Khun Borom
Encyclopedia
Khun Borom Rachathirath is the legendary progenitor of the Tai
-speaking peoples, considered by the Lao
and others to be the father of their race.
In the framework of Chinese historiography Khun Borom is identified as Piluoge (皮羅閣) who unified the kingdom of Nanzhao's six parts and ruled it in 728—748. He had military assistance and titles from Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
, and in 740 established his capital at Daiho near modern Dali
.
, leaving only three worthy chiefs who were preserved in heaven
to be the founders and guides for a new race of people. The deity sent the three chiefs back to the earth with a buffalo
to help them till the land. The chiefs and the buffalo arrived in the land of Muang Then
(believed to be present-day Dien Bien Phu
in Vietnam
). Once the land had been prepared for rice
cultivation, the buffalo died and a gourd
vine grew from his nostril. From the gourds on the vine, the new human race emerged—relatively dark-skinned aboriginal peoples emerging from gourds cut open with a hot poker, and the lighter skinned Lao emerging from cuts made with a chisel.
The gods then taught the Tai people how to build houses and cultivate rice. They were instructed in proper rituals and behaviour, and grew prosperous. As their population grew, they needed aid in governing their relations and resolving disputes. Indra, the king of gods, sent his son, Khun Borom, to be the ruler of the Tai people. Khun Borom ruled the Tai people for 25 years, teaching them to use new tools and other arts. After this quarter-century span, Khun Borom divided the Tai kingdom among his seven sons, giving each one of them a portion of the kingdom to rule. The eldest son, Khun Lo
, was given the kingdom of Muang Sua
- modern-day Luang Prabang
. Other sons were given the kingdoms of Siang Khwang, Ayutthaya
, Chiang Mai
, Sipsong Pan Na
(Southern Yunnan
, China), Hamsavati (a Mon state in modern-day Myanmar
), and an unknown area apparently in north-central Vietnam
, sometimes identified with Nghe-an province.
.
Khun Bourom Maharasa dynasty - The great King of the Nan Chao (Ai Lao) Empire. Khun Bourom had nine sons, and seven of them became kings in different kingdoms in the area of so called "Lamthong":
After Khun Loor who ruled Muang Sawa(Sua), there were 19 Kings after Khun Loor who ruled Muang Sawa(Sua).
The last one was Khun Vaang.
After his death, his son who was named "Lang", took the throne and was then named "King Langthirath".
After King Langthirath died, his son (Thao Khamphong) was crowned as "King Souvanna Khamphong."
After King Souvanna Khamphong died, his son "Chao Fifah" or "Khamhiao" took the throne.
Chao Fifah (Khamhiao) had six sons and one of them was "Chao Fa-Ngum". King FaNgum
was the creator of the Lan Xang
Kingdom during his reign in the 13th century.
Both King Mengrai
of Chiang Mai and U-Thong
of Ayutthaya are said to have been descendants of Khum Borom's younger sons.
Scholar David K. Wyatt
believes that the Khun Borom myth may provide insight into the early history of the Tai people in Southeast Asia. Versions of the Khun Borom myth occur as early as 698 CE in Siang Khwang, and identify Tai-speaking kingdoms that would be formally established years later. This may indicate the early geographical spread of Tai-speaking peoples, and provides a mythological explanation for why modern Tai-speaking peoples are found in such widespread pockets. Linguistic analysis indicates that the division of the early Tai speakers into the language groups that gave rise to modern Thai
, Lao
and other languages occurred sometime between the 7th and 11th Centuries CE. This split proceeded along geographic lines very similar to the division given in the Khun Borom legend.
Tai peoples
The Tai ethnicity refers collectively to the ethnic groups of southern China and Southeast Asia, stretching from Hainan to eastern India and from southern Sichuan to Laos, Thailand, and parts of Vietnam, which speak languages in the Tai family and share similar traditions and festivals, including...
-speaking peoples, considered by the Lao
Lao people
The Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia.-Names:The etymology of the word Lao is uncertain, although it may be related to tribes known as the Ai Lao who appear in Han Dynasty records in China and Vietnam as a people of what is now Yunan Province...
and others to be the father of their race.
In the framework of Chinese historiography Khun Borom is identified as Piluoge (皮羅閣) who unified the kingdom of Nanzhao's six parts and ruled it in 728—748. He had military assistance and titles from Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
, and in 740 established his capital at Daiho near modern Dali
Dali
-Places:*Dali City, Yunnan , a city in Yunnan province in the People's Republic of China*Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture , prefecture in Yunnan, China*Kingdom of Dali , centered in modern Yunnan...
.
Mythology
According to the myth of Khun Borom, commonly related among the Lao, people in ancient times were wicked and crude. A great deity destroyed them with a floodFlood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
, leaving only three worthy chiefs who were preserved in heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
to be the founders and guides for a new race of people. The deity sent the three chiefs back to the earth with a buffalo
Bubalus
Bubalus is a genus of bovines, whose English name is buffalo. Species that belong to this genus are:* Subgenus Bubalus** Water Buffalo, Bubalus bubalis*** Carabao, Bubalus bubalis carabanesis...
to help them till the land. The chiefs and the buffalo arrived in the land of Muang Then
Muang Then
Muang Then is a legendary Tai locality believed to be associated with modern day Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam. In legend, it is significant as the initial settlement of Tai people migrating southward from Yunnan around the time of the Kingdom of Nanzhao under their leader Khun Borom, who is associated...
(believed to be present-day Dien Bien Phu
Dien Bien Phu
Điện Biên Phủ is a city in northwestern Vietnam. It is the capital of Dien Bien province, and is known for the events there during the First Indochina War, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, during which the region was a breadbasket for the Việt Minh.-Population:...
in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
). Once the land had been prepared for rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
cultivation, the buffalo died and a gourd
Gourd
A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
vine grew from his nostril. From the gourds on the vine, the new human race emerged—relatively dark-skinned aboriginal peoples emerging from gourds cut open with a hot poker, and the lighter skinned Lao emerging from cuts made with a chisel.
The gods then taught the Tai people how to build houses and cultivate rice. They were instructed in proper rituals and behaviour, and grew prosperous. As their population grew, they needed aid in governing their relations and resolving disputes. Indra, the king of gods, sent his son, Khun Borom, to be the ruler of the Tai people. Khun Borom ruled the Tai people for 25 years, teaching them to use new tools and other arts. After this quarter-century span, Khun Borom divided the Tai kingdom among his seven sons, giving each one of them a portion of the kingdom to rule. The eldest son, Khun Lo
Khun Lo
Khun Lo was the eldest of the sons of Khun Borom, who had seven sons, and the first of the Lao kings. The royal families of Laos trace their lineage to him. He founded the city of Luang Prabang.He died in 780 and was succeeded by Khun Sung....
, was given the kingdom of Muang Sua
Muang Sua
Muang Sua was the name of Luang Phrabang following its conquest in 698 by a Tai prince, Khun Lo, who seized his opportunity when the king of Nanzhao was engaged elsewhere. Khun Lo had been awarded the town by his father, Khun Borom, who is associated with the Lao legend of the creation of the...
- modern-day Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province...
. Other sons were given the kingdoms of Siang Khwang, Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
, Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
, Sipsong Pan Na
Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture
Xishuangbanna is an autonomous prefecture in Yunnan Province, China. The capital city is Jinghong, the largest settlement in the area and one that straddles the Mekong River, called the Lancang River in Chinese.-Name:...
(Southern Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, China), Hamsavati (a Mon state in modern-day Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
), and an unknown area apparently in north-central Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, sometimes identified with Nghe-an province.
Scholarship
Some interpreters of the story of Khun Borom believe that it describes Tai-speaking peoples arriving in Southeast Asia from China (mythically identified with heaven, from which the Tai chiefs emerge after the flood). The system of dividing and expanding a kingdom in order to provide for the sons of a ruler agrees in general with the apparent organization and succession practices of ancient Tai village groups, called mueangMueang
Mueang were historical semi-independent city-states or principalities in present-day Thailand, Laos, parts of northern Vietnam and the Shan State of Myanmar. Smaller Mueang were subordinate to more powerful neighboring Mueang, which in turn were subordinate to the central king, as described in...
.
Khun Bourom Maharasa dynasty - The great King of the Nan Chao (Ai Lao) Empire. Khun Bourom had nine sons, and seven of them became kings in different kingdoms in the area of so called "Lamthong":
- "Khun Lor" ruled Moung Sawa (SuaLuang PrabangLuang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province...
), (Luang Phrabang, Laos) - "Khun Palanh" ruled Sipsong PannaXishuangbanna Dai Autonomous PrefectureXishuangbanna is an autonomous prefecture in Yunnan Province, China. The capital city is Jinghong, the largest settlement in the area and one that straddles the Mekong River, called the Lancang River in Chinese.-Name:...
, (Yunnan, China) - "Khun Chusong" ruled TungKea, (Muang Huao-Phanh to Tonkin, Vietnam)
- "Khun Saiphong" ruled LannaLannaThe Kingdom of Lanna was a kingdom centered in present-day northern Thailand from the 13th to 18th centuries. The cultural development of the people of Lanna, the Tai Yuan people, had begun long before as successive Tai Yuan kingdoms preceded Lanna...
, (Chiang MaiChiang MaiChiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
, Thailand) - "Khun Ngua In" ruled AyuthayaAyutthaya kingdomAyutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
, (Thailand) - "Khun Lok-Khom" ruled Moung Hongsa (Inthaputh), (Shan state, Burma)
- "Khun Chet-Cheang" ruled Moung Phuan, (XiengKhouang, Laos).
After Khun Loor who ruled Muang Sawa(Sua), there were 19 Kings after Khun Loor who ruled Muang Sawa(Sua).
The last one was Khun Vaang.
After his death, his son who was named "Lang", took the throne and was then named "King Langthirath".
After King Langthirath died, his son (Thao Khamphong) was crowned as "King Souvanna Khamphong."
After King Souvanna Khamphong died, his son "Chao Fifah" or "Khamhiao" took the throne.
Chao Fifah (Khamhiao) had six sons and one of them was "Chao Fa-Ngum". King FaNgum
Fa Ngum
Somdetch Brhat-Anya Fa Ladhuraniya Sri Sadhana Kanayudha Maharaja Brhat Rajadharana Sri Chudhana Negara better known as Fa Ngum established the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang in 1354....
was the creator of the Lan Xang
Lan Xang
The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Kao was established in 1354 by Fa Ngum.Exiled as an infant to Cambodia, Prince Fa Ngum of Xieng Dong Xieng Thong married a daughter of the Khmer king. In 1349 he set out from Angkor at the head of a 10,000-man army to establish his own country...
Kingdom during his reign in the 13th century.
Both King Mengrai
Mengrai
King Mangrai was the 25th King of Ngoen Yang and the first King of Chiang Mai , capital of the Lanna Kingdom .-Early years:...
of Chiang Mai and U-Thong
Ramathibodi I
Uthong or Ramathibodi I was the first king of the kingdom Ayutthaya , reigning from 1351 to 1369. He was known as Prince U Thong before he ascended to the throne on March 4, 1351...
of Ayutthaya are said to have been descendants of Khum Borom's younger sons.
Scholar David K. Wyatt
David K. Wyatt
David K. Wyatt was an American historian and author who studied Thailand. He taught at Cornell University from 1969-2002, where he became the Chair of the Cornell University Department of History. His book Thailand: A Short History has become the chief authority on Thai history in the English...
believes that the Khun Borom myth may provide insight into the early history of the Tai people in Southeast Asia. Versions of the Khun Borom myth occur as early as 698 CE in Siang Khwang, and identify Tai-speaking kingdoms that would be formally established years later. This may indicate the early geographical spread of Tai-speaking peoples, and provides a mythological explanation for why modern Tai-speaking peoples are found in such widespread pockets. Linguistic analysis indicates that the division of the early Tai speakers into the language groups that gave rise to modern Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
, Lao
Lao language
Lao or Laotian is a tonal language of the Tai–Kadai language family. It is the official language of Laos, and also spoken in the northeast of Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language. Being the primary language of the Lao people, Lao is also an important second language for...
and other languages occurred sometime between the 7th and 11th Centuries CE. This split proceeded along geographic lines very similar to the division given in the Khun Borom legend.
Sources
- Wyatt, David K.David K. WyattDavid K. Wyatt was an American historian and author who studied Thailand. He taught at Cornell University from 1969-2002, where he became the Chair of the Cornell University Department of History. His book Thailand: A Short History has become the chief authority on Thai history in the English...
, Thailand: A Short History, New Haven (Yale University Press), 2003. ISBN 0-300-08475-7