Lan Xang
Encyclopedia
The Lao
kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Kao ( lâansâang - ລ້ານ "million" + ຊ້າງ "elephant"+ "Under the White Parasol"; , Sisattanakhanahut; , lɪ́ɴzɪ́ɴ; ) 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. Fa Ngum organized conquered principalities into provinces (muang), claimed the crown of Xieng Dong Xieng Thong from his Uncle, in June 1354 now with an army of more than 50,000 soilders was crowned ruler of Lan Xang at Vientiane
, the site of one of his victory of Phay Nam. The "million elephants under the white parasol" of the kingdom's name alluded to his formidable war machine. The Kingdom of Lan Xang extended from the borders of China
south to Sambor below the Mekong
rapids at Khong Island
, and from the Vietnamese border to the western escarpment of the Khorat Plateau
. It was thus one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia
.
The early years of Fa Ngum's rule were uneventful. However, the next six years (1362 to 1368) were troubled by conflict between Fa Ngum's Mahayana Buddhism and the region's traditional Theravada
Buddhism
. He severely repressed popular agitation and had many temples torn down. In 1368 Fa Ngum's Khmer wife died. He then married a daughter of the king of Ayutthaya
, who seems to have had a pacifying influence on her husband. She was instrumental in welcoming a religious and artistic mission that brought a carved figure of the Buddha
, the Phra Bang
, for which the capital was renamed Luang Prabang
. Popular resentment continued to build, however, and in 1373 Fa Ngum withdrew to Muang Nan. His son, Oun Heuan, who had been in exile in southern Yunnan
, returned and assumed the regency of the kingdom his father had created. Oun Heuan a peaceful ruler unlike his father succeeded Fa Ngum on his death in 1393, calling himself King Samsenethai
(300,000 Thai), ending Mongol overlordship of the middle Mekong Valley.
The kingdom of Lan Xang, made up of Lao
, Tai, and various ethnic hill tribes, lasted for another 600 years and briefly reached an even greater extent in the northwest. Fa Ngum's descendants remained on the throne for almost 600 years after his death. They maintained the independence of Lan Xang to the end of the 17th century by a complex network of vassal relations with lesser princes. At the same time, the rulers fought off invasions from Vietnam
(1478-79), Siam (1536), and Burma (1571-1621).
In 1694, a series of rival princes fought for the throne, and in 1707 the country split into three kingdoms: Luang Prabang
, Vientiane
, and Champasak
, several attempts by Vientiane to unite the Lao Kingdoms were prevented by Siamese intervention, as a result of being three splintered Kingdoms, all three ended up paying tribute to Siam. Muang Phuan
enjoyed a semi-independent status as a result of having been annexed by a Vietnamese army in the 15th century, an action that set a precedent for a tributary relationship with the court of Viet Nam at Hué
.
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...
kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Kao ( lâansâang - ລ້ານ "million" + ຊ້າງ "elephant"+ "Under the White Parasol"; , Sisattanakhanahut; , lɪ́ɴzɪ́ɴ; ) was established in 1354 by Fa Ngum
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....
.
Exiled as an infant to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Prince Fa Ngum of Xieng Dong Xieng Thong married a daughter of the Khmer king. In 1349 he set out from Angkor
Angkor
Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city"...
at the head of a 10,000-man army to establish his own country. Fa Ngum organized conquered principalities into provinces (muang), claimed the crown of Xieng Dong Xieng Thong from his Uncle, in June 1354 now with an army of more than 50,000 soilders was crowned ruler of Lan Xang at Vientiane
Vientiane
-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 site of one of his victory of Phay Nam. The "million elephants under the white parasol" of the kingdom's name alluded to his formidable war machine. The Kingdom of Lan Xang extended from the borders of 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...
south to Sambor below the Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
rapids at Khong Island
Khong Island
Khong Island or Don Khong is the main island of the Si Phan Don riverine archipelago located in the Mekong River, Khong district, Champasak Province, southern Laos.The island is long , and at its widest point...
, and from the Vietnamese border to the western escarpment of the Khorat Plateau
Khorat Plateau
The Khorat Plateau also Korat Plateau, is a plateau in the northeastern region of Thailand, named for the short form of Nakhon Ratchasima, an historical stronghold controlling access to and from the plateau.-Geography:...
. It was thus one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
The early years of Fa Ngum's rule were uneventful. However, the next six years (1362 to 1368) were troubled by conflict between Fa Ngum's Mahayana Buddhism and the region's traditional Theravada
Theravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. He severely repressed popular agitation and had many temples torn down. In 1368 Fa Ngum's Khmer wife died. He then married a daughter of the king of 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...
, who seems to have had a pacifying influence on her husband. She was instrumental in welcoming a religious and artistic mission that brought a carved figure of the Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
, the Phra Bang
Phra Bang
The Phra Bang ," Lao ພະ + ບາງ) is the palladium of Laos. The Lao-language name for the image has been transliterated in a number of ways, including "Pra Bang," "Prabang," "Phabang" and "Pha Bang." The statue is an 83cm-high standing Buddha with palms facing forward, cast in bronze and covered in...
, for which the capital was renamed 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...
. Popular resentment continued to build, however, and in 1373 Fa Ngum withdrew to Muang Nan. His son, Oun Heuan, who had been in exile in 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...
, returned and assumed the regency of the kingdom his father had created. Oun Heuan a peaceful ruler unlike his father succeeded Fa Ngum on his death in 1393, calling himself King Samsenethai
Samsenethai
Samsenethai was the second king of Lan Xang, the son of Fa Ngum, whom he succeeded.He ruled from 1372 until 1417. The origin of the name Samsenethai is thought to be a reflection of the political and social upheaval occurring within the area at the time of his rule...
(300,000 Thai), ending Mongol overlordship of the middle Mekong Valley.
The kingdom of Lan Xang, made up of 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...
, Tai, and various ethnic hill tribes, lasted for another 600 years and briefly reached an even greater extent in the northwest. Fa Ngum's descendants remained on the throne for almost 600 years after his death. They maintained the independence of Lan Xang to the end of the 17th century by a complex network of vassal relations with lesser princes. At the same time, the rulers fought off invasions from 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 –...
(1478-79), Siam (1536), and Burma (1571-1621).
In 1694, a series of rival princes fought for the throne, and in 1707 the country split into three kingdoms: 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...
, Vientiane
Vientiane
-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...
, and Champasak
Kingdom of Champasak
The Kingdom of Champasak , in southern Laos, broke away from the Lan Xang kingdom in 1713. The Kingdom of Champasak prospered at the beginning the 18th century, but it was reduced to a vassal state of Siam before the century had passed. Under French rule the kingdom became an administrative block...
, several attempts by Vientiane to unite the Lao Kingdoms were prevented by Siamese intervention, as a result of being three splintered Kingdoms, all three ended up paying tribute to Siam. Muang Phuan
Muang Phuan
Muang Phuan - principality, existed on the territory of modern Xiangkhouang Province in Laos.The Tai Phuan or Phuan people are a Buddhist Tai-Lao ethnic group that migrated to Laos from southern China and by the 13th century had formed the independent principality Muang Phuan at the Plain of Jars...
enjoyed a semi-independent status as a result of having been annexed by a Vietnamese army in the 15th century, an action that set a precedent for a tributary relationship with the court of Viet Nam at Hué
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
.