Introduction
This article will talk about the Palaungic people and its subgroups in Myanmar and China. They are part of the Austro-Asiatic people.In ancient times, they were called Hua-Pu-Man (花濮蠻) and Wang-Man (望蠻/望苴子蠻). They were part of the many Pu (濮) people who live mainly in Yunnan.
Homeland
The Palaungic people are the natives along the Mekong River basin in southwestern Yunnan; nowadays most of them live in the orange region in the map below.
Palaung kingdom
Around 300 BC to 69 AD, there was a kingdom called Ailao in the same area as their homeland and also northern border of Myanmar. The Ailao kingdom was annexed by Han dynasty and became Yongchang (永昌) commandery in 69 AD. |
| Ailao kingdom and king (inset) |
In the Chinese history text Hundred-Pu (董難·百濮考), the Pu people in Yongchang were called Ailao.
There were 77 Ailao tribal leaders and their ethnicity was proto-Palaungic people.
Contrary to some people's beliefs, there is no evidence that Ailao people were ethnic Tai by judging their language classification and migration history which was explored in 'Origin of Northwestern Tai' article.
Some Palaungic people migrated as far north to neighboring Jinsha River basin, tributary of upper Yangtze River, near the Yunnan-Sichuan border. While their ancestors were in Jinsha River basin, they managed to learn the method of tea planting from the ancient Shu people in northern Yunnan.
Tea planting became an essential part of their lives since then. Today, the tea planting regions are still found along the south-western regions of Yunnan which is their homeland. Their legends and songs speak of the tradition of tea-planting and drinking which is at least 3000 years old.
Due to large scale migration of the Lolo-Burmese people from Sichuan into central Yunnan around 800 BC-69 AD, the proto-Palaungic people were forced to migrate southwards to Baoshan (保山) and Lincang (臨滄) prefectures to the west of the Mekong River basin.
The cliff paintings in Cangyuan (滄源) county in Lincang prefecture provides evidence of a Neolithic site of the proto-Palaungic people. The paintings are believed to be around 3000 years old and depicted the daily life of their ancestors which can be seen from the picture below.
The red pigment used was probably hematite mixed with a ox's blood as a binding agent. The Wa people still use ox's blood as binding agent to paint their ceremonial drawings in the 1950s and this is direct evidence that the paintings were drawn by the proto-Palaungic people.
Original homeland
During the Shang and Zhou dynasty (1046 BC-256 BC), the proto-Palaungic people's original homeland was around Erhai Lake in central Yunnan. Refer to map below. |
| Migration path of proto-Palaungic people |
Some Palaungic people migrated as far north to neighboring Jinsha River basin, tributary of upper Yangtze River, near the Yunnan-Sichuan border. While their ancestors were in Jinsha River basin, they managed to learn the method of tea planting from the ancient Shu people in northern Yunnan.
Tea planting became an essential part of their lives since then. Today, the tea planting regions are still found along the south-western regions of Yunnan which is their homeland. Their legends and songs speak of the tradition of tea-planting and drinking which is at least 3000 years old.
The cliff paintings in Cangyuan (滄源) county in Lincang prefecture provides evidence of a Neolithic site of the proto-Palaungic people. The paintings are believed to be around 3000 years old and depicted the daily life of their ancestors which can be seen from the picture below.
The cliff paintings also depict a circle of dancers in a dance style that is similar to their ethnic Palaung dance today.
 |
| Circle dance |
Palaung subgroups
There are two main branches of the Palaungic people, some of the tribes are- Western branch: Palaung aka De-ang/Ta-ang, Riang, Danau
- Eastern branch: Blang, Wa, Lawa, Lamet, Angku, Bit aka Khabit, Khang
 |
| Palaungic subgroups |
Migration to Thailand
One subgroup of Palaungic people migrated along the Salween River to northern Thailand in ancient times. This group became the natives in northern Thailand and are called Lawa aka Lua people. They can be found in certain districts in Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai provinces today.The language of Lawa people is most closely related to language of Wa people suggesting an origin from the Lincang prefecture in Yunnan.
There was a Lawa kingdom established several centuries before 659 AD, their king Wilanga, who lived in foothills of Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, tried to defend their kingdom against the invasion of ethnic Mon queen who came from central Thailand but was defeated in battle. Subsequently, the Lawa people became the subjects of the Mon kingdom called Hariphunchai in 659 AD but were pushed to live up in the hills. The Lawa now live in Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son provinces.
Closest ethnic relative
The closest ethnic relative of the Palaungic people are the Mangic people who also live in Yunnan and also Khasic people in Meghalaya of India. The details will be published in another article. |
| Mang tribe |
Conclusion
They are part of Austro-Asiatic people who are genetically related to the Mon and Khmer people in South East Asia.
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| Wa people with their drums |
Related links
Ethnic origin of Khasi
Sources
- Ethnicity and the Dara-ang (Palaung) in Thailand. Journal of Language and Culture Vol. 28 No.1 (2009). By Sujaritlak Deepadung.
- A Study of the Palaung Origin and Orthography. By Moe Moe Oo. Department of History, Meiktila University
- Hilary A. Disch: A New Vision: Chamari, Chamadewi, and Female Sovereignty in Northern Thailand, page 27, 39
- Notable Cities and Communities of the Lan Na Kingdom. Social Research Institute, Chiang Mai University.
- History of Pu people and tea planting: Ailao. https://kknews.cc/culture/vke532l.html
- History of Pu people and tea planting: Shu kingdom. https://kknews.cc/news/4zjxxxx.html
- Tea planting history. https://kknews.cc/history/4e5ky2g.html
- Wa painting. https://kknews.cc/travel/3a2pog.html
- Ailao. https://kknews.cc/history/m33oxoz.html
- https://new.qq.com/omn/20210508/20210508A00EPD00.html
- A descriptive grammar of Eastern Lawa. 2013 Payap University. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.695.6992&rep=rep1&type=pdf
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