The ridges between the Salween and the Thai border, the Karen (Kayin) country.
English Wikipedia (Karen people) relies on Luce: the Karen came from the north along the Salween and Irrawaddy and are in Burma by perhaps 300 to 800 CE; the earliest use of the name Tonsu is in Burmese inscriptions of 1165 to 1167, a 1240 inscription names the Karyan and a 1242 inscription lists 31 Cakraw slaves, which Luce provisionally links to the Sgaw. Pwo Karen are treated as 'original settlers' essential to Mon life, and the highland Sgaw were subordinated or assimilated by the Burmans. Where each group lived in 1200 is not recorded.
Who holds it
- Title
- Village headmen and clan elders; no ruler or chief is named in any source we read
- Since
- not known
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
No source we read names a holder.
How things stand that morning
Villages and elders; some of their people are on Pagan's temple rolls.
Places of note
- Hpa-an: Modern town on the Salween.
- Myawaddy: Border town facing Mae Sot.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: A modern page leaning heavily on Luce's provisional identifications.
On the map: Burmese side only; Mae Sot and Mae Hong Son are in the Khmer and Tai north records. The west edge is drawn at the foot of the hills, so the Hpa-an plain and the Mudon coast fall in the Mon coast polygon.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.