The Kingdom of Luang Phrabang was formed in 1707 as a result of the split of the

Kingdom of Lan Xang existed as a unified kingdom from 1353 to 1707. For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The meaning of the kingdom's name alludes to the power of the kingship and formidable war machine of the ea ...

. When The kingdom split,

Muang Phuan Muang Phuan or Xieng Khouang, also known historically to the Vietnamese as Trấn Ninh (Hán-Việt, Hán Việt: 鎮寧; lit. "securement of peace"), was a historical principality on the Xiangkhoang Plateau, which constitutes the modern territo ...

became a tributary state of Luang Prabang. Then as the years passed, the monarchy weakened even more, that it was forced to become a vassal various times to the

Burmese

and the Siamese monarchies. A

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France France (), officially the French Republic (french: link=no, République française), is a transcontinental country This is a list of co ...

consulate was established in the capital of

Luang Prabang Luang Phabang, (Lao language, Lao: wikt:ຫລວງພະບາງ, ຫລວງພະບາງ/wikt:ຫຼວງພະບາງ, ຫຼວງພະບາງ) or ''Louangphabang'' (pronounced ), commonly Transliteration, transliterated into We ...

in 1885. The kingdom was at this time a Siamese vassal, who feared French plans of annexing of Luang Phrabang. A treaty was signed on 7 May 1886 between Siam and France recognizing Siamese

suzerainty Suzerainty () is a relationship in which one state or other polity A polity is an identifiable political entity—any group of people who have a collective identity, who are organized by some form of Institutionalisation, institutionalized soci ...

over Luang Phrabang and neighboring Lao kingdoms. France conducted expeditions in the region, searching for the possibility of establishing French territory there. A particularly destructive attack during the

Haw wars The Haw Wars ( th, สงครามปราบฮ่อ) were fought against Chinese quasi-military forces invading parts of Tonkin and the Rattanakosin Kingdom, Siam from 1865–1890. Forces invading Lao people, Lao domains were ill-disciplin ...

by the Chinese

Black Flag Army The Black Flag Army (; ) was a splinter remnant of a bandit group recruited largely from soldiers of ethnic Zhuang people, Zhuang background, who crossed the border in 1865 from Guangxi, China into northern Vietnam, then during the Nguyen dynasty. ...

in 1887 saw King

Oun Kham Oun Kham ( lo, ອຸ້ນຄຳ, June 5, 1811 – December 15, 1895) was King of Luang Prabang during 1868-1887 and a second time between 1889 and 1895.Merriam-Webster's Biographical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Incorporated, 1995. On 7 June 188 ...

request French protection. This was accepted and signed on 27 March 1889, against Siamese protest. France and Siam went to war in 1893, culminating in the Paknam incident when France, contrary to promises it had made to

Great Britain Great Britain is an island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atoll An atoll (), ...

, entered

Bangkok Bangkok is the capital and most populous city of Thailand Thailand ( th, ประเทศไทย), historically known as Siam, () officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia Southeast Asia or Southeastern ...

Bangkok

with warships. Siam was forced to accept the French ultimatum, to cede the lands east of the

Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth List of rivers by length, longest river and the sixth longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , disch ...

Mekong

including its islands. The French Protectorate of Laos was officially established, with the administrative capital moved from

Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, wikt:ວຽງຈັນ, ວຽງຈັນ, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos, on the banks of the Mekong River near the border with Thailand. Vientiane became the capital in 1573, due to fears of a ...

. However, Luang Prabang remained the seat of the royal family, whose power was reduced to figureheads while the actual power was transferred over to French officials including the vice consulate and Resident-General.Carine Hahn, ''Le Laos'', Karthala, 1999, pp. 67–68 In January 1896, France and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain,Usage is mixed. The Guardian' and Telegraph' use Britain as a synonym for the United Kingdom. Some prefer to use Britain as shorth ...

signed an accord recognizing the border between French Laos and

British Burma British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people The British people, or Britons, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ir ...

Kings of Luang Phrabang

Kitsarat Chao Kingkitsarat ( lo, ເຈົ້າກິງກິດສະຣາດ; died 1713), also known as Kitsarat or Kitsarath, was the king of Kingdom of Luang Phrabang, Luang Phrabang (r. 1707–1713). Kingkitsarat was the only son of Prince Raxa ...

(1707–1713) *

Ong Kham Chao Ong Kham ( th, เจ้าองค์คำ; died 1769 in Chiang Mai), also known as Ong Nok, was the king of Kingdom of Luang Phrabang, Luang Phrabang from 1713 to 1723, later the king of Lanna from 1727 to 1769. Ong Kham was a son of Ind ...

(1713–1723) * Thao Ang (Inthason) (1723–1749) *Intharavongsa (1749) *Inthaphom (1749) *Sotika-Kuomane (1749–1768) (Burmese vassal, 1765–1768) *Surinyavong II (1768–1788) (Burmese vassal, 1768–1788) *Siamese occupation (1791–1792) *Anurutha (3 February 1792 – 179..) (1st reign) *Siamese occupation (179.. – 2 June 1794) *Anurutha (2 June 1794 – 31 December 1819) (2nd reign) *Manthaturath (31 December 1819 – 7 March 1837) (Regent for Anurutha from 1817 until 31 December 1819; lives as a monk in Bangkok from 1825 until 1826, leaving Luang Phra Bang to be administered by Thai officials) *Unkeo (1837–1838) (Regent) *Sukha-Söm (1838 – 23 September 1850) *Chantharath (23 September 1850 – 1 October 1868) *

(1 October 1868 – 15 December 1895) (Zakarine was regent for Oun Kham from April 1888 until 15 December 1895) *Zakarine (15 December 1895 – 25 March 1904) (in the French Protectorate of Laos, French protectorate) *Sisavang Vong (26 March 1904 – 27 August 1946) (in the French Protectorate of Laos, French protectorate) From 12 October 1945 Sisavang Vong was officially King of Laos.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingdom Of Luang Phrabang Kingdom of Luang Phrabang, History of Laos Early Modern Thailand Former countries in Southeast Asia Former kingdoms, Luang Phrabang Former monarchies of Asia 18th century in Laos 19th century in Laos 20th century in Laos 18th century in Siam 19th century in Siam 20th century in Thailand States and territories established in 1707 States and territories disestablished in 1949 1707 establishments in Asia 1949 disestablishments in Asia Former protectorates Former monarchies of Southeast Asia States and territories established in 1945 States and territories disestablished in 1945 1945 establishments in Asia 1945 disestablishments in Asia