Origins & Early Life

Setthathirath or Setthathirat (Lao: ເສດຖາທິຣາດ; also known as Xaysettha Lao: ໄຊເສດຖາ; Thai: ไชยเชษฐาธิราช; RTGS: Chaiyachetthathirat; Burmese: ဇယဇေဋ္ဌာဓိရာဇ်; Jayajyeṣṭhādhirāja; 24 January 1534 – 1571) is considered one of the great leaders in Lao history. Throughout the 1560s until his death, he successfully defended his kingdom of Lan Xang against military campaigns by Burmese conqueror Bayinnaung, who had already subdued Xieng Mai (Chiang Mai) in 1558 and Ayutthaya in 1564. Setthathirath was a prolific builder and erected many Buddhist monuments including Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang, Haw Phra Kaew, Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan and the Pha That Luang in Vientiane. Setthathirath known in Lan Na as Chao Upayo (Northern Thai: ᩏᨷ᩠ᨷᨿᩮᩣ, Upayo, lit.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

'The Viceroy Prince'), Son of the King Photisarath of Lan Xang, he was crowned King of Lan Na after the death of his grandfather, Ketklao the previous King of Lan Na, who died without a male heir to the throne and gave his daughter Princess Yotkhamtip in marriage to his father King Photisarath of Lan Xang. When King Ketklao died, there was no other descendant available to succeed him. High-ranking officials and Buddhist monks...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Antonio da Correggio — Contemporary (Died in 1534) (1534): Master of the Parma School, known for sensuous, dynamic High Renaissance painting.
• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu — Contemporary (Died in 1534) (1534): Founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, known for bhajan-kirtan and devotion to Krishna.
• Murat Reis the Elder — Contemporary (Born in 1534) (1534): Prominent Ottoman privateer and admiral, key figure in Barbary corsair tradition.
• Abbas the Great — Contemporary (Born in 1571) (1571): Fifth Safavid Shah of Iran, considered one of the greatest rulers in Iranian history.
• Benvenuto Cellini — Contemporary (Died in 1571) (1571): Master Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author of a celebrated autobiography.
• Caravaggio — Contemporary (Born in 1571) (1571): Master of Tenebrism: Italian Baroque painter known for dramatic realism.
• Amedeo Modigliani — Shared historical date (01-24 · Died) (1920): Italian painter and sculptor known for elongated, modern portraits and nudes.
• B. V. Doshi — Shared historical date (01-24 · Died) (2023): Pioneering Indian architect, celebrated for modernist and brutalist discourse.
• Oda Nobunaga — Historical peer (Born in 1534) (1534): Pioneering warlord who paved the way for Japan's unification.
• Thomas Cajetan — Historical peer (Died in 1534) (1534): Cardinal and theologian, known for defending Catholic doctrine against the Reformation.
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