Muang Mao, also spelled Möng Mao (; ; ; ) or the Mao Kingdom was an ethnic Tai state that controlled several smaller Tai states or chieftainships along the frontier of what is now Myanmar, China, the states of Northeast India of Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh, principally set in the Dehong region of Yunnan with a capital near the modern-day border town of Ruili/Meng Mao. The name of the main river in this region is the Nam Mao, also known as the Shweli River.
Names
Möng Mao is Tai Nuea and Shan language name, also called Möng Mao Lông (; ), which means "Great Muang Mao". The "Möng" means country or place. The "Mao" (ᥛᥣᥝᥰ) was evolved from "dizzy" (ᥛᥝᥰ), it is because the mother of legendary king Chao U Ting felt dizzy when she was brought to the sky by a bird. The name "Möng Mao" is still used nowadays, as the official Tai Nuea name of Ruili City (ᥝᥥᥒᥰ ᥛᥫᥒᥰ ᥛᥣᥝᥰ).
Kosambi was an Indian ancient country, Mong Mao used Kosambi as his Buddhistic classical name."Kosambi" is also called "Guo-zhan-bi" (, ) in Ruili, modern Dai people give a new explanation of "Guo-zhan-bi" which is "place that produce fragrant soft rice".
In Chinese literature, Möng Mao was called Luchuan (), first recorded in Yuanshi as the name of the administrative division "Luchuan Circuit" (). Some of literature also called Mong Mao as Baiyi (), but most of the time this is a collective name of all the ethnic groups in south west of Yunnan, or specifically refers to Dai people.
In Burmese literature, Möng Mao was called Maw or Maw Shan. In the Manipur literature, such as Cheitharol Kumbaba use the name Pong refer to Mong Mao.
History
The chronicle of this region, titled the Möng Mao Chronicle, was written much later. Some scholars identify Möng Mao with the Kingdom of Pong, as well as with the kingdom of Luh Shwan mentioned in Chinese chronicles. Like most of Tai Yai history, the history of the Kingdom of Pong is largely legendary and existing chronicles and traditions include conflicting names and dates which have led to different interpretations.
Möng Mao arose in the power vacuum left after the Kingdom of Dali in Yunnan fell to the Mongol Yuan Dynasty around 1254. The Yuan ruled the region indirectly in what was known as the Native Chieftain System. This kingdom had asserted some unity over the diversity of ethnic groups residing along the southwest frontier of Yunnan.
After the Ming conquest of Yunnan the Möng Mao under Si Lunfa decided to submit to Ming authority. However, Möng Mao revolted in 1386 and led to the Ming–Mong Mao War (1386–1388). In 1448, a combination of Ming, Sipsongpanna, and other allied forces subjugated Möng Mao.
"Muang Mao" is sometimes used by authors to refer to the entire group of Tai states along the Chinese-Myanmar frontier including Luchuan-Pingmian (麓川平緬), Muang Yang (), and Hsenwi (), even though specific place names are almost always used in Ming and Burmese sources.
The center of power shifted frequently between these smaller states or chieftainships. Sometimes they were unified under one strong leader, sometimes they were not. As the Shan scholar Sai Kam Möng observes: "Sometimes one of these [smaller states] strove to be the leading kingdom and sometimes all of them were unified into one single kingdom..." The capital of the kingdom shifted from place to place, but most of them were located near the Nam Mao river (the "Shweli" on most maps today)"
The various versions of the Möng Mao Chronicle provide the lineage of Möng Mao rulers. The Shan chronicle tradition, recorded very early by Elias (1876), provides a long list with the first ruler of Möng Mao dating from 568 A.D. The dates in Elias for later rulers of Möng Mao do not match very well the dates in Ming dynasty sources such as Ming Shilu (Wade, 2005) and Baiyi Zhuan (Wade, 1996) which are considered more reliable from the time of the ruler Si Kefa. Bian-zhang-ga (1990), translated into Thai by Witthayasakphan and Zhao Hongyun (2001), also provides a fairly detailed local chronicle of Möng Mao.
Saophas
Hkun Lai 568-638 from Mongri Mongram
Ai Dyep That Hpa 638-678 son of Hkun Lai
Hkam Pong Hpa 678 son of Sao Hkun Kyunt
Hkam Sap Hpa son of Hkam Pong Hpa
Hkam Sip Hpa younger brother of Hkam Sap Hpa 703-753
Ni Hpa Maung 753-793 son of Hkam Sip Hpa
Sao Hkun Hpa 793-834 son of Ni Hpa Maung
Hso Kai Hpa 834-863 son of Sao Hkun Hpa
Hso Han Hpa 863-901 son of Hso Kai Hpa
Hso Tau Hpa 901-933 son of Hso-Han-Hpa
Hso Pwot Hpa 933-960 son of Hso Tau Hpa
Hso Won Hpa 960-983 son of Hso Pwot Hpa
Hso Hon Hpa 983-995 son of Hso Won Hpa
Hso Hau Hpa 995-1014 (son of Hso Hon Hpa)