Chueang (, ; ) is the legendary hero of the
Dai people
The Dai people ( Burmese: ရှမ်းလူမျိုး; khb, ᨴᩱ/ᨴᩱ᩠ᨿ; lo, ໄຕ; th, ไท; shn, တႆး, ; , ; ) refers to several Tai-speaking ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and t ...
who ruled as first king of the
Lü Kingdom establishing a capital at
Jinghong
Jinghong (; khb, ᨩ᩠ᨿᨦᩁᩩ᩵ᨦ; th, เชียงรุ่ง, , ; lo, ຊຽງຮຸ່ງ; also formerly romanised as ''Chiang Hung'', ''Chengrung'', ''Cheng Hung'', Jeng Hung, ''Jinghung'', ''Keng Hung'', ''Kiang Hung'' and ' ...
.
Reign
Chueang established the
Mueang Ho Kham Chiang Rung ( th, เมืองหอคำเชียงรุ่ง). Contemporary sources state that after ascending the throne, Chueang led an army to attack and occupy
Muang Thaeng
Muang Thaeng or Mường Thèn is a legendary Tai peoples, Tai locality believed to be associated with modern-day Mường Thanh Valley in Điện Biên province of Vietnam.
In legend, it is the initial settlement of Tai people migrating southw ...
, which indicates that he would also have attacked
Chiang Tung, the capital seat of the Tai Khoen kingdom. In Chinese Chueang is known as Pa Zhen (叭真).
The kingdom did not last but formed the base of the
Moeng Lü (1180-1950).
Wat Thammikaraja
Located in front of the Ayutthaya Royal Palace, Wat Thammikaraja was established by Chueang, the son in law of King Sainam Phung before the
Ayutthaya Period
The Ayutthaya Kingdom (; th, อยุธยา, , IAST: or , ) was a Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. The Ayutthaya Kingdom is conside ...
.
The temple was originally known as Wat Mukkharat, and the name was later changed to honour of the founder. Although once large and grand, today’s temple is somewhat diminished. However, there are many important formations inside Wat Thammikaraja.
The focus point of Wat Thammikaraja is a roofless viharn, with ten brick pillars. Inside the temple you will discover a topless chedi surrounded by Angkorian style stucco lions, many which are in good condition, although some of their heads have been chopped off.
There is no charge to enter Wat Thammikaraja.
Plain of Jars
According to a local legend, the warrior king of Chueang brought his army from Southern China and defeated the evil chieftain, King Anga. The mighty battle was followed by a mighty feast, at which hundreds of gigantic jars of wine were consumed. Chueang was apparently, as bad at tidying up as he was good at throwing parties, for he left behind all of the empty jars, of which nearly three hundred remain, scattered around the flat plains, including his own victory cup. There is little physical evidence to say that this fanciful legend does not hold at least a little truth. Major wars have been fought on the plains over the centuries, as Lao, Siamese and Vietnamese armies attempted to win control of them.
Another local tradition states the jars were molded, using natural materials such as clay, sand, sugar, and animal products in a type of stone mix. This led the locals to believe the cave at Site 1 was actually a kiln, and that the huge jars were fired there and are not actually of stone.
Death
Later on, his enemy sent two of his soldiers to seek help from
Khun Lo
Khun Lo, legendary founder of the city of Luang Prabang, was the eldest of the seven sons of the Khun Borom, and is credited as being the first of the prehistoric Lao monarchs. The royal families of Laos trace their lineage to him.
Khun Khum may ...
of the Kingdom of
Sip Song Chau Tai
The Sip Song Chau TaiOther spellings include: Sip Song Chau Thai, Sipsong Chuthai, Sipsong Chu Tai, Sip Song Chu Tai, Sipsongchuthai, Sip Song Chu Thai, Sipsong Chau Tai, Sip Song Chao Thai, Sipsong Chao Tai, Sipsongchutai, Sipsong Chao Thai. ("Tw ...
. Upon arrival Khun Lo led his army to fight a bloody battle against Chueang and his troops. Chueang was killed on the battlefield in 1192.
Legacy
Chueang had extended his territory far and wide, encompassing
Chiang Rung,
Chiang Tung,
Guangdong
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
,
Guangxi
Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...
,
Muang Kaeo,
Muang Puan,
Muang Sua
Muang Sua ( ) was the name of Luang Phrabang following its conquest in 698 CE by a Tai/Lao prince, Khun Lo, who seized his opportunity when the king of Nanzhao was engaged elsewhere. Khun Lo had been awarded the town by his father, Khun Borom, wh ...
,
Shan and
Lavo. As a consequence, these cities rulers claimed Chueang as their ancestor.
Khun Chomtham brought his people and built the city of Phayao in the beginning of 11th century A.D. and enjoyed independence up until the late 13th century A.D. when Phayao had been annexed to Lanna Kingdom.
Phaya Lao Meng married Nang Thep Kham Khai and had one son named
Mangrai Mangrai ( nod, ; th, มังราย; 1238–1311), also known as Mengrai ( th, เม็งราย),The name according to historical sources is "Mangrai", and this is used in most modern scholarly applications. "Mengrai", popularised by a 19 ...
, who is the first king of Mangrai Dynasty and found Chiang Mai and moved the center of political power and development from Ngoen Yang Chiang Saen to Chiang Mai.
Modern culture
Chueang appears in various versions of the Phra Ruang myth. Phra Ruang, the City Father of
Lavo, then a subject of the Khmer king, was obliged to send water-tribute to
Angkor
Angkor ( km, អង្គរ , 'Capital city'), also known as Yasodharapura ( km, យសោធរបុរៈ; sa, यशोधरपुर),Headly, Robert K.; Chhor, Kylin; Lim, Lam Kheng; Kheang, Lim Hak; Chun, Chen. 1977. ''Cambodian-Engl ...
. Instead of using normal jars, he devised big baskets to hold a large amount of water. Later Phra Ruang escaped to Sukhothai and ordained as a monk. The Khmer king sent a warrior after him. The Khmer warrior travelled underground and emerged at the temple where Phra Ruang was sweeping the ground. Upon seeing the monk and not knowing Phra Ruang, the Khmer warrior asked where he could find Phra Ruang. Phra Ruang told him to wait for a minute. He then turned the Khmer warrior into stone.
[Pra Ruang me Kom Dam Din. 2e éd. Author, Rama IV (roi de Siam dit Mongkut)]
Descendants
*
Mangrai the Great Mangrai ( nod, ; th, มังราย; 1238–1311), also known as Mengrai ( th, เม็งราย),The name according to historical sources is "Mangrai", and this is used in most modern scholarly applications. "Mengrai", popularised by a 19 ...
, the first King of Chiang Mai
*
Ngam Muang
Ngam is a village in the Peren district of Nagaland, India. It is located in the Nsong Circle.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census of India
The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house li ...
, the king of
Phayao
Phayao () is a city (''thesaban mueang'') in northern Thailand, capital of Phayao Province. For administrative purposes the city is divided into 15 sub-districts (''tambons''), which are further subdivided into 172 administrative villages.
The t ...
*
Ram Khamhaeng the Great
Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:
Animals
* A male sheep
* Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish
People
* Ram (given name)
* Ram (surname)
* Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director
* RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch
* Raj ...
, the third king of the Phra Ruang dynasty
See also
*
Luang Prabang Province
*
Muang Sua
Muang Sua ( ) was the name of Luang Phrabang following its conquest in 698 CE by a Tai/Lao prince, Khun Lo, who seized his opportunity when the king of Nanzhao was engaged elsewhere. Khun Lo had been awarded the town by his father, Khun Borom, wh ...
*
Phayao Province
*
Plain of Jars
The Plain of Jars ( Lao: ທົ່ງໄຫຫິນ ''Thong Hai Hin'', ) is a megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos. It consists of thousands of stone jars scattered around the upland valleys and the lower foothills of the central plain of ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phanya Coeng
1125 births
1192 deaths
Converts to Buddhism
Buddhist monarchs
History of Laos
Tai history
Dai people
12th-century Tai people