kingdom · Mainland Southeast Asia

Kingdom of Luang Phrabang

1707 CE – 1947 CE · capital Luang Prabang

The northern successor of Lan Xang, whose royal house survived Siamese and French overlordship to become the monarchy of modern Laos.

Origins

During the succession conflicts after Sourigna Vongsa's death, his grandson Kingkitsarath, with backing from Sipsongpanna, established himself at Luang Prabang in 1707 as king, separate from the court of the Kingdom of Vientiane. Lan Xang was thereby formally divided.

Rule and society

The kingdom ruled the northern Lao highlands, with Lao, Khmu and Hmong subjects, and was frequently threatened by Burma, Vientiane and Siam. From 1779 it was a vassal of Siam. Its capital, with temples such as Wat Xieng Thong and the Phra Bang image, was the religious heart of Lao kingship.

Decline and legacy

After Chinese Haw raiders sacked Luang Prabang in 1887, the French consul Auguste Pavie rescued King Oun Kham, and the kingdom came under the French protectorate of Laos in 1893. Its king Sisavang Vong became monarch of the unified Kingdom of Laos in 1946 to 1947.

Lineage

Lan Xang 1353 CE – 1707 CEKingdom of Luang PhrabangKingdom of Laos 1947 CE – 1975 CE

Connections (4)

More states of Mainland Southeast Asia →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Luang Phrabang. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-luang-phrabang
MLA
“Kingdom of Luang Phrabang.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-luang-phrabang. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Luang Phrabang.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-luang-phrabang.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Luang Phrabang’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-luang-phrabang (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻