Tarihin farko na jihohin Shan ya ruɗe cikin tatsuniya.Yawancin jihohi sun yi iƙirarin cewa an kafa su a kan wata ƙasa da ta gabace ta da sunan Sanskrit Shen/Sen.Tarihin Tai Yai yawanci yana farawa ne da labarin wasu 'yan'uwa biyu, Khun Lung da Khun Lai, waɗanda suka sauko daga sama a ƙarni na 6 kuma suka sauka a Hsenwi, inda al'ummar yankin ke yaba su a matsayin sarakuna.^[30] Shan, kabilar Tai , sun zauna a tsaunin Shan da sauran sassan arewacin Burma na zamani har zuwa karni na 10 AD.Masarautar Shan ta Mong Mao (Muang Mao) ta kasance a Yunnan a farkon karni na 10 AZ amma ta zama kasar Burma a lokacin mulkin Sarki Anawrahta na Maguzawa (1044-1077).^[31]An kafa babbar jihar Shan ta farko a shekarar 1215 a Mogaung, sannan Mone ta biyo baya a 1223. Waɗannan suna cikin babban ƙaura na Tai wanda ya kafa Masarautar Ahom a 1229 da Masarautar Sukhothai a 1253. ^[32] Shans, ciki har da wani sabon hijira da ya zo tare da Mongols, da sauri ya mamaye wani yanki daga arewacin jihar Chin da yankin arewa maso yammacin Sagaing zuwa tsaunin Shan na yau.Sabuwar Jihohin Shan da aka kafa sun kasance jahohi masu yawan kabilu da yawa waɗanda suka haɗa da adadi mai yawa na sauran tsirarun ƙabilun kamar Chin, Palaung, Pa-O, Kachin, Akha, Lahu, Wa da Burmans.Jihohin Shan da suka fi karfi su ne Mohnyin (Mong Yang) da Mogaung (Mong Kawng) a Jihar Kachin ta yau, sai Theinni (Hsenwi), Thibaw (Hsipaw), Momeik (Mong Mit) da Kyaingtong (Keng Tung) a halin yanzu- ranar arewacin jihar Shan.^[33]