Myelat မြေလတ် | |
|---|---|
 Picture of people in Myelat taken bySir George Scott (1851–1935). | |
 A map of Shan State | |
| Country | Myanmar |
| Elevation | 880 m (2,890 ft) |
| Population (1897) | |
• Total | 107,500 |
Myelat (Burmese:မြေလတ်) is ahistorical region of the southwesternShan State ofMyanmar. Originally this region included some of the smaller states typically ruled by "Myosas" (chief of town) or "Ngwegunhmus" (silver revenue chief), buffering the plains of Burma and the ethnicShan states further east.
The term "Myelat" is still in common use today, although the old political and administrative distinctions no longer apply.
The area is hemmed in on the north by the state ofLawksawk, on the east by the states ofYawnghwe,Wanyin andHsatung, and on the south byMong Pai.
In 1897, the population was recorded as 107,500, the majority being of the Taungthu orPa-O (42,933), followed by Danu (29,713), Taungyo (13,906), Shan (6,572), and a smaller number of other ethnic groups.
The nameMyelat could be interpreted as "unoccupied land" in Burmese, however the land has been populated for quite some time. The name could also be interpreted as "middle earth", implying a buffer zone, or "fair earth", depending on a variation of the spelling. All central Myelat and great parts of the northern and southern portions consist of rollinggrassy downs bare ofjungle. The area is productive in agriculture, crops grown include potatoes, corn, wheat, cabbage, cauliflower, oranges, coffee, as well as rice. Visitors to the area immediately notice the red earth of the countryside, due to high iron oxide content of the soil.[1]
The exact composition of the states within the Myelat area has changed through history, dependent on vagaries of local power politics as well as approval by the Burmese court. At times, states have been combined, at other times, they have been split up.
At the time of the British annexation of theShan States, the following sixteen states were recognized to be within the Myelat region:Hsamonghkam,Kyawkku Hsiwan,Kyong,Loi-ai,Loilong,Loimaw,Maw,Mawnang,Mawson,Namhkai,Namhkom,Namtok,Pangmi,Pangtara,[2]Poila, andYengan.[3] The total area of these states was approximately 3,900 square miles (10,000 km2).
20°57′N96°40′E / 20.950°N 96.667°E /20.950; 96.667
