Perhaps Monswerethe first to enter among the tribes that entered Burma. Mon people came from the high hills in the West of China to the South and resettled in the areas of Irawady delta, Sitaung deta, Thanlwin delta, Maenan delta, Maekong delta and built villages and towns. Thatung is the earliest city built by Mon people. Pegu and Hanthawady were later built by those who came from Thatung.
In "Burma Chronicle" by U Ba Than, page 23, it is described- " According to Sir John Jerdin, Mon people had to drive out Taungthu people who had already existed there in order to build towns. Thatung is now the central part where Taungthu people live around. In "Thatung Chronicle", it is said that Taungthu Pa-oh kings once ruled in Thatung. Taungthu people live in ancient Pagan area that is now calledPakukku. Thus, if accepted Sir John Jerdin's concept, Pa-oh, called Taungthu people probably entered earlier than Mon people.
In Bamaw ThinAung"s"Burma History in Colony Era", page 41, it is described as follow:
"Historians believed that among the tribes of Maungot who
entered ancient Burma, Karen and Pa-oh were earlier than
Shan and Burman. But, they were later than Mon presumably”.
According to Kaba-aye monk Ashen Tilawkatara, Pa-oh called Taungthu people and Intha people entered Burma later. Therefore, except the concept of Sir John Jerdin, hestorians believed that Pa-oh called Taungthu people came later than Mon people.
Pa-oh tribe called Taungthu moved gradually from China hills to the Southern part via Thanlwinriver. In about six century they lived in Shan hills now called Karenni range. From there they came into Burma Inland in separate groups. Originally, Karens lived around karenni range, Thanlwin area and Pegu mountain range. Pa-ohs called Taungthu seemed to have lived in South Shan and Thatung areas.
Sir George Scoth wrote, " Karen, Pa-oh (Taungthu) and Shan are of one tribe. Karen and Pa-oh came into Burma 300 years earlier than Shan." According to Sir Geoerage Scott, Karen, Taungthu (Pa-oh) and Shan are of one tribe.
In anyway, Pa-oh, according to their clans, formed suitable smaller groups and lived peacefully depending on ancient agriculture. They chose to live mountainous areas and earned their livelihood from shifting cultivation due toPhyus, Mons and Burmans who tried to take hold of the silted and flat plains of Inland areas in fights. Because they earned livelihood from shifting cultivation in mountainous areas, Pa-oh were called Taungthu.
