Origins & Early Life

Fa Ngum (Lao: ຟ້າງູ່ມ [fâː ŋūːm]; 1316 – 1393), also called Somdech Brhat-Anya Fa Ladhuraniya Sri Sadhana Kanayudha Maharaja (Lao: ສົມເດັຈ ພຣະຍາ ຟ້າ ລ້າທໍຣນີ ສຣີສັຕຕນາ ຄນາຫຸຕ ມຫາຣາຊ), was the founder of the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang in 1353. Phraya Fa Ngum, son of the exiled Phi Fa, grandson of Phraya Khamphong, and great-grandson of the exiled Phraya Lang, was born in 1316. He was raised by the religious scholar Maha Pasaman Chao (Phra Mahasamana). At sixteen, he married a Cambodian princess known variously as Kaeo, Yot Kaeo, or Kaeo Lot Fa.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Fa Ngoum or Fa Ngum was born in Muang Sua, a Lao principality located on the site of present-day Luang Prabang, and founded the Lan Xang Hôm Khao (better known as Lan Xang) kingdom in Laos in 1353. Fa Ngum was a grandson of Souvanna Khamphong, titled Phagna Khampong, ruler of Muang Sua and grandfather of Fa Ngum, banished Fa Ngum and his father, Chao Fa Ngiao, to the Khmer kingdom of Angkor in the 1320s due to his father's indiscretion with one of the grandfather's wives. The Chronicles of Lan Xang name the place of exile as Mueang Inthapat (เมืองอินทปัต) and record that the two were sent there by boat below the Li Phi rapids, lodged...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor — Contemporary (Born in 1316) (1316): Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, and patron of the arts during the mid-14th century.
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• 1316 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1316
• 1393 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1393