Shweli River
Encyclopedia
Shweli River is a river in Myanmar
(Burma). Also known as Nam Mao in Shan
and Lung Chuan Chiang in Chinese
, it forms part of the boundary between Burma and China
. It is one of the tributaries of the country's chief river, the Ayeyarwady
, and arises in Yunnan Province of China. It flows through northern Shan state
and Sagaing Division
, and enters the Ayeyarwady at Inywa, 60 km north of Tagaung
and south of Katha
.
people, known as Shan in Burma, migrated from Yunnan into Burma along the Shweli. Maw Shans from Mong Mao
settled in the Shweli valley, and raided and invaded the Bamar
heartlands down the Shweli, but King Anawrahta
of Bagan
(1044–1077) reduced them to a vassal
state. The fall of the kingdom of Bagan in the 13th C, however, saw a resurgence of Shan power, although King Bayinnaung
(1551–1581) of the Taungoo Dynasty succeeded in pacifying them to establish Burmese suzerainty
once and for all. King Hsinbyushin
(1763–1776) of the Konbaung Dynasty
also successfully repelled Chinese invasions (1765-9) that advanced down the Shweli and Myitnge
river valleys.
The territory south of the Shweli, about 500–600 km2, north of Namtu
and from Namkham to the west, was under the control of the Communist Party of Burma
(CPB) from 1968 to 1986. The Kachin Independence Army
(KIA) controlled the area north of the Shweli, and the Shan State Army
(SSA) and the Palaung State Liberation Army (PSLA) farther south. The Shweli river valley and the hills around Momeik
(Mong Mit) and Mogok with its ruby
mines
had been old CPB strongholds since the 1950s. Momeik itself was captured by the Communists in 1977. The Burmese Army recaptured the territory in early 1987, and subsequently opened up border trade
with China
.
.
with the Ayeyarwady. Hills are covered with broad-leaved species of Terminalia
and Shorea
trees. Rhododendron
edgeworthii, of the finest foliage and flowers ranging in colour from white to white flushed pink or pink, sometimes with a yellow blotch, was part of a collection made in 1997 on the Shweli - Salween
divide on the Yunnan border with Burma.
White-winged Wood Duck
(Cairina scutulata), an endangered species
of forest duck, and the Sarus Crane
Grus antigone are native to the Shweli river. The Gharial
Gavialis gangeticus, a crocodilian, was last spotted in 1927. The Irrawaddy Dolphin
has been known to reach the upper tributaries of the Ayeyarwady including the Shweli.
on the Chinese side, and a roaring trade in goods and services was engaged in across the "Gun Bridge", so called because of the armaments transported from China to the military government of Burma. The old bridge was replaced by a new wider one in 2005. Gems especially jade
and produce
, and illicit heroin, are exported in exchange for cheap motorcycles and household goods from China.
More recently, Chinese hybrid rice
called sinn shweli has been introduced by the military authorities
to the local farmers as part of the opium
eradication drive, most of the crop to be exported back to China.
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
(Burma). Also known as Nam Mao in Shan
Shan language
The Shan language is the native language of Shan people and spoken mostly in Shan State, Burma. It is also used in pockets of Kachin State in Burma, in northern Thailand, and in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. Shan is a member of the Tai–Kadai language family, and...
and Lung Chuan Chiang in Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, it forms part of the boundary between Burma and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It is one of the tributaries of the country's chief river, the Ayeyarwady
Ayeyarwady River
The Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River is a river that flows from north to south through Burma . It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying through...
, and arises in Yunnan Province of China. It flows through northern Shan state
Shan State
Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total...
and Sagaing Division
Sagaing Division
Sagaing Region is an administrative region of Burma , located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and longitude 94° 97' east...
, and enters the Ayeyarwady at Inywa, 60 km north of Tagaung
Tagaung, Mandalay
Tagaung is a town in Mandalay Division of Myanmar . It is situated on the east bank of the Ayeyarwady River, 127 miles north of Mandalay.-Transport:The Ayeyarwady remains the principal means to reach Tagaung...
and south of Katha
Kathar
Katha is a town in Sagaing Division, Myanmar, on the west side of the Ayeyarwady river on a bluff with an average elevation of 124 m. Most of the town is more than 10 meters above the river...
.
History
TaiTai
Tai may refer to:*Tai peoples*Tai languages*Tai , a Chinese surname*Mount Tai, in Shandong, China*Lake Tai, on the border of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, China...
people, known as Shan in Burma, migrated from Yunnan into Burma along the Shweli. Maw Shans from Mong Mao
Mong Mao
Mong Mao or Mao kingdom was an ethnically Dai state that controlled several smaller Tai states or chieftainships along the frontier of what is now Myanmar and China in the Dehong region of Yunnan with a capital near the modern-day border town of Ruili...
settled in the Shweli valley, and raided and invaded the Bamar
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
heartlands down the Shweli, but King Anawrahta
Anawrahta
Anawrahta Minsaw was the founder of the Pagan Empire. Considered the father of the Burmese nation, Anawrahta turned a small principality in the dry zone of Upper Burma into the first Burmese Empire that formed the basis of modern-day Burma...
of Bagan
Bagan
Bagan , formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana and also known as Tambadipa or Tassadessa , it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma...
(1044–1077) reduced them to a vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
state. The fall of the kingdom of Bagan in the 13th C, however, saw a resurgence of Shan power, although King Bayinnaung
Bayinnaung
Bayinnaung Kyawhtin Nawrahta was the third king of the Toungoo dynasty of Burma . During his 30-year reign, which has been called the "greatest explosion of human energy ever seen in Burma", Bayinnaung assembled the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, which included much of modern day...
(1551–1581) of the Taungoo Dynasty succeeded in pacifying them to establish Burmese suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
once and for all. King Hsinbyushin
Hsinbyushin
Hsinbyushin was king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma from 1763 to 1776. The second son of the dynasty founder Alaungpaya is best known for his wars with China and Siam, and is considered the most militaristic king of the dynasty. His successful defense against four Chinese invasions preserved...
(1763–1776) of the Konbaung Dynasty
Konbaung dynasty
The Konbaung Dynasty was the last dynasty that ruled Burma from 1752 to 1885. The dynasty created the second largest empire in Burmese history, and continued the administrative reforms begun by the Toungoo dynasty, laying the foundations of modern state of Burma...
also successfully repelled Chinese invasions (1765-9) that advanced down the Shweli and Myitnge
Myitnge
Myitnge is a town in Amarapura Township in the Mandalay Region of central Burma. It is situated between Amarapura and the Myitnge River and lies along National Highway 1 which connects it to the city of Mandalay in the north....
river valleys.
The territory south of the Shweli, about 500–600 km2, north of Namtu
Namtu
Namtu is a town in northern Shan State, Burma. Famous for its Bawdwin and Namtu silver mines, it is situated on the Nam Tu River, and is connected to Lashio by rail.-History:...
and from Namkham to the west, was under the control of the Communist Party of Burma
Communist Party of Burma
The Communist Party of Burma is the oldest existing political party in Burma. The party is unrecognised by the Burmese authorities, rendering it illegal; so it operates in a clandestine manner, often associating with insurgent armies along the border of People's Republic of China...
(CPB) from 1968 to 1986. The Kachin Independence Army
Kachin Independence Army
The Kachin Independence Army is the military arm of the Kachin Independence Organization , a political group composed of ethnic Kachins in northern Burma...
(KIA) controlled the area north of the Shweli, and the Shan State Army
Shan State Army
The Shan State Army, or SSA, was an army formed in 1964 to resist the military government of Burma in Shan State.It later split into two factions, usually known in English as the Shan State Army - South or SSA-S, which continues to oppose the government, and the Shan State Army - North or SSA-N,...
(SSA) and the Palaung State Liberation Army (PSLA) farther south. The Shweli river valley and the hills around Momeik
Momeik
Momeik, known as Know as Mong Mit in Shan, is a town situated on the Shweli River in northern Shan State of Myanmar .-Transport:...
(Mong Mit) and Mogok with its ruby
Ruby
A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires...
mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
had been old CPB strongholds since the 1950s. Momeik itself was captured by the Communists in 1977. The Burmese Army recaptured the territory in early 1987, and subsequently opened up border trade
Border trade
Border trade, in general, refers to the flow of goods and services across theinternational borders between jurisdictions. In this sense, it is a part of normal legal tradethat flows through standard export/import frameworks of nations...
with China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Population
The region is inhabited mainly by Shan and Palaung peoples, some Kachin and a few ChineseChinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
.
Flora and fauna
There are extensive marshes on both banks of the Shweli at the confluenceConfluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the Ayeyarwady. Hills are covered with broad-leaved species of Terminalia
Terminalia (plant)
Terminalia is a genus of large trees of the flowering plant family Combretaceae, comprising around 100 species distributed in tropical regions of the world. This genus gets it name from Latin terminus, referring to the fact that the leaves appear at the very tips of the shoots.Trees of this genus...
and Shorea
Shorea
Shorea is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of the British East India Company, 1793-1798. They are native to southeast Asia, from Northern India to Malaysia, Indonesia and the...
trees. Rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
edgeworthii, of the finest foliage and flowers ranging in colour from white to white flushed pink or pink, sometimes with a yellow blotch, was part of a collection made in 1997 on the Shweli - Salween
Salween River
The Salween is a river, about long, that flows from the Tibetan Plateau into the Andaman Sea in Southeast Asia. It drains a narrow and mountainous watershed of that extends into the countries China, Burma and Thailand. Steep canyon walls line the swift, powerful and undammed Salween, one of the...
divide on the Yunnan border with Burma.
White-winged Wood Duck
White-winged Wood Duck
The White-winged Duck or White-winged Wood Duck is a large species of duck, formerly placed in the genus Cairina and allied with the dabbling ducks...
(Cairina scutulata), an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of forest duck, and the Sarus Crane
Sarus Crane
The Sarus Crane is a large non-migratory crane found in parts of the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia. The tallest of the flying birds, standing at a height of up to 1.8 m , they are conspicuous and iconic species of open wetlands...
Grus antigone are native to the Shweli river. The Gharial
Gharial
The gharial , , also called Indian gavial or gavial, is the only surviving member of the once well-represented family Gavialidae, a long-established group of crocodilians with long, slender snouts...
Gavialis gangeticus, a crocodilian, was last spotted in 1927. The Irrawaddy Dolphin
Irrawaddy dolphin
The Irrawaddy dolphin is a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in discontinuous subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia.-Etymology and taxonomic history:...
has been known to reach the upper tributaries of the Ayeyarwady including the Shweli.
Trade and commerce
Muse is connected to RuiliRuili
Ruili City is a county-level city in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan province, southwest China.It is a major border crossing between China and Myanmar, with Muse town located across the border.- Name :...
on the Chinese side, and a roaring trade in goods and services was engaged in across the "Gun Bridge", so called because of the armaments transported from China to the military government of Burma. The old bridge was replaced by a new wider one in 2005. Gems especially jade
Jade
Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
and produce
Produce
Produce is a generalized term for a group of farm-produced goods and, not limited to fruits and vegetables . More specifically, the term "produce" often implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as where they were harvested. In supermarkets the term is also used to refer...
, and illicit heroin, are exported in exchange for cheap motorcycles and household goods from China.
More recently, Chinese hybrid rice
Hybrid rice
Hybrid rice is any genealogy of rice produced by crossbreeding different kinds of rice. As with other types of hybrids, hybrid rice typically displays heterosis such that when it is grown under the same conditions as comparable high-yielding inbred rice varieties it can produce up to 30% more rice...
called sinn shweli has been introduced by the military authorities
State Peace and Development Council
The State Peace and Development Council was the official name of the military regime of Burma , which seized power in 1988. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree to officially dissolve the Council....
to the local farmers as part of the opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
eradication drive, most of the crop to be exported back to China.
External links
- Shweli River Google map GeoNamesGeoNamesGeoNames is a geographical database available and accessible through various Web services, under a Creative Commons attribution license.- Database and web services :...
- Shan State map R4 = Shweli River Asterism
- Sagaing Division map R3 = Shweli River Asterism
- Photo of the "Gun Bridge" over the Shweli Renaud Egreteau
- 3rd Destruction of Narcotic Drugs Ceremony, 26th November 1999 myanmar-narcotic.net