Burma: Census of India 1901 Vol. I - Khamkoo

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I 26
REPORT ON THE CENSUS OF BURMA.
of the Southern Shan States is much the same as the Taungthus, are probably
closely connected with the latter race. The chief difference between the two
appears to lie in the colour of the smock worn by the women. The Taungthu
ladies wear black, the Taungyos affect red. They are classified together in the
ethnology chapter of the Upper Burma Gazetteer. The Taungyo language, as
exemplified in that work, strikes the observer as nothing more than a kind of
bastard Burmese, or even Arakanese. Taungthu has much more Karen in its
composition, but there are other elements as well. What might be looked
upon as affording a clue to their origin is the Danaw race. Legend connects
the Taungthus and Taungyos with the Danus or Danaws, another doubtful
community who are their near neighbours in the Myelat. In many localities the
Danu is now a mere Burmese-Shan hybrid who knows nothing of the Danu
tongue. It is clear, however, that the original Dahus or Danaws spoke a language
that had remarkable affinities with several of the tongues of the Mon-Annam
family, notably the Wa, the Hka Muk, and the Riang. This language is still
spoken by the Danaws in some places. Moreover, the Danus, even where they have
lost their ancestral vernacular, still refer to a reputed emigration from Siam and
claim connection with the Riangs or Yins. I am inclined to think that in the end
it will be possible to bring the Taungthus, Taungyos and Danaws, and conceivably
also the Padaungs of Karenni, into the ethnical family, of which the
Takings, the Palaungs and the Was are all doubtless representatives and find a
plausible explanation of their legendary migration from the south. All that it is
possible to do now is to record their existence and admit that at present they are
a puzzle. The strength of the communities in question in March 1901 was as
follows: Taungthus 168,301, Taungyos 16,749, Danus 63,549, Danaws 635.
183. At the enumeration the total number of Palaungs was returned as
56,866. The Palaungs are found scattered through
The Palaungs.
^ Shan States, but are most numerous in the
vicinity of the Kodaung tract of the Ruby Mines district and in the Northern
Shan State of Tawngpeng. They are held to be a respectable, law-abiding community,
whose habit of building their villages at a considerable elevation has led
to their being studied less than some of their neighbours. Like the Taungthus
they have a tradition of an ancient migration from Thaton, which will probably be
found to be nothing more than an indication that they are of Mon-Annam extraction.
Their language has now been definitely placed in the Mon-Annam
family, and linguistically they are connected both with the Was on the east and
with the Danaws on the south. The Palaung men invariably wear the Shan
dress. The women have a picturesque costume, which comprises a hood, coat,
and skirt with leggings of cloth. It is well depicted in one of the illustrations in
the Upper Burma Gazetteer.
The following extract from the District Census Report of the Deputy Commissioner,
Ruby Mines, refers to the Palaungs who inhabit the Kodaung
.-
" The Palaung is a peaceful and industrious individual, but at the same time he is not
on
Palaungs
'^ a coward at heart but a Jew in money transactions, and
in business will always get the better of the Kachin by dint
of his superior wit. He is a Buddhist, has monks and monasteries, and reads and writes
Shan ; but he cannot hold his own against the Kachin, and, when driven out, migrates
altogether. The Palaungs of the various circles in the Kodaung appear to represent so
many different immigrations from their original- seat, said to be at the sources of the
Anawma river, which the Hume men left 600 years ago. The dialect of one varies a good
deal from that of another according to their own account of the matter, and even in the
fashions of dress each circle has or had its own cut and idea of the becoming. The common
Burmese division of the Palaung tribes into Palaungs and Pales is not admitted by
the Palaungs of Hume and Maing-kwin, and from what they say it would appear to be
fanciful and incorrect. The Palaung uses bis own language when at home, but Shan is
the religious and book language, and gives the village officials their only titles, e.g.,
"Kang " or " Pu-kang," " Paw-mong," " Pak," " Pukye," « Pawng," » Kang-kung-mong,"
" Haw-sawng," " Min-hong."
1 84. The Was, whose affinity with the Palaungs is probably more than one of
language only, were for
The Was.
the most part excluded from
the scope of the Census operations. On account of