Mon people

Not to be confused with Hmong people or Muong people.
Mon
Mon:ဂကူမန်Burmese:မွန်
Flag of Mon people
Mon girls wearing traditional dress in Mawlamyine
Total population
c. 2.6million
Regions with significant populations
 Myanmarc. 1.8 million[a][1]
 Thailand500,000[b]
 Laos9000[b]
Languages
Mon, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Isan, Lanna
Religion
Theravada Buddhism, Mon folk religion, Mon Christian
Related ethnic groups

The Mon (Mon: ဂကူမန်listenⓘ; Thai Mon: ဂကူမည်; Burmese: မွန်လူမျိုး‌, pronounced [mʊ̀ɰ̃ lù mjó]; Thai: มอญ, pronounced [mɔ̄ːn] listenⓘ) are an ethnic group who inhabit Lower Myanmar's[2] Mon State, Kayin State, Kayah State,[3] Tanintharyi Region, Bago Region, the Irrawaddy Delta, and several areas in Thailand (mostly in Pathum Thani province, Phra Pradaeng and Nong Ya Plong).[4][5][6] The native language is Mon, which belongs to the Monic branch of the Austroasiatic language family and shares a common origin with the Nyah Kur language, which is spoken by the people of the same name that live in Northeastern Thailand. A number of languages in Mainland Southeast Asia are influenced by the Mon language, which is also in turn influenced by those languages.[7][8][9]

The Mon were one of the earliest to reside in Southeast Asia, and were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Mainland Southeast Asia.[10][11] The civilizations founded by the Mon were some of the earliest in Thailand as well as Myanmar and Laos. The Mon are regarded as a large exporter of Southeast Asian culture.[12] Historically, many cities in Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos today, including Yangon, Pathum Thani, Lamphun, Lampang and Vientiane were founded either by the Mon people or Mon rulers.

Nowadays, the Mon are a major ethnic group in Myanmar and a minor ethnic group in Thailand.[6] The Mons from Myanmar are called Burmese Mon or Myanmar Mon. The Mons from Thailand are referred as Thai Raman or Thai Mon.[13][14] The Mon dialects of Thailand and Myanmar are mutually intelligible.[15]


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  1. ^ "The World Factbook". CIA.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  2. ^ Bauer 1990, p. 14.
  3. ^ World Bank Group (October 1, 2019). Myanmar - Peaceful and Prosperous Communities Project : Social Assessment (PDF) (Report). Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  4. ^ Foster 1973, p. 204.
  5. ^ Bauer 1990, p. 19–23.
  6. ^ a b Gaspar Ruiz-Canela (June 1, 2017). "Mon, Thai minority who once ruled Southeast Asia". Agencia EFE. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  7. ^ Matisoff 1991, p. 482.
  8. ^ McCormick & Jenny 2013, p. 86.
  9. ^ Jenny 2013.
  10. ^ Swearer 2002, p. 130–131.
  11. ^ Khin May Aung (July 24, 2015). "Historical Perspective on Mon Settlements in Myanmar" (PDF). Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenge. International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies.
  12. ^ Desakura (February 24, 2020). "Where does the Mon Pak Lad shortcut?". Stationremodel. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  13. ^ Foster 1973, p. 211.
  14. ^ Ngamying, Keeratiburana & Thidpad 2014.
  15. ^ Bauer 1990, p. 34.