The Ahoms of Assam are a branch of the great Tai race that have taken on local names throughout significant parts of Southeast Asia, including Burma, Thailand, Indo-China, and Yunnan, where they are referred to as Shan, Siamese, Lao, and Pai, respectively. According to historians, the Shan people, known as the Ahoms, originated in South-Western China approximately 2,000 years ago.