Kachin State

Kachin State (Burmese: ကချင်ပြည်နယ်, pronounced: [kətɕʰɪ̀ɴ pjìnɛ̀]; Kachin: Jingphaw Mungdaw) is the northernmost state of Myanmar. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Region and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is 89,041 km² (34,379 sq mi). The capital of the state is Myitkyina. Other important towns include Bhamo and Putao.

Kachin State has Myanmar's highest mountain, Hkakabo Razi (5,889 metres (19,321 ft)), forming the southern tip of the Himalayas, and a large inland lake, Indawgyi Lake.

History

Traditional Kachin society was based on shifting hill agriculture. According to "The Political Systems of Highland Burma: A Study of Kachin Social Structure", written by E. R. Leach, Kachin was not a lingusitic category. Political authority was based on chieftains who depended on support from immediate kinsmen. Considerable attention has been given by anthropologists of the Kachin custom of maternal cousin marriage, wherein it is permissible for a man to marry his mother’s brother’s daughter, but not with the father’s sister’s daughter. In pre-colonial times, the Kachin were animist.