Who governed Yunnan before Chinese settlers spread farther into the province?

Before Chinese settlers spread farther into the province, governmental power in Yunnan primarily rested with local tribal chiefs.1

In antiquity, the region was inhabited by various indigenous groups that remained largely beyond the reach of Han Chinese civilization. By the 8th century, a powerful Tai kingdom known as Nanzhao emerged in the Dali region, eventually dominating the area and controlling trade routes to Myanmar and India. Following the decline of Nanzhao, the Dali kingdom succeeded it in controlling the province until the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty conquest in 1253. Additionally, the Yi people were historically the rulers of large parts of Yunnan before these shifts in power.1234