Hsipaw State သီပေါမြို့ သီႇပေႃႉ
Möng of theShan States
16th century–1959
Hsipaw State (beige, near the upper left) in a map of the Shan States
Capital	Hsipaw
Area
• 1891 Census of India	8,188 km2 (3,161 sq mi)
Population
• 1891 Census of India	200,000
History
• Bayinnaung's sovereignty acknowledged	16th century
• Abdication of the lastSaopha	1959
Preceded by Succeeded by Ava Kingdom Shan State
Today part of	Myanmar

Hsipaw (Shan:သီႇပေႃႉ;Burmese:သီပေါနယ်,Thibaw), also known asÔng Pawng (Shan:ဢုင်းပွင်ႇ;Burmese:အုန်းဘောင်,Onbaung) after an old capital, was aShan state in what is todayMyanmar.^[1] Its capital wasHsipaw town. Hsipaw State was perhaps one of the most well known and powerfulShan States.

A predecessor state namedDuṭṭhavatī (Burmese:ဒုဋ္ဌဝတီ) was said to be founded in 58 BC, according to local tradition.

During theSino-Burmese War (1765–69) theQianlong Emperor ofChina invaded the area of Hsipaw. The main Chinese army, led byMing Rui, was to approachAva throughHsenwi,Lashio and Hsipaw down theNamtu river. The main invasion route was the same route followed by theManchu forces a century earlier, chasing theYongli Emperor of theSouthern Ming dynasty. The second army, led by Gen. E'erdeng'e, was to try theBhamo route again.^[2] The ultimate objective was for both armies to clamp themselves in a pincer action on the Burmese capital of Ava.^[3] The Burmese plan was to hold the second Chinese army in the north at Kaungton with the army led by Ne Myo Sithu, and meet the main Chinese army in the northeast with two armies led by Maha Sithu and Maha Thiha Thura.^[4]

At first, everything went according to plan for the Qing. The third invasion began in November 1767 as the smaller Chinese army attacked and occupied Bhamo. Within eight days, Ming Rui's main army occupied the Shan states of Hsenwi and Hsipaw.^[4] Ming Rui made Hsenwi a supply base, and assigned 5000 troops to remain at Hsenwi and guard the rear. He then led a 15,000-strong army in the direction of Ava. In late December, at theGoteik Gorge (south of Hsipaw), the two main armies faced off and the first major battle of the third invasion ensued. Outnumbered two-to-one, Maha Sithu's main Burmese army was thoroughly routed by Ming Rui's Bannermen. Maha Thiha Thura too was repulsed at Hsenwi.^[5][6] The news of the disaster at Goteik reached Ava. Hsinbyushin finally realized the gravity of the situation, and urgently recalled Burmese armies fromSiam.^[7]

Having smashed through the main Burmese army, Ming Rui pressed on full steam ahead, overrunning one town after another, and reachedSingu on the Irrawaddy, 30 miles north of Ava at the beginning of 1768. The only bright spot for the Burmese was that the northern invasion force, which was to come down the Irrawaddy to join up with Ming Rui's main army, had been held off atKaungton.^[5]

In 1886 the saopha of Hsipaw was the first Shan prince that submitted toBritish rule in Burma, which led to Hsipaw becoming aBritish protectorate in 1887. According to the biography ofSao Nang Hearn Hkam (the chief wife, Madhidevi ofSao Shwe Thaik, the first president ofMyanmar and another saopha ofHsenwi), Hsipaw, along withKengtung andYawnghwe were the wealthiest and most powerful saopha states in Shan State.^[8]

Between 1938 and 1947 Hsipaw was administered byBritish Burma. The last ruler of the On Baung dynasty that had been ruling Hsipaw abdicated in 1959. The state became part ofShan State and, despite the independence struggle of the latter, eventually part ofBurma.

The saophas played fluctuating roles in regional Shan and national Burmese politics from the 11th century all the way until the 1962 military coup by GeneralNe Win when all the privileges of the saophas were abolished.

The Princes of Hsipaw had the title of 'Saopha'.^{[citation needed]} The following lists all rulers of Hsipaw State, along with their relationship to the prior ruler(s).^{[9][verification needed]} From the mid-1880s to 1922, the territory was a British protectorate as part of theShan States (withinBritish Burma in the widerBritish India), and from 1922 to 1948 as part of theFederated Shan States. As a British possession, the ruler of Hsipaw State wasentitled to a nine-gun salute.

• Hsipaw Yazawin
• Sino-Burmese War (1765–1769)

• Hall, D.G.E. (1960).Burma (3rd ed.). Hutchinson University Library.ISBN 978-1-4067-3503-1.
• Haskew, Michael E.; Joregensen, Christer; Niderost, Eric; McNab, Chris (2008).Fighting techniques of the Oriental world, AD 1200–1860: equipment, combat skills, and tactics (Illustrated ed.). Macmillan.ISBN 978-0-312-38696-2.
• Htin Aung, Maung (1967).A History of Burma. New York and London: Cambridge University Press.
• Harvey, G. E. (1925).History of Burma: From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd.
• Kyaw Thet (1962).History of Union of Burma (in Burmese).Yangon: Yangon University Press.
• Sir Arthur Purves Phayre (1884).History of Burma: including Burma proper, Pegu, Taungu, Tenasserim, and Arakan. From the earliest time to the end of the first war with British India. Trübner & co.
• J. G. Scott (1900–1901).Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan States. Rangoon: superintendent, Government printing. 5 vols.

• "Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan states"
• The Imperial Gazetteer of India
• Hsipaw (Shan State)
• Twilight Over Burma: My Life As a Shan Princess

27°37′N97°17′E / 27.617°N 97.283°E /27.617; 97.283

• States and territories established in the 16th century
• States and territories disestablished in 1959
• Shan States

• Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference
• Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
• Articles with short description
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