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Hsipaw State

former Shan state in Burma

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionMay 5, 2026
Entity authorityQ18125758
Source-derived summary

Hsipaw, also spelled Thibaw, was a Shan state located in what is now Myanmar (Burma). It was also referred to as Ong Pawng or Onbaung after the name of an old capital. The state was centered around the modern town of Hsipaw.

History

A predecessor state named Duṭṭhavatī (Burmese: ဒုဋ္ဌဝတီ) was said to be founded in 58 BC, according to local tradition.

A Burmese inscription contemporary to Thihathu (c. 1265–1324) recorded that he repulsed an attack coming from Onbaung (Hsipaw). Another conflict broke out between Hsipaw and the Ava kingdom in 1415.

During the Sino-Burmese War (1765–69) the Qianlong Emperor of China invaded the area of Hsipaw. 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.

Editorial summary

Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Hsipaw State” is former Shan state in Burma. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Hsipaw, State and former, not as a finished interpretation.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1265, 1324, 1415, 1765—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. For this dossier, Hsipaw, State and former is the immediate research focus.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The phrase “former Shan state in Burma” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.

Evidence profile

Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q18125758. Authority coordinates are 27.617, 97.283. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1265, 1324, 1415 and 1765.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Hsipaw State”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Hsipaw State primary sources, Hsipaw State archive and Hsipaw research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Hsipaw State”?
  2. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
  3. Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Subject index

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Hsipaw State” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.