Qing China’s View of Sipsongpanna in the End of the Eighteenth Century and the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century : Two Supreme Rulers of Sipsongpanna Appointed by China and Burma Respectively

At the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, China and Burma appointed different people as the supreme rulers of Sipsongpanna. At the end of the eighteenth century, Dao Taihe 刀太和 was appointed by China, and Dao Chaoting 刀召庁 was appointed by Burma. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Dao Shengwu 刀縄武 was appointed by China, and Dao Yonghe 刀永和 was appointed by Burma. This paper discusses this situation and how Qing China considered and dealt with it. According to the chronicle of Sipsongpanna, both Dao Chaoting and Dao Yonghe were appointed as the supreme rulers of Sipsongpanna by Burma. However, according to Qing Shilu, China did not appear to be aware of this; it is highly likely that the rulers of Sipsongpanna did not dare inform China about this. China was not made aware of the existence of a succession conflict behind the disturbance caused by the murder of Dao Taichang by Dao Yonghe, either. China recognised or wanted to recognise it only as a murder case. In addition, Qing China did not want to go too far regarding the disturbances in the frontier. They did not send government soldiers but only left the cases to the Tai native rulers.