The Thai tribes
The Thai tribes in their early days some
two thousand years ago or more had their home probably in the north-west, corner
of China which is now the province of Shen-si.
The word Shen-si in Chinese means "west"
of the "Shen". The word "Shen" means a "mountain pass"). The Chinese tribes had
their old home there, a few scholars, both European and Thai, have ventured to
draw the conclusion that the word "Shan" which the Burmese have given to the
Thai tribes in Northern Burma and elsewhere, and the word "Siam" (now Thailand)
are one and the same word.
These two words no doubt derived their
origin from Shen of Shen-si. The name of the Kingdom of Nan-Chao of the Thai in
Yunnan in an earlier period was called "Shan San" by the Chinese.
In view of the above fact, there was no
doubt that the Thai mixed and blended freely, whether as friends or as foes,
with the Chinese of those days. The fortunes of the Thai were bound up with the
Chinese every now and then in the episodes of Chinese history throughout those
times. Gradually the fortune of the Thai waned and by force of circumstances
they had to emigrate further south until they finally established themselves as
the Kingdom of Nan-Chao in Southern China. This Kingdom was subjugated by Kublai
Khan, the first emperor of the Chinese Mongol dynasty some 700 years ago
02. December 2004