Chindwin River

Chindwin River Burmese: ချင်းတွင်းမြစ် Meitei: ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯤ ꯇꯨꯔꯦꯜ
The Chindwin at Homalin. The smaller, meandering Uyu River can be seen joining the Chindwin.
Location
Country	Myanmar
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Hukawng Valley, Kachin State
• coordinates	27°3′26.7048″N97°1′33.618″E / 27.057418000°N 97.02600500°E / 27.057418000; 97.02600500
• elevation	1,134 m (3,720 ft)
Mouth
• location	Irrawaddy River
• coordinates	21°28′26″N95°16′53″E / 21.47389°N 95.28139°E / 21.47389; 95.28139
• elevation	55 m (180 ft)
Length	1,207 km (750 mi)
Basin size	114,684.9 km2 (44,280.1 sq mi) [1]
Discharge
• location	Near mouth
• average	(Period: 1967– 2009)149.7 km3/a (4,740 m3/s) [2]
Discharge
• location	Monywa (74 km upstream of mouth; Basin size: 110,350 km2 (42,610 sq mi)
• average	(Period: 1966–2009)4,637 m3/s (163,800 cu ft/s) [2]
• minimum	(Period: 1966–2009)649 m3/s (22,900 cu ft/s) [2]
• maximum	(Period: 1966–2009)19,935 m3/s (704,000 cu ft/s) [2]
Discharge
• location	Hkamti (Basin size: 27,420 km2 (10,590 sq mi)
• average	(Period: 1972–2009)2,290 m3/s (81,000 cu ft/s) [2]
• minimum	(Period: 1972–2009)109 m3/s (3,800 cu ft/s) [2]
• maximum	(Period: 1972–2009)14,150 m3/s (500,000 cu ft/s) [2]
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Uyu
• right	Myittha

The Chindwin River (Burmese pronunciation: [t͡ɕɪ́ɰ̃dwɪ́ɰ̃mjɪʔ] ), also known as the Ningthi River ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]} (Meitei: [niŋtʰituɾel] ), is a river in Myanmar and the largest tributary of the Irrawaddy River, which itself is the principal river of Myanmar. ^[7]

Sources

The Chindwin originates in the broad Hukawng Valley of Kachin State of Burma, roughly 26°26′18″N96°33′32″E / 26.43833°N 96.55889°E / 26.43833; 96.55889 , where the Tanai, the Tabye, the Tawan, and the Taron (also known as Turong or Towang) rivers meet.

The headwaters of the Tanai are at 25°30′N97°0′E / 25.500°N 97.000°E / 25.500; 97.000 on the Shwedaunggyi peak of the Kumon range, 12 miles (19 km) north of Mogaung. It flows due north until it reaches the Hukawng Valley. In 2004, the government established the world's largest tiger preserve in the Hukawng Valley, the Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, with an area of approximately 6,500 km² (2,500 sq mi); later, the Sanctuary was extended to 21,800 square kilometres (8,400 sq mi), making it the largest protected area in mainland Southeast Asia. The river then turns to the west and flows through the middle of the plain, ^[7] joined by the Tabye, the Tawan, and the Taron rivers from the right bank. These rivers drain the mountain ranges to the north and northeast of the Hukawng valley.

Course

The Tanai exits the Hukawng valley through the Taron or Turong valley and through a sharp defile in the river. It then takes on the name of Chindwin, and maintains a general southerly course. ^[7] It passes the town of Singkaling Hkamti on the left bank, then the town of Homalin, also on the left bank.

The river's course is generally southwesterly until the town of Mingin. It then takes a more southeasterly course entering the broad central plain, passing the city of Monywa on the left bank. Its course at this point forms the boundary between the Sagaing District of Sagaing Region and the Pakokku District of Magway Region.

It enters the Ayeyarwady River (Irrawaddy) at about 21°30′N95°15′E / 21.500°N 95.250°E / 21.500; 95.250 . The extreme outlets into the Ayeyarwady are about 22 miles (35 km) apart, the interval forming a succession of long, low, partially populated islands. The lowest mouth of the Chindwin is, according to tradition, an artificial channel, cut by one of the kings of Bagan (Pagan). It was choked up for centuries until 1824 when it was opened out by an exceptional flood. ^[8] Satellite pictures show this lowest channel to be the widest one today. ^[9]

Discharge

Average, minimum and maximum discharge of the Chindwin River at Monywa. Period from 1966/01/01 to 2023/12/31: ^{[2] [10] [11]}

Year	Discharge (m3/s)			Year	Discharge (m3/s)
	Min	Mean	Max		Min	Mean	Max
1966	610	5,611	24,550	1995	684	4,977	20,680
1967	775	4,812	17,740	1996	616	3,989	16,080
1968	757	5,137	25,450	1997	432	4,434	20,400
1969	582	4,006	20,130	1998	736	5,113	19,600
1970	548	4,775	19,790	1999	480	5,188	21,530
1971	509	5,792	19,450	2000	632	5,514	18,740
1972	757	3,257	16,490	2001	512	4,278	14,040
1973	530	5,103	21,700	2002	672	4,595	24,300
1974	921	5,566	25,000	2003	744	5,134	18,460
1975	709	4,493	17,840	2004	608	5,862	19,770
1976	892	6,928	26,650	2005	552	3,486	16,200
1977	798	4,398	23,800	2006	242	3,771	16,520
1978	672	3,956	16,540	2007	318	5,355	19,740
1979	530	4,063	18,920	2008	288	4,500	23,270
1980	806	5,075	20,300	2009	257	3,232	16,160
1981	790	3,833	16,010	2010	121	3,898	13,787
1982	650	4,385	23,160	2011	132	3,771	19,673
1983	653	4,247	18,840	2012	343	4,817	16,600
1984	600	5,091	22,710	2013	201	4,236	16,560
1985	613	5,305	19,450	2014	297	3,169	18,081
1986	591	3,981	15,420	2015		4,585	25,510
1987	659	5,339	20,010	2016	802	5,160	19,067
1988	610	5,097	25,450	2017		6,776	21,831
1989	783	4,796	22,490	2018		5,618	19,019
1990	907	5,670	20,580	2019	477	4,290	12,963
1991	852	6,488	25,600	2020		6,114	17,800
1992	1,039	4,102	14,470	2021	276	4,776	16,610
1993	981	4,826	21,140	2022	972	4,603	11,805
1994	644	3,439	13,410	2023	156	4,204	14,527

Tributaries

1. Uyu River is the largest tributary joining the Chindwin river just below Homalin on the left. The famous jade mines at Hpakant lie in the headwaters of the Uyu. ^{[12] [13]}
2. Myittha River drains the Kale valley and joins on the right further downstream. The town of Kalewa is on the left bank of their confluence.
3. Tizu River originates from central Nagaland in northeast India. It flows through Zünheboto and Phek districts and finally joins the Chindwin river.^{[ citation needed ]}

Towns

River Chindwin at Monywa

1980: River Chindwin 30 km NE of Monywa with Lower Chindwin crater lake

1. Hkamti
2. Htamanthi
3. Homalin
4. Mawlaik
5. Kalewa
6. Kalaymyo
7. Mingin
8. Monywa ^[14]

Environment

Much of Chindwin's course lies within mountain ranges and forests. Due to the difficulty of access, much of it remains unspoilt. The government of Burma recently created a very large (2,500 square mile) sanctuary for the endangered tiger within the Hukawng Valley. ^[15]

History

The mountain ranges to the west of the Chindwin are formidable, yet not totally impregnable to armies. The Kabaw valley saw many an invasion by the kingdom of Manipur to the west, most notably during the reign of King Garibaniwaj (1709–1748) when his army crossed over the Chindwin and the Mu, took Myedu, and reached as far as Sagaing opposite the capital Ava. The tables were turned in 1758 after King Alaungpaya ascended the Burmese throne. ^[16] The Burmese army invaded and occupied Manipur and Assam marching across the western mountain ranges, and even encroached upon British India.

During World War II, when the Japanese had cut off sea access, the British army and other Allied forces under General Joseph Stilwell retreated on foot to India across the same mountains, with disastrous results, mainly due to disease and hunger. The Ledo Road was built across the Hukawng valley to supply China. ^[17] The Chindwin was a major barrier both for the Japanese trying to invade India and for the Allied forces attempting to reoccupy Burma. ^[18]

Ethnography and culture

The chindwin river has a great impact on the culture of western Burma. ^[19] Central Sino-Tibetan languages originated from valley areas of this river.

Economics

The Chindwin is served by regular river-going vessels up to the town of Homalin. Teak forests within its drainage area have been a valuable resource since ancient times. The Hukawng Valley is known for its abundance of Burmese amber. Along the river, there are deposits of jade, but Hpakant in the headwaters of the Uyu river is the only place in the world where the finest jade - known as jadeite or imperial jade - is found, along with an abundance of fish. ^{[12] [13]}

References

1. "Chindwin".
2. Chikamori, Hidetaka; Liu, Heng; Daniell, Trevor. Myanmar 1. Chindwin River (PDF).
3. Pemberton, R. B. (1835). Report On The Eastern Frontier Of British India. Baptist Mission Press, Kolkata. pp. 19–20.
4. McCulloch, W.M. (1859). Account of the Valley of Munnipore and of the Hill Tribes; with a Comparative Vocabulary of the Munnipore and other Languages. Calcutta: Bengal Printing Company Limited. pp. 8–40.
5. Siṃha, K. M. (1989). Hijam Irabot Singh and Political Movements in Manipur. B.R. Publishing Corporation. ISBN   978-81-7018-578-9.
6. "GENERAL / LATEST NEWS: ENVIS Centre, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Govt. of India". manenvis.nic.in. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. National Informatics Centre . Retrieved 2023-03-25.
7. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Chindwin"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 232.
8. "Chindwin River". Encyclopædia Britannica online. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
9. "Earth from Space". NASA, November 1998. Archived from the original on 2007-08-02. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
10. "River Discharge and Reservoir Storage Changes Using Satellite Microwave Radiometry".
11. "The Flood Observatory".
12. "Hpakan Other Rock Mine(Myanmar)". aditnow.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
13. Richard W. Hughes; Fred Ward. "Heaven and Hell: The Quest for Jade in Upper Burma". Ruby-Sapphire.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
14. "Map of Sagaing Division". Asterism. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
15. "Rationale for a National Tiger Action Plan for Myanmar" (PDF). Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-26. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
16. Phanjoubam Tarapot (2003). Bleeding Manipur. Har-Anand Publications. pp. 112–3. ISBN   978-81-241-0902-1 . Retrieved 2008-11-19.
17. Baruah, Sri Surendra. "The Stillwell Road A Historical Review". Tinsukia. Archived from the original on 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
18. "Chindwin River". The Pacific War Online Encyclopaedia. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
19. Andrew Hsiu which taken from a journal titled "Morphological Evidence for a Central Branch of Trans-Himalayan (Sino-Tibetan)." by Scott DeLancey which was published on 2015

Bibliography

• J. G. Scott, Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan States. 5 vols. Rangoon, 1900–1901

External links

• Chindwin River, OpenStreetMap, retrieved 8 August 2023.
• Rivers Network - Chindwin Blog Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
• The Chindwin River Archived 2006-12-20 at the Wayback Machine