Lan Xang: Map & History
Lan Xang, also spelled Lan Sang, was a Lao kingdom that held the area of present-day Laos from 1353 to 1707.
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Lan Xang, 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.
Modern Countries Once Part of Lan Xang
At its mapped extent, Lan Xang covered territory in 3 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Lan Xang's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Lan Xang in Depth
Economy
Lan Xang was at the center of the overland trade routes in Southeast Asia. In the north and northwest the overland trade routes from Burma and Lanna passed through Lan Xang and Sipsong Panna (Xishuangbanna) toward Yunnan, where they would join with the Chinese Tea-Horse Road. Trade in Luang Prabang flowed down the Mekong to Vientiane where it then was transported overland to the headwaters of the Nan and Chao Praya rivers, or overland by ox cart or elephant over the Khorat Plateau to Roi Et.
In the east the Annamite Range formed a barrier, but the areas of Muang Phuan and Xam Neua were regular points of commerce with Vietnam.
Decline
The Lao developed a distinct cultural, linguistic, religious, and political history during the four hundred-year period of Lan Xang. The monarchy in Laos, which was a direct continuation from the traditions of Lan Xang would continue for seven hundred and fifty years through the Khun Lo Dynasty until 1975. The decline of Lan Xang vis-à-vis their neighboring kingdoms was primarily due to geography, weak internal political structures, limited agricultural production, and the international arms trade.
Despite its relative size, Lan Xang was landlocked throughout its history. The Mekong River, which formed the major means of transportation in the kingdom, is navigable only along certain stretches.
Historical overview
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.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Lan Xang (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Lan Xang: Key Facts
| Capital | Luang Prabang |
|---|---|
| Official language | Lao |
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 1354 |
| Dissolved | 1707 |
Facts from Wikidata Q853477 (CC0).
Lan Xang Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Lan Xang appears, with the other states of the time.
Lan Xang Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 377,339 km² in 1380 CE.
Lan Xang: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Lan Xang exist?
Lan Xang is dated to 1363 CE – 1708 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Lan Xang?
The capital of Lan Xang was Luang Prabang (1353–1560), Vientiane (1560–1707).
How large was Lan Xang at its peak?
At its peak in 1380 AD Lan Xang covered about 377,339 km².
How did the map of Lan Xang change over time?
Lan Xang appears on 4 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1400 CE to 1700 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Other Sovereign Realms
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Avarga
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi