princely state · Mainland Southeast Asia
Yawnghwe State
Origins
Yawnghwe, Burmese Nyaungshwe, lay at the northern end of Inle Lake in the southern Shan plateau. Shan tradition dates its ruling house to 1359, when two brothers are said to have settled the area with Burmese royal approval. It became one of the leading southern Shan states.
Rule and society
Its saophas ruled a lake and valley economy of floating gardens, rice and fishing worked by Intha, Shan, Pa-O and Danu peoples. The Phaung Daw Oo pagoda on the lake, with its five Buddha images carried in an annual boat procession, was a major centre of devotion. Yawnghwe paid tribute to Ava and later to the Konbaung kings.
Decline and legacy
Under British rule Yawnghwe became part of the Federated Shan States. Sao Shwe Thaike, its saopha, served as the first President of the Union of Burma from 1948 to 1952. The rulers renounced their powers in 1959, and Sao Shwe Thaike died in prison after the 1962 coup.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Yawnghwe State was a vassal of Konbaung dynasty1752 CE – 1885 CE
- Yawnghwe State was a protectorate of British Burma1887 CE – 1922 CE
- Yawnghwe State was part of Federated Shan States1922 CE – 1948 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Yawnghwe State. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yawnghwe-state
- MLA
- “Yawnghwe State.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yawnghwe-state. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Yawnghwe State.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yawnghwe-state.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Yawnghwe State’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yawnghwe-state (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻