Shan States

SHAN STATES, a collection of semi-independent states on the eastern frontier of Burma inhabited by the Shan or Tai race. The Shan States had an area of 57,816 sq.m. and a pop. (1931) of 1,506,337. On Oct. 1, 1922 a scheme came into effect for the Federation of the Shan States, along lines proposed by Sir Reginald Craddock. Under this the control of the Federated. Shan States is vested solely in the governor and its financial ar rangements are separated from those of the province generally. The administration is in the hands of a council of chiefs or Saw bwas, with a British commissioner. The Federation is financed partly by a fixed contribution from Government, partly by contri butions from the chiefs. The Federation includes the former three divisions of the Northern Shan States (N.S.S), Southern Shan States (S.S.S.) and Karenni. There are besides several Shan States in other parts of Burma and a number beyond the border of Burma, which are tributary to China, though China exercises only a nominal authority. The British Shan States were tributary to Burma and came under British control on the annexation of Upper Burma. They rank as British territory, not as native states. The civil, criminal and revenue administration of each state is vested in the chief, subject to the restriction specified in the sand or order of appointment granted to him.

Physical Features.

The shape of the Shan States is roughly that of a triangle, with its base near the plains of Burma and its apex on the Mekong river. The Shan plateau is properly only the country between the Salween and Irrawaddy rivers. On the west it is marked by the line of hills running from Bhamo to the plains of Lower Burma. On the east it is defined by the rift of the Sal ween. The average height of the plateau is between 2,000 and 3,00o ft., but it is seamed and ribbed by mountain ranges, which split up and run into one another. On the north the Shan States are barred across by ranges following the line of the Namtu. The huge mass of Loi Ling, 9,00o ft., projects south from this and from each side of it and to the south is the wide plain extending to Mong Nai. The highest peaks are in the north and the south. Loi Ling is the highest point west of the Salween, and in Kokang and other parts of north Hsenwi there are many peaks above 7,000 ft. The majority of the intermediate parallel ranges have an average of between 4,000 and 5,000 ft. with peaks rising to over 6,000. The country beyond the Salween is a mass of broken hills, ranging in the south towards the Menam from 2,000 to 3,00o ft., while in the north towards the Wa states they average from 5,000 to 7,000. Several peaks rise to 8,000 ft., such as Loi Maw (8,102). From December to March it is cool everywhere, and io° of frost are experienced on the open downs. The hot season temperature is 80° to 90°, rising to 100° in the Salween valley. The annual rain fall varies from 6o in. in the broader valleys to ioo on the higher

mountains.

Race and Language.

In 1931 there were 900,204 Shans in Burma. The Thai or Tai, as they call themselves, were first known to the Burmese as Taroks or Tarets. The original home of the Thai race was S.W. China. It is probable that their first settlement in Burma proper was in the Shweli valley, and that from this centre they radiated at a comparatively recent date north, west and south-east, through Upper Burma into Assam. It is supposed that the Thai race boasts of representatives across the breadth of Indo-China ; that it numbers among its members not only the Shans proper, the Laos and the Siamese, but also the Muongs of French Indo-China, the Hakas of S. China, and the Li, the inhabitants of the interior of the far Eastern island of Hainan in the China seas.

The Thai language may be divided into two sub-groups, the North and the South. The South includes Siamese, Lao, Lb and Hkiin; the North, the three forms of Shan, namely North-Bur mese Shan, South-Burmese Shan and Chinese Shan with Hkamti and Ahom. The vernacular of the people who are directly known in Burma as Shan is South-Burmese Shan. This language is iso lating and polytonic. It possesses five tones, a mastery of which is a sine qua non if the language is to be properly learnt. It is exhaustively described in the works of Dr. Cushing.

The Shans are a peaceful race, fond of trading. During the past 25 years the trade with Burma has increased very largely, especially after the construction of the Lashio and Heho railways.

The huge silver-lead-zinc mines of the Burma Corporation at Bawdwin lie in the Northern Shan States. The cultivation of wheat and potatoes in the South States promise them wealth also when a railway furnishes them means of getting the produce out of the country. Since 1893 the peace of the Shan States has been practically undisturbed.

See Ney Elias, Introductory Sketch of the History of the Shans in Upper Burmah and West (Calcutta, 1876) ; Cushing, Shan Dictionary (Introduction) ; Bock, Temples and Elephants; Sir A. Phayre, History of Burmah; A. R. Colquhoun, Across Chryse (London, 1883), and Amongst the Shans (1885) ; Diguet, Etude de la langue Thai (Paris, 1896).

The Southern Shan States number 36 with a total area of 36,416 square miles and a population in 1931 of 870,230. The largest is Tung Keng (12,40o sq.m., pop. 208,755) ; the smallest has an area of only 14 sq.m. The Northern Shan States are six in number :—Hsipaw (4,400 sq.m., pop. 131,410) ; Tawngpeng (778 sq.m., pop. 41,255) ; North Hsenwi (6,335 sq.m., pop. 222, 191) ; South Hsenwi (2,281 sq.m., pop. 84,141) ; Mangliin (2,800 sq.m., pop. 57,318) ; Mong Mit (3,561 sq.m., pop. 56,498), 1921 census, except as indicated. For Karen States, see KARENNI.

Among the Southern group of States the following are the more important :