Lao ethnicity, dynasty, and nation

ANTH 520-13A

Pham Van Dung

Pre-historic Laos (Bowman, 2000)

• 10,000 – 3000 BC: ancestors of Lao Theung (Lao of the mountainside)/ Kha (slaves) were first settlers

• 3000 – 1500 BC: Neolithic culture adopted (rice, pigs, cattles, pottery)

• 1500 BC: Bronze Age • 1000-100 BC: Bronze Age and Megalithic culture (Plain of

Jars) • 500-1 BC: Bronze drum found: contact with Vietnam and Tai

in South China • 400-800 AD: Mon-Khmer influence/ control • 500: Tai-speaking people moved to remote mountains of

Northeastern Laos

Before 7th century

Funan state: 1st -6th century

Zhenla state: Khmer kingdom: 5th-7th century, dominated Funan

Tai peole from SW China migrate south in 7th-13th centuries, assimilating local culture – 1200s set up states

1300s: Burman, Khmer, Siamese, and Lao adopted Budhism

(Lockard, 2009)

800 – 1400: the golden age of kingdom

Southeast Asian Kingdoms 1400-1600

Laos and Asia by 1500 CE

Dynastic realms

• Fa Ngum (1353-1372) • Samsenthai (1372-1417) • Lan Kham Deng (1417-1428) • Phommathat (1428-1429) • Khamtum (Thao Khamtum) (1429) • Meun Sai (1429-1430) • Konekham (1430-1432) • Kham-Tam Sa (1432) • Lue-Sai (1432-1433) • Khai Bua Ban (1433-1436) • Khong Kham (1436-1438) • Interregnum (1438-1441) • Chaiyachakkapat-Phaenphaeo (Sao

Tiakaphat) (1441-1478) • Vietnamese occupation (1478-1479) • Suvanna Banlang (Theng Kham) (1479-

1485) • Lahsaenthai Puvanart (1485-1495) • Sompou (Samphou) (1495-1500)

Kingdom of Lan Xang (1353-1706, named 33 kings)

• Visunarat (1500-1520) • Photisarath I (1520-1548) • Setthathirat I (1548-1571) • Saensurin (1572-1574) (1st reign) • Maha Oupahat (ruled under Burmese sovereignty)

(1575-1580) • Saensurin (ruled again after expelling the Burmese

for a brief period of time) (1580-1582) • Nakhon Noi (ruled under Burmese sovereignty)

(1582-1583) • Vacant (1583-1591) • Nokeo Koumanh (1591-1596) • Voravongsa Thammikarath (1596-1622) • Upanyuvarat (1622-1623) • Photisarath II (1623-1627) • Mon Keo (Mongkeo) (1627) • Tone Kham (1627-1633) • Vichai (1633-1637) • Suriya Vongsa I (1637-1694) • Tian Thala (1690 - 1695) • Nan Tharat (1695 - 1698) • Setthathirath II (1698 - 1706 ))

Dynastic realms

• Kingdoms of Luang Prabang (1707-1904), 12 kings

1707–1713 Kingkitsarat (succeeded to Luang Prabang

upon partition of Laos c.1707)

1713–1723 Ong Nok (cousin; deposed, died 1759)

1723–1749 Inthasom (brother of Kingkitsarat)

1749–1750 Inthaphon (son; abdicated)

1750–1771 Sotikakuman (brother; abdicated)

1771–1791 Suriyavong (brother)

1791–1816 Anuruttha (brother)

Dynastic realms • Kingdoms of Luang Prabang (Cont)

1816–1837 Mangthaturat (son)

1837–1850 Suksoem (son)

1850–1870 Chantharat (brother)

1870–1891 Un Kham (brother; deposed, died

1895)

1891–1904 Sakkarin (son; French protectorate

over Laos 1893/6–1949)

Dynastic realms Kingdoms of Champassak (1700-1904, named 16 kings) • Nan Rath/Soysysamoun (1700-1713?) • Nokasat (1713-1738) • Saya Kumane (1738-1791) (regent for Nokasat from 1725 until 1738) • Xiang Keo (1791) • Fay Na (1791-1811) • No Muong (1811) • Cha Nou (1811-1813) • Ma Noi (1813-1819) • Thai-Vietnamese occupation (December 1819 - 1821) • Rajabud Yo (1821-1827) • Hui (1827-1840) • Nak (1840-1851) (Regent for Hui to 1840) • Boua (1851 - 1852 (Regent) • Thai occupation (1852-1856) • Kham Nai (1856-1858) • Chu (1858-1860) (Regent) • Thai occupation (1860-1863) • Kham Suk (1863-28 July 1900) • Ratsadanay (28 July 1900 - 22 November 1904)

Dynastic realms Kingdoms of Vientiane (1707-1828, named 8 kings) • Setthathirath II (1707-1730) • Ong Long (1730-1767) • Ong Bun Setthathirath III (1767-1778) (1st reign) • Phraya Supho (1778-1780) (Thai governor) • Ong Bun Setthathirath III (1780 - November 1781) (2nd

reign) • Nanthasen Setthathirath IV (21 November 1781 -

January 1795) • Intharavong Setthathirath V (2 February 1795 - 7

February 1805) (crowned on 23 July 1795) • Anouvong (7 February 1805 - 12 November 1828)

Tribes/ ethnic groups

• Three main tribes categorized since 1940s 1. Lao Loum – lowland – Tai-Kadai languages 2. Lao Theung - slope hills, midland – Austroasiatic family 3. Lao Soung – upland – Tibeto-Burman & Hmong-Mien (Pholsena, 2005, pp. 82-3).

• 47 ethnic groups (1995 Census) (Pholsena, 2005, p. 81) • 49 ethnic groups (1999 collectiong campaign) (ibid, p.

89) • Classification out of real heterogeneity (ibid, p. 91)

Tribes/ ethnic groups

• Tai languistic family (60% of whole population) – Lao, Phutai, Phouane, Tai Nyo, Lue, Tai Deng, Tai Khao, Nung, Yay and 20 other

ethnic minorities

• Austroasiatic speakers (26-36%) – Khmuic (Tai Hat, Phong Laan, Phong Phene, Phong Tapouang, Kaniang, Phong

Piat, Thai Then) – Vietic (Vietnamese, Ngouan, Muang, Toum, Pong) – Palaungic (Wa, Lawa, Phalik, Sam Tao, Kha Bit, man Met, Lamet, Xmet, Riang,

Palaung/ Ta’ang, Rumai – Katuic (Katu, Pacoh, Nge, Ta’oy, Ong, Katang, Brou-So, Kuay-Yoe (many sub-

groups) – Bahnaric (Stieng, Chrau, Sre-Koho, Mnong-Biat, Tampuan, Bahnar, Taliang,

Kasseng, Alak, Kyong, Rengao, Sedang, Halang, Jeh, Kacho, Brao (Lave), Jru (Laven) Nha Hoen, Sou, Suk, Sapuan, Cheng, Oy)

• Miao-Yao (6-10%) – Hmong (White Hmong, Green Hmong), Yao (Iu Mien), Kim Mun, Biao Mon

• Sino-Tibetan (3-4%) – Kho (Akha), Pounoy, Ho, Sila, Lusi, Lolo, Lahu, Yi

Ethnolinguistic groups in Laos

Linguistic map: Laos

Symbol of three main ethnic groups

Symbol of three main ethnic groups

Lao Loum - lowland

Wet rice field, Luang Namtha, Northern Laos

Weaving, Lao Loum, Luang Phrabang

Lao Theung, midland

Khmu women attending meeting, Luang Prabang

Lao Soung/ H’mong - upland

Yao ethnic group

La Hu men playing flutes, Luang Namtha, Northern Laos

Rotational shifting cultivation

Ecological vegetable cutivation

Livestock/ cattle raising

Religion in Laos

• Buddhism since 12th century – National religion of Lan Xang kingdom and other dynasties – Communists took power (1975): Not recognized as

national religion – Recent revival

• Christian missionaries came before 1975. Communists seen as ‘divisive belief’ (Evans, 2003, p. 220)

• Small south Indian Muslim community in Vientiane (ibid, p. 217)

• The Tai: parallel of sociopolitical structure and a hierarchy of territorial spirits (Evans, 2002, p. 5)

• Anamist in many ethnic groups

Lowland Lao and Buddism

Buddah statute outside temple, Xiengda village Phousi temple, Luang Prabang

Religious belief and forest protection

A ceremony in Xiangda village, LPB

Buottonmay, Budda’s spirits to protect nature, Xiangda village, LPB

Signals of religions in a village, Luang Prabang

Cross inside house Worshipping place in house

Khmu worship place in forest, Densavang village, Luang Prabang

Liengphiho (worshipping village forest spirits), Khmu in Phonsavat village, LPB

Elder worshipping Community sharing afterwards

Naosong of Hmong in Longlan village, LPB: Natural spirits worshipping and building up community regulations

Ceremony in forest Voting Hmong association

leaders

Dynastic realms & French colonial time

• Kingdoms of Laos (1904-1975)

1904–1959 Sisavangvong

(son; deposed,

1945–6; king of

united Laos

1946)

1959–1975 Savangvatthana

(son; deposed,

died 1978;

People's

Democratic

Republic)

Dynastic realms & French colonial time

• 1893: Laos was merged with four other regions to form Indochina

• 1899: a distinct administrative unit • 1907: Franco-Seamese treaty • Royal court in Luang Prabang manage

its own affairs • Day-to-day management entrusted to

French, Vietnamese and Laotian civil servants in Vientiane, subordinate to the résident supérieur.

• Early 20th century: Nationalism and communist

• Japanese occupation (1941-45) • 8 April, 1945: independent Lao

Kingdom

Civil war & Nation state

• 1945-1975: Royal Lao government

• 1960: Kong Le coup and neutralism

• 1962-1975: Civil war: Royal Lao Government + Vang Pao (suported by America) and Pathet Lao (backed by Vietnam)

Leaders in civil war (1962-1975)

Prince Souvanna Phouma

Kong Le Vang pao Kaysone Phomvihane

Souphanouvong

Civil war & Nation state

Pathet Lao view, 1962 Royal Lao Government view, 1962

Nation state

• 1975-: Lao People’s Democratic Republic (LPDR)

• ‘re-education camps’ & exodus • 1975-86: Centralized economic

decision-making + collectivisation • Resettlement, forced minority

groups to integrate into the national economy (Jerdal and Rigg, 1998, p. 825)

• Hmong resistance by 1978, sporadic outbreaks

• Economic growth, commercial link and the question of utility (ibid, p. 824)

• Fear of cultural absorption within Greater Thailand (ibid, p. 826)

States and tribes: the case of Khmu

• Before 6th century: Khmu and Mon-Khmer are first settlers • 6th – 19th century: subdued by Lao and seen as Kha (slaves);

traded to lowland and across borders • 1880s: abolishment of slavery by the French colonial regime • Early 20th century: revolt in Boloven plateau (Southern Lao) • 1950s: Belong to Lao Theung • 1995 & 2005 Census: Identified as an ethnic group, but

question of self-identification and correct sub-groups • 614,000 in Laos (2005 census). Population total all countries:

704,000 • Poverty, low status and poor representative • Loose customs. Anamism converted to Buddhism, Christian

-> assimilation?

Reference

• Bowman, John., 2000. Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture. New York: Columbia University Press.

• Chazee, Laurent, 2002. The Peoples of Laos: Rural and Ethnic Diversities. Bangkok: White Lotus Press.

• Evans, Grant, 2002. A short history of Laos: The land in between. Crows Nest NSW: Allen&Unwin.

• http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/view/10.1093/acref/9780198604730.001.0001/acref-9780198604730-e-129?rskey=AvUJSX&result=140&q

• Jerndan Randi and Jonathan Rigg, 1998. Making space in Laos: constructing a national identity in a ‘forgotten’country. Political Geography, Vol. 17, No. 7, pp. 809–831, 1998

• Lockard, Craig A., 2009. Southeast Asia in World History. Cary, NC: Oxford University Press.

• Mason C., 2005. A short history of Asia, New York NY: Palgrave Macmillan. • Pholsena, Vatthana, 2005. “A liberal model of minority rights for an illiberal

multiethnic state? The case of the Lao PDR, in Kymlicka, W. and Baogang He (eds): Multiculturalism in Asia, Oxford: Oxford University Press.