A valley on the Myitnge in the middle of the plateau, the road from the Irrawaddy towards the Chinese border (and the Nawnghkio gate below it).
A muang is a valley with a lord in it and villages that owe him labour; Pagan's claim means tribute in some years and nothing in others. The later list shows a reign of 1137 to 1205 (68 years) with a co-reigning son from 1160, which is the mark of a reconstruction. The first document that names Onbaung is of the time of Thihathu, about the 1300s, as the place an attack came from, long after 1200.
Who he is
- Name
- not known (the later Hsipaw list names Hso Hsawng Hpa, 1137 to 1205, with a son Sao Hkun Hso, 1160 to 1205, and Sawn Mawng Hawna from 1205: back projection, internally inconsistent)
- Title
- Lord of the valley (chao muang; called saopha in the later records)
- Since
- not known
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
English Wikipedia, Hsipaw State: local tradition of a predecessor state Dutthavati of 58 BC; a ruler list from 58 BC marked 'verification needed' in which the entries for 1137 to 1205 overlap; the first dated evidence is a Burmese inscription of the reign of Thihathu (about 1265 to 1324) recording a repulsed attack from Onbaung.
Overlord
None shown. Pagan claims and the nearer valleys may pay tribute in some years; Dali claims on the Shweli side.
What it holds
- The Hsipaw plain and the road to the Nawnghkio gate
- A claim on the Myitnge route
How things stand that morning
A valley lordship; the ruler is not known.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- About 1265 to 1324 (dated evidence)A Burmese inscription of Thihathu's time records an attack repulsed from Onbaung; Hsipaw becomes a main Shan state later.Depends on: Pinya and Sagaing after the fall of Pagan. Stopped by: Not relevant to 1200.
Places of note
- Hsipaw: Valley seat (gazetteer municipality point is 22.40, 97.56).
Where the sources disagree
- The campaign board entry hsipaw-onbaung: used; the campaign board notes 'named ruling lines are documented only from later centuries': agreed.
Evidence: A later list with obvious overlaps; one inscription of the 1300s.
"The campaign board" is OMNIA's working map. These notes record where its earlier claims were checked against the sources.
Primary sources for Shan and Kachin valley lordships
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- The Glass Palace Chronicle of the Kings of Burma, The Royal Historical Commission of King Bagyidaw (Monywe Sayadaw and others), drawing on U Kala's Maha Yazawin (about 1724) and earlier chronicles (1829 to 1832). The standard Burmese court chronicle, compiled six centuries after 1200 from older chronicles now lost. Read online
- Inscriptions of Pagan, Pinya and Ava; Inscriptions of Burma, Various (the Pagan kings, queens, ministers and donors), edited by Tun Nyein, Taw Sein Ko, G. H. Luce and Pe Maung Tin (inscriptions of the 11th to 14th centuries; editions 1899 and 1933 to 1956). The dedicatory inscriptions of Pagan are the only contemporary texts for the kingdom of Narapatisithu (reigning 1174 to 1211). Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.