Sip Song Chau Tai
The Sip Song Chau Tai ("Twelve Tai cantons"; Vietnamese: thập song (12) châu Thái; Thai: สิบสองจุไท or สิบสองเจ้าไท; Lao: ສິບສອງຈຸໄຕ or ສິບສອງເຈົ້າໄຕ; Chinese: 泰族十二州; Tai Dam: ꪵꪠ꪿ꪙꪒꪲꪙꪼꪕ "Tai Federation") was a confederation of Tai Dam ("Black Tai"), Tai Dón ("White Tai") and Tai Daeng ("Red Tai") chiefdoms in the mountainous north-west of today's Vietnam, dating back at least to the 17th century.
Tai Federation Sip Song Chau Tai (1947–1950) Sip Hoc Chau Thai (1950–1955) | |||||||||
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| before 17th century–1954 | |||||||||
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| Seal (1889–1945) | |||||||||
The later Tai Federation, 1950, based on the Sip Song Chau Tai | |||||||||
| Status | French protectorate, part of Tonkin, French Indochina (1889–1948) Autonomous federation within the French Union (1948–50) Crown domain of the Vietnamese Emperor (1950–54) | ||||||||
| Capital | none (before 1948) Muaeng Lai (1948–54) | ||||||||
| Common languages | French, Tai, Chinese, Vietnamese | ||||||||
| Religion | Catholicism (official) Daoism Traditional religions | ||||||||
| Historical era | New Imperialism | ||||||||
• Established | before 17th century | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1954 | ||||||||
| Currency | French Indochinese piastre | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Northwest region, Vietnam | ||||||||
It became an autonomous part of the French protectorate of Tonkin, and thereby of French Indochina, in 1889. In 1948, during the period of the First Indochina War, it was transformed into the Tai Federation (French: Fédération Thaï) that was recognized as an autonomous component of the French Union.
In 1950 it was made a crown domain of Vietnamese emperor Bảo Đại without being integrated into the State of Vietnam. It was dissolved after the Geneva Agreements of 1954.