Saopha, Chaofa, or Sawbwa (Burmese: စော်ဘွား, pronounced [sɔ̀ bwá]; Shan: ၸဝ်ႈၽႃႉ; Thai: เจ้าฟ้า) was a royal title used by the rulers of the Shan States of Myanmar (Burma). The word means "king" in the Shan and Tai languages. In some ancient Chinese literature it was recorded as 詔 (pinyin: Zhào; Modern Mandarin pronunciation: [tʂɑ̂ʊ̯]), for example Six Zhao and Nanzhao.
According to local chronicles, some dynasties of saophas date from as early as the 2nd century BCE; however, the earlier sections of these chronicles are generally agreed to be legendary.[1]