The Edinburgh philosophical journal volume X - Map of Koshanpri

Koshanpye ( my, ကိုးရှမ်းပြည်), also called Kopyidoung ( my, ကိုးပြည်ငထ၁င်), is a historical name in Burmese literature which means "nine

Shan states The Shan States (1885–1948) were a collection of minor Shan kingdoms called ''muang'' whose rulers bore the title ''saopha'' in British Burma. They were analogous to the princely states of British India. The term "Shan States" was firs ...

". The name was first introduced to western readers by

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton Francis Buchanan (15 February 1762 – 15 June 1829), later known as Francis Hamilton but often referred to as Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, was a Scottish physician who made significant contributions as a geographer, zoologist, and botanist whil ...

in the ''Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, X'', year of 1824.

Discovery and explanation

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton obtained the ''Map of Koshanpri'' from the slave in Ava. Hamilton didn't research the proper name of "Koshanpri" or the literal meaning "Nine Provinces of Shan", but he pointed out that the Shan territory had been divided into 18 lordships, the slave even alleged that this number had been increased to 22. After that, many scholars have given conflicting lists of "nine Shan states" strove to explain the name. Some of the scholars don't agree with the literal meaning of "nine Shan states".

James George Scott Sir James George Scott (pseudonym Shway Yoe, 25 December 1851 – 4 April 1935) was a Scottish journalist and colonial administrator who helped establish British colonial rule in Burma, and in addition introduced football to Burma. Life He wa ...

believe "Koshanpye" was transformed from " Kawsampi", it is because

Mong Mao Mong may refer to: People *A proposed original name for the Hmong people, based on the main group, the Mong community * Bob Mong (), American journalist and academic administrator *Henry Mong (), American surgeon and Presbyterian missionary *Mong ...

and

Hsenwi Theinni or Hsenwi ( shn, ; my, သိန္နီ, ; th, แสนหวี, , ) is a town in northern Shan State of Burma, situated near the north bank of the Nam Tu River and now the centre of Hsenwi Township in Lashio District. It is nort ...

use the name "Kawsampi" as their Buddhistical name, the Burman official didn't admit that a Shan kingdom had any right to a classical name. But the Shan scholar

Sao Saimong Sao Sāimöng (also Sao Sāimöng Mangrāi; 13 November 1913 – 14 July 1987) was a member of the princely family of Kengtung State. He was a government minister in Burma (now Myanmar) soon after independence; he was also a scholar, historian an ...

opposes this opinion, he states that Koshanpyi is never mistaken for Kawsampi, Burman central court respected Shan states use their own classical name, Koshanpyi is referred to Chinese Shan states.

References

{{reflist Shan States History of Shan State History of Yunnan