[edit]
See also: Chiefdom of Mangshi
Prehistory–14th century[edit]
Eastern Han period Longjiang-type asymmetrical bronze axe collected in Dehong Prefectural Museum [zh], which unearthed from Wuchalu Township, Mangshi
In the late Neolithic period, human activity had already emerged within the Mangshi region. Archaeological sites from this period have been discovered in villages such as Mangbing (芒丙) and Huangjiazhai (黄家寨) in Zhongshan Township, which modern research identifies as part of the prehistoric culture of the ancestors of the De'ang people.
During the Bronze Age, the Mangshi area successively fell under the domains of the Dian-Yue Chengxiang Kingdom [zh] (滇越乘象国) and the Ailao Kingdom. In 69 AD, Liu Mao (柳貌), the king of Ailao, led 77 tribal chieftains to pledge allegiance to the Han court. In response, the Han Dynasty established Yongchang Commandery in the former Ailao territory, with Mangshi falling under the jurisdiction of Ailao County [zh] within the commandery. The Shu-Han regime maintained this administrative structure during the Three Kingdoms period. In 271 AD, it was reassigned to Ning Zhou [zh]. In the Tang Dynasty, the Mangshi area was inhabited by the Mangman [zh] tribes, and the tribe name "Mangshi" (茫施) first appeared in historical records.
茫蛮部落，并是开南杂种也……又有大赕、茫昌、茫盛恐、茫鲊、茫施，皆其类也。The Mangman tribe is also a mixed group of Kainan... Additionally, there are the Dadan, Mangchang, Mangshengkong, Mangzha, and Mangshi tribes, all of which belong to the same category.— Fan Chuo, Manshu
In the early 7th century, Mangshi was known as "Xieluo City" (些罗城) and was under the jurisdiction of Yongchang Jiedu (Military Command, 永昌节度) during the Nanzhao period. In the Dali Kingdom, it was called "Numou" (怒谋) and belonged to Yongchang Prefecture (永昌府). After the Yuan Dynasty conquered the Dali Kingdom, the Jinchi Pacification Commission [zh] was established in 1261, with Mangshi under its administration. In 1271, the Pacification Commission was divided into different Circuits, and Mangshi fell under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Circuit Appeasement Commission (东路安抚使), which renamed the Zhenkang Circuit [zh] Appeasement Commission (镇康路安抚使) in 1275. In 1276, it was separated from Zhenkang Circuit, and Mangshi Circuit [zh] (茫施路) was established under the Pacification Commission's jurisdiction, marking the formal beginning of Mangshi's administrative status.
At the same time the Yuan Dynasty established Mangshi Circuit, it also set up Luchuan Circuit [zh] in what is now Ruili City, which the Dai/Shan people refer the regime as Möng Mao. During the First Yuan-Burma War, Luchuan Circuit served as an important frontline base for the Yuan army, and the Yuan Dynasty exerted strong military control and political rule over Luchuan during the conflict. In 1302, after the Yuan Dynasty abandoned its campaign against Myanmar, the military and administrative officials withdrew to the inland, and thereafter, Luchuan's influence began to expand on a large scale. The Mangshi region was actually under the administration of the local power in Luchuan, and by the end of the Yuan Dynasty, it had effectively become independented from the central government. The battlefield of the Battle of Ngasaunggyan within First Yuan-Burma War may have been located along the banks of the Mangshi River in the Mangshi area.
14th century–1911[edit]
Ming dynasty[edit]
Headquarter of Mangshi Tusi Chiefdom, 1935
After the Ming Dynasty entered Yunnan, the administrative system announced in 1382 included Mangshi Prefecture [zh] (芒施府). However, it did not recognize Luchuan's expansion or its control over Mangshi, instead classifying Luchuan as just one of many prefectures and circuits in western Yunnan. This decision led to dissatisfaction in Luchuan, which soon went to war with the Ming central court before eventually surrendering. In 1399, after the death of Si Lunfa [zh], the Ming Dynasty initiated split Luchuan's territory, dismantling Luchuan's control and establishing multiple Tusi regimes. Mangshi, located near Luchuan's core region, remained under Luchuan's control during this time. Under Si Renfa’s rule, Luchuan once again expanded outward, prompting the Ming court to launch a military campaign against it, known in history as the "Luchuan–Pingmian campaigns".
In 1443, Si Jifa attacked Fangge (放革), a former Luchuan chief who had aligned with the Ming Dynasty and was the leader of Mangshi. Si Jifa was defeated by the Ming army, and in response, the Ming court established the Mangshi Yuyi Zhangguansi (lit. 'Pacifying Chief Administrator', 芒市御夷长官司), placing it under the jurisdiction of the Jinchi Military and Civilian Command Commission [zh]. Later, it was directly administered by the Yunnan Province.
Following the Ming–Burmese War [zh], the Ming court split the original Longchuan Tusi Chiefdom territory and established the Zhefang Vice-Pacification Commission [zh] (遮放副宣抚司) in 1584, headquartered in present-day Zhefang. In 1640, the Mangshi Yuyi Zhangguansi (upper-6th level) was upgraded to the Mangshi Appeasement Commission (lower-5th level, 芒市安抚司).
Qing dynasty[edit]
Headquarter of Zhefang Tusi Chiefdom destroyed by World War II
In 1656, the Yongli Emperor of the Southern Ming entered Yunnan and appealed to the Tusi chiefdoms to resist the Qing forces. Qing troops entered western Yunnan in 1658, and the Ganya Tusi of Yingjiang County led his forces to resist the Qing and assisted Emperor Yongli in fleeing to Burma, but his entire army was destroyed. In 1659, the Tusi chiefdoms of Dehong included Mangshi submitted to the Qing Dynasty, the new court retained their original positions, and were placed under the jurisdiction of Yongchang Prefecture [zh].
After Hsinbyushin succeeded as the king of the Konbaung Dynasty, Burma, he launched several raids into Yunnan. The Qing–Burmese War broke out, and in 1764, the Viceroy of Yun-Gui set up military checkpoints at Santai Mountain (三台山) in Mangshi and at Mangkanqing (芒坎箐) in Zhefang, deploying troops for defense. In 1766, the Burmese army occupied Hsenwi State and Wanmaw State. The viceroy sent Wu-Er-Den (乌尔登) with 3,000 troops to Zhefang, while viceroy Mingrui personally led 10,000 troops to meet E'erdeng'e (额勒登额) in Hsenwi via Mangshi. By 1769, the conflict had ended, and Mangshi remained a key Qing military base, supplying over 30,000 Qing troops with a large amount of military provisions.
In 1770, Longling Subprefecture [zh] was established, and both Mangshi and Zhefang were transferred under its administration from Yongchang Prefecture. In 1899, the Sino-British boundary demarcation of the Yunnan-Myanmar border resulted in the return of the Mengban region, which had been annexed by Hsenwi during the early Qing period. Due to its strategic importance, the Mengban Thousand Commander [zh] was established to oversee the area.
1911–1949[edit]
In the Republic of China period, the Yunnan government appointed two "suppression commissars" (彈壓委員) to Mangban (芒板) and Zhemao (遮卯) within the Mangshi area in 1913. Mangban suppression commissar administered Mangshi Anfusi and Mengban Tuqianzong territories, and Zhemao suppression commissar administered Zhefang Xuanfusi and Mengmao Anfusi (勐卯安撫司, in Ruili) territories. The two suppression commissars were replaced by an administrative commissar (行政委員) in 1915, and a district named Mangzheban Administrative District (芒遮板行政區) was established. At the same time, Mengmao Anfusi was separated from the district, thus forming the boundaries of modern Mangshi. As a transition before formally establishing a county, Yunnan government set a Shezhiju (設治局, similar to a governing council) in Mangshi area named Mangzheban Shezhiju (芒遮板設治局) replacing Mangzheban District in 1929. The Administrative Bureau is a quasi-county level administrative division. Mengga is the seat of the bureau. It changed the name to Luxi Shezhiju (潞西設治局) in 1934. The Imperial Japanese Army occupied Luxi on 4 May 1942 and retreated on 11 December 1944 when Counterattack of Western Yunnan started. In 1949, Luxi Administrative Bureau finally became Luxi County (潞西县), with the seat of county government at the town of Mangshi, and the first county magistrate was the acting Tusi Fang Kesheng (方克胜). The Tusi system and the central bureaucracy still coexisted.: 10–11, 21–22 
1949–present[edit]
Fang Kesheng refused to join People's Republic of China, preferring to remain neutral. Eventually the People's Liberation Army advanced into Luxi in April 1950, and Fang Kesheng fled to Taiwan. His brother Fang Keguang succeeded be the acting tusi, and cooperated with the Chinese Communist Party. The three tusi were killed during the land reform movement in 1955.: 160  Luxi County became Luxi City (county-level city) in 1996, and changed the name to Mangshi City in 2010.: 2547 
