The Kingdom of Lan Xang or Land of A Million Elephants"
"The Lao PDR claims its historical and cultural roots in the ancient Kingdom of Lan Xang. But it is mostly foreign interference that has characterized the history of Laos."
Conventionally, the History of Laos as a nation is introduced with the founding of the Kingdom of Lan Xang in the 14th century. However, relatively advanced societies have lived on the territory of Laos for centuries before. Also, the earliest evidence of the existence of the Lao people dates back to the 9th century with the "laws of Khun Borum" (or "Khun Bolum") which describes an agrarian proto-Lao society prior to their adoption of Theravada Buddhism and their southward migration to the territory of modern Laos.
The Kingdom of Lan Xang and its fall
11th and 12th centuries: The first ethnic Lao establish themselves in the Middle Mekong region. More>>
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