The
Tai-Shan people are believed to have migrated from
Yunnan in
China. The Shan are descendants of the oldest branch of the Tai-Shan, known as
Tai Luang ('Great Tai') or Tai Yai ('Big Tai'). The Tai-Shan who migrated to the south and now inhabit modern-day
Laos and
Thailand are known as
Tai Noi (or
Tai Nyai), while those in parts of northern Thailand and Laos are commonly known as
Tai Noi ('Little Tai' – Lao spoken) The Shan have inhabited the
Shan Plateau and other parts of modern-day
Burma as far back as the 10th century CE. The Shan kingdom of
Mong Mao (Muang Mao) existed as early as the 10th century CE but became a Burmese
vassal state during the reign of King
Anawrahta of
Pagan (1044–1077). After the
Pagan Kingdom fell to the
Mongols in 1287, the Shan chiefs quickly gained power throughout central Burma, and founded: Many
Ava and
Pegu kings of Burmese history between the 13th–16th centuries were of (partial) Shan descent. The kings of Ava fought kings of Pegu for control of the
Irrawaddy valley. Various Shan states fought Ava for the control of
Upper Burma. The states of
Monyhin (Mong Yang) and
Mogaung were the strongest of the Shan States. Monhyin-led
Confederation of Shan States defeated Ava in 1527, and ruled all of Upper Burma until 1555. The Burmese king
Bayinnaung conquered all of the Shan states in 1557. Although the Shan states would become a tributary to Irrawaddy valley based Burmese kingdoms from then on, the Shan
Saophas retained a large degree of autonomy. Throughout the Burmese feudal era, Shan states supplied much manpower in the service of Burmese kings. Without Shan manpower, it would have been harder for the
Burmans alone to achieve their victories in
Lower Burma,
Siam, and elsewhere. Shans were a major part of Burmese forces in the
First Anglo-Burmese War of 1824–1826, and fought valiantly—a fact even the British commanders acknowledged. In the latter half of the 19th century Shan people migrated into
Northern Thailand reaching
Phrae Province. The Shan population in Thailand is concentrated mainly in
Chiang Rai,
Chiang Mai,
Mae Hong Son,
Mae Sariang,
Mae Sai and
Lampang, where there are groups which settled long ago and built their own communities and temples. Shan people are known as "Tai Yai" in north Thailand, where the word
Shan is very seldom used to refer to them. After the
Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885, the
British gained control of the
Shan states. Under the British colonial administration, the
Shan principalities were administered separately as British protectorates with limited monarchical powers invested in the Shan
Saophas. After
World War II, the Shan and other ethnic minority leaders negotiated with the majority
Bamar leadership at the
Panglong Conference, and agreed to gain independence from Britain as part of
Union of Burma. The Shan states were given the option to secede after 10 years of independence. The Shan states became Shan State in 1948 as part of the newly independent Burma. General
Ne Win's
coup d'état overthrew the democratically elected government in 1962, and abolished Shan saopha system. ==Conflict in Shan State==