Lan Xang

Quick Facts: Who was Lan Xang?

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Lan Xang

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A powerful Lao kingdom in Southeast Asia, foundational to modern Laos's identity.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Lan Xang (Lao: ລ້ານຊ້າງ, pronounced [lâːn sâːŋ]), also spelled Lan Sang, was a Lao kingdom that held the area of present-day Laos from 1353 to 1707. For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The kingdom is the basis for Laos's national historic and cultural identity. The kingdom is conventionally dated from its foundation by Fa Ngum in 1353. Its capital was Luang Prabang until 1560 and Vientiane thereafter.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Theravada Buddhism was the state religion, and the Phra Bang was adopted as the kingdom's palladium. The Mekong River carried the kingdom's trade and defined its political geography, and authority was exercised through mueang bound to the king rather than through a centrally administered territory. Lan Xang was invaded by Burma in the sixteenth century and partitioned in 1707 into the kingdoms of Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champasak. Lān Xāng Hôm Khāo is one romanization of the Lao name ລ້ານຊ້າງຮົ່ມຂາວ ([lâːn sâːŋ hōm kʰǎːw]), meaning 'the Million Elephants and the White Parasol'. The kingdom's name alludes to the power of the king, his ties to Laotian Buddhism, and his army's countless war elephants.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Other romanizations include Lan Sang, Lane Sang, and Lane Xang. The name Láncāng is the pinyin romanization of the kingdom's Chinese name 瀾滄, still used for the upper stretches of the Mekong in Tibet and Yunnan. Other names for the kingdom include the Chinese Nánzhǎng (南掌); the Sanskrit Srī Śatanāganayuta and the Pali Siri Satanāganahuta; the Thai Lan Chang (ล้านช้าง) and Lan Chang Rom Khao (ล้านช้างร่มขาว); the Lanna Lan Chang (ล้านจ๊าง) and Lan Chang Hom Khao (ล้านจ๊างฮ่มขาว); the present Vietnamese name Vương quốc Lan Xang and the historical names Ai Lao (哀牢), Vạn Tượng (萬象, 'Ten Thousand Elephants'), and Nam Chưởng (南掌); the Khmer Lean Cheang (លានជាង), Lean Damri (លានដំរី), or Srei Satneakonhot (ស្រីសតនាគនហុត); and the Burmese Linzin (လင်းဇင်း). The geography Lan Xang would occupy had been originally settled by indigenous Austroasiatic-speaking tribes, such as Khmuic peoples and Vietic peoples which gave rise to the Bronze Age cultures in Ban Chiang (today part of Isan, Thailand) and the Đông Sơn culture as well as Iron Age peoples near Xiangkhoang Plateau on the Plain of Jars, Funan, and Chenla (near Vat Phou in Champasak Province). The Han dynasty's chronicles of the southward expansion of the Han dynasty provide the first written accounts of Tai–Kadai speaking peoples or Ai Lao who inhabited the areas of modern Yunnan and Guangxi, China.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1353: 1353 Milestone — Lan Xang (Lao: ລ້ານຊ້າງ, pronounced [lâːn sâːŋ]), also spelled Lan Sang, was a Lao kingdom that held the area of present-day Laos from 1353 to 1707.
2. 1560: 1560 Milestone — Its capital was Luang Prabang until 1560 and Vientiane thereafter.
3. 1707: 1707 Milestone — Lan Xang was invaded by Burma in the sixteenth century and partitioned in 1707 into the kingdoms of Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champasak.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Lan Xang

True or False: “The primary authority structure within Lan Xang was based on centrally administered territories rather than local strongholds bound to the king.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Authority in Lan Xang was exercised through 'mueang' (towns/principalities) that were bound directly to the king, rather than through a fully centralized administrative system.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Margaret I of Denmark — Historical peer (Born in 1353) (1353): Founder of the Kalmar Union, ruling queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
• Aurangzeb — Historical peer (Died in 1707) (1707): Sixth Mughal Emperor who expanded the empire to its greatest extent.
• British Army — Historical peer (Born in 1707) (1707): The land warfare force of the United Kingdom, responsible for defending the UK and its territories.
• Andrea Doria — Historical peer (Died in 1560) (1560): Prominent Genoese statesman, condottiero, and admiral who dominated Mediterranean naval power.
• Annibale Carracci — Historical peer (Born in 1560) (1560): Pioneering Bolognese Baroque painter, founder of a classical style in Rome.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lan Xang