
5. Nawrahtaminye (brother of 4), became king in 1350 and reigned seven months.
6. Tarabyange (brother of 5) bcame king in 1350 and reigned three years.
7. Minbyauk Thiapate (brother-in-law of 6) was driven from Sagaing by a Shan army from the north and murdered by his stepson, Thadonminbya in 1364.

Awa, the capital of upper Myanmar for many years, was founded with the help of the Shan chief Thadominbya in 1364. There were nineteen chiefs of Shan descent who reigned in Awa from 1364 to 1555:

1. Thadominbya said to be descended from the ancient Shan kings of Takawng or Tagaung on his mother's side; he was the grandson of Athinhkaya Sawyun, the Shan king of Sagaing. He founded Awa in 1364, became king in the same year and reigned three years.
2. Nga Nu (usurper), a paramour of Sao Umma, became king in 1368, and reigned only for a few days.
3. Mingyiswasawke, said to be descended from both the Bagan dynasty and the Shan brothers, became king in 1368 and reigned thirty-five years.
4. Tarbya or Sinbyushin (eldest son of 3), became king in 1401 but reigned only seven months, being murdered by his attendant.
5. Nga Nauk Hsan, became king in 1401 and reigned only a few weeks.
6. Minkhaung (another son of 3) hesitated to accept the throne, but his younger brother Theiddat killed a cousin claimant and made him king. He became king in 1401 and reigned twenty-one years.
7. Thiathu (son of 6) became king in 1422 and reigned four years. He was murdered at the instigation of Queen Shin Bo Me.
8. Minhla Ngai (son of 7) king in 1426 and reigned only three months before he was poisoned.
9. Kalekyetaungnyo (usurper) became king in 1426 but reigned only seven months.
10. Mohnyithado or Mohnyinmintara, chief of Shan descent who justified his claim to the throne as a descendant of the kings Narapatisithu (1173-1210) and Ngasishin (1343-1350) of Bagan and of the family of the three Shan brothers. He became king in 1427 and reigned thirteen years.
11. Minrekyawswa (son of 10) became king in 1440 and reigned three years.
12. Narapati (Thihathu) (brother of 11), became king in 1443 and reigned twenty-six years.
13. Thihathu or Mahathihathura (son of 12), became king in 1469 and reigned twelve years.
14. Minhkaung (son of 13), became king in 1481 and reigned twenty-one years.
15. Shwenankyawshin (son of 14), became king in 1502 and reigned twenty-five years. He was killed by Thohanbwa or Hso Hom Hpa.
16. Thohanbwa or Hso Hom Hpa, son of Mohyin Saolon who conquered Awa. He became king in 1527 and reigned sixteen years. He was murdered.
17. Hkonmaing or Hkun Mong, Saohpa of On Baung or Hsipaw and related to Shwenanshin, was elected king of Awa in 1543 and reigned three years.
18. Mobye (or Mong Pai) Narapati (son of 17), Saohpa of Mong Pai became king in 1546 and reigned six years and abdicated.
19. Sithukyawhtin, a Shan chief of Salin, seized Awa and became king in 1552, and reigned three years. He was conqured and deposed by Bayinnaung in 1555.

Source: G.E. Harvey. History of Burma, from "The Earliest Time to March 1824, The Beginning of English
Source: G.E. Harvey. History of Burma, from "The Earliest Time to March 1824, The Beginning of English Conquest". London: Frank Case and Co. Ltd., 1967. p. 160.
Appendix III: Shan Kings of Bago

The following is the list of the Shan kings of Bago of the dynasty established by Wareru in 1287:

1. Wareru, the Shan chief who established the dynasty but had his capital at Madama. He became king in AD 1287 (S 649) and reigned nineteen years.
2. Khun-lau' or Tha Na'ran Bya Keit who became king in 1306 and reigned four years.
3. Dza'u-a'u or Theng-Mha'ing (nephwe of 2), who became king in 1310 and reigned thirteen years.
4. Dzau-dzip, or Binya-ran-da (brother of 3) who became king in 1323 and reigned seven years.
5. Binya-e'-la'u (son of 2, Khun-lau and cousin of 4) who became king in 1330 and reigned eighteen years.
6. Byinya-u or Tseng-Pyu-Sheng (son of 4 and cousin of 5), who restored the ancient capital Bago or Hansawadi. He became king in 1348 and reigned thirty-eight years.
7. Binya-nwe, or Ra'dza' Di-rit (son of 6) who became king in 1385 and reigned thirty-eight years.
8. Binya Dham-ma Ra'-dza (son of 7) who became king in 1423 and reigned three years.
9. Binya-Ra'n-kit (brother of 8) who became king in 1426 and reigned twenty years.
10. Binya-Wa-ru (nephew of 9) who became king in 1446 and reigned four years.
11. Binya Keng (cousin of 10) who became king in 1450 and reigned three years.
12. Mhau-dau (cousin of 11) who became king in 1453 and reigned seven months.
13. Queen Sheng Tsau Bu or Binya-dau' who became queen in 1453 and reigned seven years.
14. Dham-ma Dze-di (cousin of 13) who became king in 1460 and reigned thirty-one years. He did not belong to the royal family.
15. Binya Ran' (son of 14 and son-in-law of 13) who became king in 1491 and reigned thirty-five years.
16. Ta-ka'-rwut-bi (son of 15) who became king in 1526 and reigned fourteen years.

He was conquered and deposed by Tabeng-Shweti, king of Taungoo in 1540.
Source: Sir Arthur P. Phayre. History of Burma, Including Burma Proper, Taungu, Tenasserim and Arakan. London: 1883. pp. 290-291.