tribal confederation · Mainland Southeast Asia
Confederation of Shan States
Origins
Shan saophas had raided the Ava Kingdom for decades. Under Sawlon of Mohnyin, a coalition of Shan states including Mohnyin, Mogaung, Bhamo, Momeik and Kale attacked Ava and in 1527 captured it, killing King Shwenankyawshin. Sawlon placed his son Thohanbwa on the throne.
Rule and society
The confederation ruled Upper Burma from Ava but remained a loose alliance of Shan rulers with their own interests. Thohanbwa distrusted the Burmese Buddhist establishment and is remembered in the chronicles for killing monks and destroying pagodas, though this may be exaggerated. The confederation allied with the Prome Kingdom against the rising Toungoo.
Decline and legacy
Thohanbwa was assassinated in 1542, and Ava passed to other Shan and Burman nobles. Internal quarrels weakened the alliance, and in 1555 Bayinnaung of the First Toungoo Empire captured Ava, then subdued the northern Shan states one by one.
Lineage
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- Confederation of Shan States was conquered by First Toungoo Empire1555 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Confederation of Shan States. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/confederation-of-shan-states
- MLA
- “Confederation of Shan States.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/confederation-of-shan-states. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Confederation of Shan States.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/confederation-of-shan-states.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Confederation of Shan States’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/confederation-of-shan-states (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻