Möng Kawng

Möng Kawng (Shan: မိူင်းၵွင်း; Tai Nüa: ᥛᥫᥒᥰ ᥐᥩᥒᥰ; Burmese: မိုးကောင်း; Chinese: 孟拱), also known as Mogaung, was a Shan state in what is today Burma. It was an outlying territory, located away from the main Shan State area in present-day Kachin State. For much of their histories, Möng Yang and Möng Kawng were closely linked and could often be considered the same state, only being regarded as separate when paying tribute to a dominant external power.

According to legend, a predecessor state named Udiri Pale had been established in 58 BC. The area was said to have been inhabited by the Tai Long. According to Tai chronicles, the kingdom was founded in 1215 by a saopha named Sam Long Hpa, who ruled over an area stretching from Hkamti Lông to Shwebo, and extending into the country of the Nagas and Mishmis.

Sam Long Hpa built his capital on the Nam Kawng river (present-day Mogaung river) and established it as a tributary state to Möng Mao.

According to Hsenwi state chronicle, the two generals Tao Hsö Yen and Tao Hsö Han Kai, who were sent with Sam Long Hpa to conquer Assam, sent on messengers to Hsö Hkan Hpa with a story that Sam Long Hpa had obtained the easy submission of Wehsali Long (Assam) by conspiring with the king of that place to dethrone Hsö Hkan Hpa. He believed the story and sent poisoned food to Sam Long Hpa, which he ate at Möng Kawng, where he died.

Möng Kawng and Möng Yang were occupied by China between 1479 and 1483, after regaining independence they were again briefly occupied by China in 1495. From 1651 to 1742 the state was occupied by the Ava-based Kingdom of Burma and following a period of less than thirty years it was again occupied by Burma from 1771 to 1775. Finally Möng Kawng was annexed by the Ava Kingdom in 1796.

After becoming part of Burma, Möng Kawng was ruled by administrators named wuns. During British rule in Burma it became part of the Myitkyina District of the Mandalay Division.

In Chinese chronicle Ming Shilu, the state was known as Mengyang and was under Yunnan as a pacification superintendency. In the same chronicle, the kingdom is said to extend to the east to Jinsha River in China, south to Ava-Burma, west to the territory of Da-Gula and to the north till Ganyai, a polity near Daying river.

In 1408, the polity was occupied by Da-Gula.