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the purposes of this volume the expression "tribe" is not used in any restricted sense. It merely means such of the collections of the indigenous folk of Burma as have not attained to any measure of political cohesion. It thus excludes the Burmans, the Arakanese and the Takings, all of whom at one time or the other formed real kingdoms under a single ruler, and the Shans, who, though they have never in their present seats been united under a single sovereign, have their recognized territorial rulers. On the other hand, it includes communities like the Yabeins and Danus who have no tribal formation and cannot be looked upon as possessing strictly speaking, tribal characteristics.

Reference has in the following pages been made, where necessary, to the Burmans, the Arakanese, the Shans and the Takings. No attempt, however, has been made to deal with them in detail or to give a list of the main authorities regarding them.