"A monarchy ruled Burma for centuries with various nationalities living under the nominal suzerainty of the kings who were of Barman nationality. The ethnic nationalities lived in a self-governance system under the control of their nobles and lords known as Swabs, Dumas, etc. They wielded power over their people and were virtually sovereign. The British then came and ruled Burma. They made Burma distinctly British. The Federation of States (frontier areas) was constituted from among the ethnic nationalities such as Shan, Kachin, Chin, and Karen. Burmans were the major ethnic nationality and they formed British Burma. Under colonial rule, the division between the majority nationality and the others widened, harpened and took the form of nationalism. On the eve of Independence, there was great danger that the country would be partitioned like India and several sovereign States would emerge on the assertion of their right to self-determination..."