A rugged mountainous country between the Salween and the Mekong crossed by the Nam Hka, which the Wa claim as ancestral land 'since time immemorial'.
English Wikipedia (Wa people) says very little is known of early Wa history; local narratives say the Wa once held the Wa States, the east of Shan State and parts of China, and the Wa were displaced from the Kengtung basin around 1229 and later defeated by Mangrai. The Wa live in village clusters under headmen, with blood sacrifice and animist belief; the page doubts the colonial picture of constant headhunting. No state claims them.
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
Village clusters under headmen; no overlord.
Places of note
- Pangsang: Township in the Wa hills (gazetteer centre).
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: A modern page that admits it knows little.
On the map: Burmese side only; the Chinese Wa (Cangyuan) belong to the Yunnan researcher. The north end is drawn up over Kunlong and Kokang, where nothing is recorded for 1200.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.