Country history · Asia

History of Laos

16 recorded states lay in what is now Laos, from Chenla (550 CE) to the Lao People's Democratic Republic. 3 of them have a full profile, and 8 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)2 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

6th century

  1. Chenla550 CE – 802 CE · kingdom

8th century

  1. Muang Sua700 CE – 1353 CE · principality
  2. Land Chenla707 CE – 802 CE · kingdom
  3. Nanzhao738 CE – 902 CE · kingdom

13th century

  1. Lan Na1292 CE – 1775 CE · profile

14th century

  1. Muang Phuan1350 CE – 1899 CE · principality
  2. Lan Xang1353 CE – 1707 CE · profile

16th century

  1. First Toungoo Empire1510 CE – 1599 CE · kingdom

18th century

  1. Kingdom of Luang Phrabang1707 CE – 1947 CE · kingdom
  2. Kingdom of Vientiane1707 CE – 1828 CE · kingdom
  3. Kingdom of Champasak1713 CE – 1946 CE · kingdom

19th century

  1. French Indochina1887 CE – 1954 CE · profile
  2. French protectorate of Laos1893 CE – 1947 CE · protectorate

20th century

  1. Lao Issara1945 CE – 1946 CE · other
  2. Kingdom of Laos1947 CE – 1975 CE · kingdom
  3. Lao People's Democratic Republic1975 CE – present · republic

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Mainland Southeast Asia → States of China, Tibet and Mongolia → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of Laos. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/laos
MLA
“History of Laos.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/laos. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of Laos.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/laos.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of Laos’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/laos (Accessed: ).