French colonial administration of Laos
Encyclopedia
The French approach to the colonial administration of Laos might be viewed as one of 'benign neglect', as compared to the contributions of other colonial rulers to their Southeast Asian colonies.
into two administrative districts, Upper Laos and Lower Laos. In 1899, both districts were integrated into a single administration.
In 1904 and 1905, Laos was deprived of the southern plateaus, previously part of its territory. Under the Convention of 13 February 1904 that modified the 3 October 1893 Treaty, French Laos gained control of the right-bank section of Luang Phrabang and part of the right-bank territory of Champasak
from Siam.
Subsequently, the French reestablished Laos as a political entity in the middle Mekong Valley, extending from southern China
to the Khong falls on the Cambodian border. Detachment of the left-bank territorial administration from Annam was based on budgetary necessity in the new French Indochina
.
Through their colonial administration of Laos, the French had sponsored the notion of modern nationhood amongst the disparate Lao territories, primarily in an attempt to remove the Lao people from the cultural orbit of neighbouring Siam, which the French suspected to be increasingly aspired of creating a 'Greater Siam' made up of all Tai-speaking territories.
. The résident supérieur had direct authority over the provincial résidents, who were on an equal status with the Lao chao khoueng (provincial governors). The résident supérieur also acted as ambassador of the French state to the king of Luang Phrabang and supervised the kingdom’s administration through provincial commissioners. The affairs of the kingdom were managed by a four-member council headed by the viceroy. Whilst the royal court in Luang Prabang continued to manage its own affairs, the day-to-day running of the territories was entrusted largely to French, Vietnamese and Laotian civil servants in Vientiane, subordinate to the résident supérieur.
, where an indolent lifestyle prevailed. It was too mountainous for plantations, there was little in the way of mining, and the Mekong was unsuitable for commercial navigation. The French built very few roads – the main colonial route constructed was from Luang Prabang through Vientiane to Savannakhet and the Cambodian frontier. The French built no higher-education facilities; some half-hearted attempts were made to cultivate rubber and coffee, but the main export under the French was opium. Only a few hundred French resided in Laos. They adopted a dissolute lifestyle with Laotian or Annamite consorts, and left the administration to Vietnamese civil servants. The king was allowed to remain in Luang Prabang, trade was left to the resident Vietnamese and Chinese, and the Laotians carried on farming as they had for hundreds of years.
French Territorial Administration
The French had originally divided central LaosLaos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
into two administrative districts, Upper Laos and Lower Laos. In 1899, both districts were integrated into a single administration.
In 1904 and 1905, Laos was deprived of the southern plateaus, previously part of its territory. Under the Convention of 13 February 1904 that modified the 3 October 1893 Treaty, French Laos gained control of the right-bank section of Luang Phrabang and part of the right-bank territory of Champasak
Champasak
Champasak may refer to* Champasak Province* Champasak * Kingdom of Champasak* Na Champassak family...
from Siam.
Subsequently, the French reestablished Laos as a political entity in the middle Mekong Valley, extending from southern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to the Khong falls on the Cambodian border. Detachment of the left-bank territorial administration from Annam was based on budgetary necessity in the new French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
.
Through their colonial administration of Laos, the French had sponsored the notion of modern nationhood amongst the disparate Lao territories, primarily in an attempt to remove the Lao people from the cultural orbit of neighbouring Siam, which the French suspected to be increasingly aspired of creating a 'Greater Siam' made up of all Tai-speaking territories.
French Civil Administration
The colonial government was staffed by several hundred French civil servants at any given time, headed by a Résident supérieur based in VientianeVientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
. The résident supérieur had direct authority over the provincial résidents, who were on an equal status with the Lao chao khoueng (provincial governors). The résident supérieur also acted as ambassador of the French state to the king of Luang Phrabang and supervised the kingdom’s administration through provincial commissioners. The affairs of the kingdom were managed by a four-member council headed by the viceroy. Whilst the royal court in Luang Prabang continued to manage its own affairs, the day-to-day running of the territories was entrusted largely to French, Vietnamese and Laotian civil servants in Vientiane, subordinate to the résident supérieur.
Nature of French colonial Laos
Laos hence became a low-key French protectorateProtectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
, where an indolent lifestyle prevailed. It was too mountainous for plantations, there was little in the way of mining, and the Mekong was unsuitable for commercial navigation. The French built very few roads – the main colonial route constructed was from Luang Prabang through Vientiane to Savannakhet and the Cambodian frontier. The French built no higher-education facilities; some half-hearted attempts were made to cultivate rubber and coffee, but the main export under the French was opium. Only a few hundred French resided in Laos. They adopted a dissolute lifestyle with Laotian or Annamite consorts, and left the administration to Vietnamese civil servants. The king was allowed to remain in Luang Prabang, trade was left to the resident Vietnamese and Chinese, and the Laotians carried on farming as they had for hundreds of years.
Assessment
During the colonial period, administration, health care and education hardly made significant impact or progress at all. Given that there was no industry to speak of and agriculture was barely self-sufficient, there was little money for infrastructural development such as roads, schools and hospitals. The only prominent change for the Laotian people was the presence of tax collectors, which were a frequent cause of revolts. In the lowlands, uprisings were harshly repressed, but in the highlands of Xieng Khuang and the Bolovens Plateau, the French found it difficult to deploy their heavy weaponry. At times, a remission of taxes led to pacification of such revolts. The only real growth brought about by the French colonial administration was the monopoly of opium sales, an industry that is still dominant in the Laotian economy until today.See also
- History of Laos to 1945History of Laos to 1945The Lao state dates only from 1945. The idea of a separate Lao nationality was formed during the 19th century, when western ideas of national identity reached South-East Asia, and when the Lao-speaking peoples were being squeezed between two expansionist powers, Siam and Annam . The current...
- History of Laos since 1945History of Laos since 1945For Laotian history before 1945, see History of Laos to 1945.Note: this article follows the system for transliterating Lao names used in Martin Stuart-Fox's History of Laos...
- Political administration of indochinaPolitical administration of indochina- Prelude – French conquest of Indochina :French invasion of Indochina was sparked off by the execution of Christian missionaries. With the defeat of Vietnamese, Emperor Tu-Duc signed the treaty of Saigon, ceding Cochinchina’s three eastern provinces. Later, the French forced the Emperor to place...
- Lao IssaraLao IssaraThe Lao Issara was an anti-French, non-communist nationalist movement formed in 1945 by Prince Phetsarath. This short-lived movement emerged after the Japanese defeat in World War II and became the government of Laos before the return of the French. It aimed to prevent the French from restoring...