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CHINDWIN

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Originally appearing in Volume V06, Page 232 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CHINDWIN , a See also:

river of See also:Burma, the largest tributary of the See also:Irrawaddy, its entire course being in Burmese territory. It is called Ningthi by the Manipuris. The Chindwin is formed by the junction of the Tanai, the Tawan and the Tarbn or Turbng, but it is still uncertain which is the See also:main stream. The Tanai has hitherto been looked on as the See also:chief source. It rises in about 25° 30' N. and 970 E., on the Shwedaung-gyi See also:peak of the Kumbn range, 12 M. N. of Mogaung, and flows due N. for the first See also:part of its course until it reaches the Hukawng valley, when it turns to the W. and flows through the See also:middle of the See also:plain to the end of the valley proper. There it curves See also:round to the S., passes through the Tarbn or Turbng valley, takes the name of the Chindwin, and maintains a See also:general southerly course until it enters the Irrawaddy, after flowing through the entire length of the Upper and See also:Lower Chindwin districts, in about 21° 30' N. and 950 15' E. Its extreme outlets are 22 M. apart, the See also:interval forming a See also:succession of See also:long, See also:low, partially populated islands. The most southerly mouth of the Chindwin is, according totradition, an artificial channel, cut by one of 'the See also:kings of See also:Pagan. It was choked up for many centuries until in 1824 it was opened out by an exceptional See also:flood. The Tanai (it is frequently called Tanaikha, but kha is merely the Kachin word for river), as long as it retains that name, is a See also:swift, clear river, from 50 to 300 yds. wide and from 3 to 15 ft. deep. The river is navigated by native boats in the Hukawng valley, but launches cannot come up from the Chindwin proper because of the reefs below Taro.

The Taron, Tuning or Towang river seems to be the real main source of the Chindwin. It flows into the Hukawng valley from the See also:

north, and has a swift current with a succession of rapids. Its source; are in the hills to the See also:south of See also:Sadiya, rising from io,000 to ii,000 ft. above See also:sea-level. It flows through a deep valley, with a general E. and W. direction, as far as its junction with the Loglai. It then turns S., and after draining an intricate See also:system of hills, breaks into the Hukawng valley a few See also:miles N. of Saraw, and joins or receive; the Tanai about to m. above Kintaw See also:village. Except the Tanai, the chief branches of the Upper Chindwin rise in mountains that are covered at least with See also:winter snows. Below the Hukawng valley the Chindwin is interrupted at several places by fails or transverse reefs. At the village of Haksa there is a fall, which necessitates tranship. ment from large boats to canoes. Not far below this the Uyu river comes in on the See also:left See also:bank at Homalin, and from this point down„ wards the steamers of the Irrawaddy Flotilla See also:Company ply for the greater part of the See also:year. The Uyu flows through a fertile and well. cultivated valley, and during the See also:rainy See also:season it is navigable for a distance of 15o m. from its mouth by steamers of See also:light See also:draught. Ordinarily See also:regular See also:steam communication with Homalin ceases in the dry See also:weather, but from Kindat, nearly 15o m. below it, there are weekly steamers all the year round. Below Kindat the only considerable affluent of the Chindwin is the Myit-f ha, which receives the See also:Chin hills drainage.

The Chindwin rises considerably during the rains, but in See also:

March and See also:April it is here and there so shallow as to make See also:navigation difficult even for small steam launches. Whirlpools and narrows and shifting sandbanks also give some trouble, but much has been done to improve navigation since the See also:British See also:annexation. Kindat, the headquarters of the Upper Chindwin See also:district, and Monywa of the Lower, are on the See also:banks of the river. (J. G.

End of Article: CHINDWIN

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