Lashio
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Lashio
Head-quarters of the Superintendent of the Northern Shan States, Burma, situated in 22° 56' N. and 97° 45' E., at the western corner of North Hsenwi, about 2,800 feet above the sea. It consists of a civil station, a military police post, small settlements of natives of India, Burmans, and Chinese, and some scattered hamlets of Shans. The civil station proper is situated on a low spur overlooking the upper valley of the Nam Yao. The railway station, which is the present terminus of the Mandalay-Lashio branch, is 2 miles distant in the valley. By cart-road Lashio is 178 miles, and by railway 180 miles, from Mandalay.
The climate is good, though, like most places in the Shan States, there is a very considerable range of temperature. During the five years ending 1904 the average maximum temperature was 8r°, and the average minimum 60'^ (mean temperature 70°). The annual rainfall for the same period averaged 62 inches. The population in 1901 (before the railway was opened) was 1,613, including military police. In April, 1904, however, the limits of the station were extended, and the population of the area now included was 2,565 according to the Census of 1901. The native population comprises Shans, Burmans, natives of India, Palaurgs, and Chinese.The civil hospital has 20 beds, and a military police hospital 24. At the former, 408 in-patients and 7,087 out-patients were treated in 1904.
Lashio has recently been constituted a ' notified area,' and its affairs are managed by a committee of five members. There is a small daily bazar, and a large market is held every five days, the latter being fairly well attended by people from the neighbouring villages. The immediate vicinity of the station does not produce any commodities for export, but several traders have settled since the opening of the railway, and a certain amount of merchandise changes hands here. The Shan village of Old Lashio, about 2 miles off in the valley, has a considerable market for opium. The great want of the place hitherto has been a good and permanent water-supply. Steps have been taken recently to supply this defect, and a pipe water-supply is in course of construction.
