Abstract
Until April 1959, when the Tai (Burmese: Shan) chiefs relinquished their hereditary rights, these chiefs, called saopha or sawbwa in Burmese, administered the principalities which made up the Shan State of Burma (Myanmar). One major Tai principality, North Hsenwi, was created by the British colonial administration in March 1888 through the splitting of Hsenwi state, which had a long and lengendary history. Khun Sang Tun Hung, sawbwa of the newly created North Hsenwi, was a usurper of humble origin who established a firm basis for the power of his family which expanded by plural marriages. The present research project explored various aspects of North Hsenwi under the rule of the Khun Sang Tun Hung family through interviews with local people and people related to the sawbwa family. The following findings are set out in this paper. Sawbwa Sao Hom Hpa (1901-63), who succeeded in 1925, was a familiar figure for local people who rendered service to the sawbwa in many ways. The Kachin people were no exception; in fact, some Kachin were his most loyal and close attendents. The Buddhist element introduced by Khun Sang Tun Hung was distinguishably Yuan, which originated in today's northern Thailand, and in certain monasteries in today's Hsenwi, the Yuan Buddhist practice of chanting and writing are still adhered to. The last point attests to the hitherto neglected trans-Salween traffic. It suggests that further research into the history of Hsenwi should be undertaken within a broader trans-national perspective.
