Lan Xang
The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Khao (Lao: ລ້ານຊ້າງຂາວຂາວ Lanxanghômkhao /laːn˥˧ saːŋ˥˧ hom˧ khaːw˥/, from ລ້ານ "million" + ຊ້າງ "elephants" + "[under] the white parasol"; Thai: ล้านช้างร่มขาว, rtgs: Lan Chang Rom Khao; Sanskrit Srī Sattanāganahuta; Burmese: လင်ဇင်း; Vietnamese: Vạn Tượng) existed as a unified kingdom from 1354-1707.
For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The "million elephants under the white parasol" of the kingdom's name alludes to the power of the kingship and formidable war machine of the early kingdom. The kingdom is the precursor for the country of Laos and the basis for the national historic and cultural identity.
Historical Overview
Origins
The geography Lan Xang would occupy had been originally settled by indigenous Austroasiatic-speaking tribes 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 Kingdom (near Vat Phou in Champasak Province).
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