# Hsenwi State

Hsenwi (Shan: သဵၼ်ႈဝီ; Tai Nüa: ᥔᥦᥢᥲ ᥝᥤᥴ), also known as Theinni (Burmese: သိန္နီ), was a Shan state in the Northern Shan States in what is today Burma. The capital was Hsenwi town.

## History

Most Tai Yai chronicles begin with the story of two brothers, Khun Lung and Khun Lai, who descended from heaven in the 6th century and landed in Hsenwi, where the local population hailed them as kings.
According to tradition, the predecessor state of Siviraṭṭha was founded before 650 AD.
Hsenwi was the largest of the cis-Salween Shan states, and at one time included all of what are now the present states of North and South Hsenwi, Kehsi Mansam, Mong Hsu, Mong Sang, and Mong Nawng. It held Mongnai State until c. 1802. It also held Mang Lon and other Wa states east of the Salween in a protectorate-like arrangement, but during Burmese times, the state lost control of these areas.
During the Sino-Burmese War (1765–69) the Qianlong Emperor of China invaded the area of Hsenwi. The main Chinese army, led by Ming Rui, was to approach Ava through Hsenwi, Lashio and Hsipaw down the Namtu river. The main invasion route was the same route followed by the Manchu forces a century earlier, chasing the Yongli Emperor of the Southern Ming dynasty. The second army, led by Gen. E'erdeng'e, was to try the Bhamo route again. The ultimate objective was for both armies to clamp themselves in a pincer action on the Burmese capital of Ava. 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.
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. 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 the Goteik 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. The news of the disaster at Goteik reached Ava. Hsinbyushin finally realized the gravity of the situation, and urgently recalled Burmese armies from Siam.
Having smashed through the main Burmese army, Ming Rui pressed on full steam ahead, overrunning one town after another, and reached Singu 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 at Kaungton.

### British rule and division of the state

At the time of the annexation following British rule in Burma, Hsenwi was composed of five de jure divisions; but the administration of the area was in chaos, with no central control.
After the pacification of the region in March 1888, the colonial administration divided Hsenwi into two states:
* North Hsenwi, assigned to a successful adventurer, Hkun Sang, of Ton Hong.
* South Hsenwi which went to Nawmong, of the old Shan ruling house.

### Rulers

The rulers of Hsenwi bore the title Saopha.

#### Saophas

| Reign | Ruler |
| 1686–1721 | Hso Hung Hpa |
| 1721 | Se U III -Regent (2nd time) |
| 1721–1724 | Han Hpa Hko Hkam Hung -Regent |
| 1724–1730 | Hpawng Mong Long Hsung Wat |
| 1730 | Mong Hkam -Regent |
| 1730 | Hkam Hong -Regent (1st time) |
| 1730–1746 | Sao Hkam Hsawng Hpa |
| 1746 | Hkam Hong -Regent (2nd time) |
| 1746 – c.1747 | Sao Hkun Hseng Hong |
| c.1747 – 1750 | Mahadevi Wing Hsup Pang -Regent |
| 1750 | Hkam Hong -Regent (3rd time) |
| 1750–1751 | Sao Mang Te |
| 1751–1752 | Hkam Hong -Regent (4th time) |
| 1752–1761 | Vacant |
| 1761–1767 | Hkun Hseng Awng Tun |
| 1767–1770 | Myauk Win Hmu -Regent |
| 1770–1772 | Sayawadi Wun |
| 1772–1773 | Sety-taw Wun |
| 1773–1775 | U Teng Pong Nya |
| 1775–1775 | Vacant |
| 1778–1800 | Sao Hswe Cheng (Kon) |
| 1800 | Hsup Pang -Regent |
| 1800–1815 | Sao Hsö Kaw |
| 1815–1819 | Mogaung Wun -Regent |
| 1819–1821 | Sao Naw Möng |
| 1821–1824 | Hkun Hkam Hkawt |
| 1824–1827 | Sao Hkam Pak |
| 1827–1831 | Sao Hkam Nan |
| 1831–1838 | Sao Hkun Maung Lek |
| 1838–1845 | Sao Hkam Leng (Hsö Hkan Hpa) (d. 1847) |
| 1845–1848 | Sao Hseng Naw Hpa (1st time) (d. 1864) |
| 1848–1853 | Vacant |
| 1853–1855 | Sao Hseng Naw Hpa (2nd time) |
| 1855–1858 | Vacant |
| 1858–1860 | Sao Hpa Mawng Hpa (1st time) (d. 1891) |
| 1860–1863 | Vacant |
| 1863–1864 | Sao Hpa Mawng Hpa (2nd time) (s.a.) |
| 1864–1866 | Shwe Pyi Bo |
| 1866–1867 | U Ma Nga |
| 1867–1869 | Sao Hseng Naw Hpa (3rd time) (s.a.) |
| 1869–1873 | Vacant |
| 1873–1874 | Win Hmu |
| 1874–1875 | Sao Hseng Naw Hpa (4th time) (s.a.) |
| 1875–1876 | Natsu Letya |
| 1876–1879 | Sao Hseng Naw Hpa (5th time) (s.a.) |
| 1879 – Mar 1888 | Hkun Hsang Tone Hung (b. 1852 – d. 1915) |

#### Rulers before splitting

| # | Ruler | Begin | End | Details |
| 1 | Hkun Lu Hkam | 825 | 845 | |
| 2 | Hkun Lai Hkam | 845 | 915 | |
| 3 | Sao Tai Hkan Hpa | 915 | 952 | |
| 4 | Sao Tai Pong | 952 | 975 | |
| 5 | Sao Tai Long | 975 | 1019 | |
| 6 | Sao Noi Hkè | 1019 | 1028 | |
| 7 | Sao Noi Myen | 1028 | 1076 | |
| 8 | Sao Noi Hsan | 1076 | 1096 | |
| 9 | Hkun Hpang Hkam - (Ai Hsawng) | 1096 | 1127 | Younger brothers Yi Hsawng was Mongmit sawbwa and Hsam Hsawng was Monglong sawbwa |
| 10 | Hkun Kang Hkam | 1127 | 1152 | North Hsenwi chronicle told this birth name of Hso Hkan Hpa |
| 11 | Hso Hkan Hpa | 1152 | ? | |
| 12 | Hso Wat Hpa | ? | 1232 | |
| 13 | Hso Pem Hpa | 1232 | 1255 | Son of Hso Wat Hpa |
| 14 | Hkam Wat Hpa | 1255 | 1274 | Son of Hso Pem Hpa |
| 15 | Hso Hom Hpa | 1274 | 1291 | Brother of Hkam Wat Hpa |
| 16 | Hso Yep Hpa | 1291 | 1302 | |
| 17 | Hso Hom Hpa | 1302 | 1320 | Son of Hkam Wat Hpa |
| 18 | Hkam Tet Hpa | 1320 | 1356 | Son of Hso Hom Hpa |
| 19 | Hkam Pem Hpa | 1356 | 1369 | |
| 20 | Hkam Pöt Hpa | 1369 | 1405 | |
| 21 | Hkam Hkai Hpa | 1405 | 1426 | Pagan Kingdom invaded Hsenwi |
| 22 | Hkam Hawt Hpa | 1426 | 1444 | |
| 23 | Hkam Wat Hpa | 1444 | 1459 | |
| 24 | Hkam Hep Hpa | 1459 | 1522 | |
| 25 | Hkam Hsen Hpa | 1522 | 1532 | |
| 26 | Hkam Hken Hpa | 1532 | 1537 | |
| 27 | Hkam Pak Hpa | 1537 | 1541 | |
| 28 | Hkam Hsen Löng Hpa | 1541 | 1570 | |
| 29 | Hkam Hküng Hpa | 1570 | 1632 | Subjugation of Hsenwi Löng by Hso Hung Hpa Mong Mit sawbwa |
| 30 | Hkam Hso Nan Hpa | 1632 | 1640 | |
| 31 | Hkam Kai Noi Sao Kin - (Hso Hsen Hpa) | 1640 | 1651 | Have Hso Hung Hpa his son, Nang Hkam Höng his daught |
| 32 | Hkam Hso Hung Hpa | 1651 | 1680 | Son of Hkam Kai Noi Sao Kin |
| 33 | Hso Sün Hpa | 1680 | 1686 | |
| 34 | Hso Hüng Hpa - (Hkam Li, Hso Naw Hpa) | 1686 | 1721 | |
| 35 | Han Hpa Hko Hkam Höng | 1721 | 1724 | |
| 36 | Hpawng Mawng Löng Hsunt Wat | 1724 | 1730 | |
| 37 | Hkam Hsawng Hpa | 1730 | 1746 | |
| 38 | Hkun Hseng Höng | 1746 | 1750 | Married with Nang Hseng Pu, the niece of Hke Sa Wa, Yawnghwe sawbwa |
| 39 | Sao Mang Te | 1750 | 1761 | Brother of Hkun Hseng Höng |
| 40 | Hkun Hseng Awng Tun | 1761 | 1767 | |
| 41 | Myauk Win Hmu | 1767 | 1770 | |
| 42 | Sayawaddy Wun | 1770 | 1772 | |
| 43 | Set-taw Wun | 1772 | 1773 | |
| 44 | U Têng Pöng Nya | 1773 | 1776 | |
| — | — | 1776 | 1778 | Vacant |
| 45 | Hso Wei Hpa - (Hswe Kön Cheng) | 1778 | 1800 | His two daughters, Hseng Santa and Shin Hsansi became King Badon's queen consort |
| 46 | Hso Kaw Hpa | 1800 | 1815 | |
| 47 | Mogaung Wun | 1815 | 1819 | |
| 48 | Sao Naw Möng | 1819 | 1821 | |
| 49 | Hkun Hkam Hkawt | 1821 | 1824 | |
| 50 | Sao Hkam Pak | 1824 | 1827 | Killed in first Burmese war |
| 51 | Sao Hkam Nan | 1827 | 1831 | Brother of Sao Hkam Pak |
| 52 | Sao Hkun Mawng | 1831 | 1838 | |
| 53 | Sao Hkam Lêng - (Hso Hkan Hpa) | 1838 | 1845 | |
| 54 | Hso Naw Hpa — 1st time | 1845 | 1853 | |
| 55 | Hso Nan Hpa | 1853 | 1856 | |
| 56 | Sikkè Sinkadan | 1856 | 1858 | |
| 57 | Sao Hpa Möng Hpo — 1st time | 1858 | 1860 | |
| 58 | Phagyi Wun | 1860 | 1861 | |
| 57 | Sao Hpa Möng Hpo — 2nd time | 1861 | 1862 | |
| 59 | Bo Maü | 1862 | 1863 | |
| 57 | Sao Hpa Möng Hpo — 3rd time | 1863 | 1864 | |
| 60 | Shwe Pyi Bo | 1864 | 1866 | |
| 61 | U Ma Nga | 1866 | 1867 | |
| 54 | Hso Naw Hpa — 2nd time | 1867 | 1869 | |
| 62 | Wundauk U Shwe Kyo — 1st time | 1869 | 1870 | |
| 63 | Sikkè U San Min | 1870 | 1871 | |
| 62 | Wundauk U Shwe Kyo — 2nd time | 1871 | 1873 | |
| 64 | Win Hmu | 1873 | 1874 | |
| 54 | Hso Naw Hpa — 3rd time | 1874 | 1875 | |
| 65 | Natsu Letya | 1875 | 1876 | |
| 54 | Hso Naw Hpa — 4th time | 1876 | 1879 | Retired to Möng Sit in 1879 |
| 66 | Hkun Hsang Tön Höng | 1879 | 1888 | |

## Popular culture

* Hsenwi is a playable nation in the strategy video game Europa Universalis IV.