Photisarath
Encyclopedia
Photisarath (1501–1547) son of King Visunarat of Lanxang, is considered to be the most devout of the Lao
king
s, he banned spirit worship and built temples upon the sites of spirit shrines. His elephant fell and crushed him while he sought to display his prowess to the diplomatic corps. His son Setthathirath
returned from Chiang Mai
to succeed him to the throne of Lan Xang
.
Photisarath was ruler (1520–47) of the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang whose territorial expansion embroiled Laos in the warfare that swept mainland Southeast Asia
in the latter half of the 16th century. King Jayaraja of Ayudhya invaded vientiane with a large army in 1540, captured Moung Khuk and crossed the Mekong, but succumbed to a rout at the battle of Sala Kham, the remnants fleeing for their lives and leaving enormous casualties behind. Photisarath himself allied himself with Burma, sent out 3 campaigns against Ayudhya, the first to Pitsanuloke in 1535, the second one to Vieng Prangarm in 1539, and third was sent in 1548 to Vieng Prab*** (now Sawangaburi) where he brought back 20,000 families to settle in Lanxang kingdom.
King of Burma Tabinshweti who was planning an attack of Ayudhya asked King Potisararat to attack Ayudhya from the North, this attack on Ayudhya is during the reign of King Maha Chakrapat and his famous Queen Suryotai, who was killed a battle.
Photisarath was a pious Buddhist who worked to undermine animism
and Brahmanic religious practices and promote Buddhism
. He resided much of the time not in the capital at Luang Prabang
but in Vientiane
, which was located farther south and maintained better communications with the major states of the region. Photisarath married a princess from Chiang Mai
(now part of northern Thailand
), and when his father-in-law, the ruler of Chiang Mai, died in 1546 without male issue, Photisarath had his own son Setthathirat I placed on the Chiang Mai throne. When Photisarath died in the following year, after a fatal accident while hunting wild elephants, Setthathirat succeeded him and joined together the two kingdoms--which were soon embroiled in Siamese-Burmese wars that devastated much of the region over the next half-century.
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
king
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
s, he banned spirit worship and built temples upon the sites of spirit shrines. His elephant fell and crushed him while he sought to display his prowess to the diplomatic corps. His son Setthathirath
Setthathirath
Setthathirath is considered one of the great leaders in Lao history. Throughout 1560s up until his death, he successfully defended his kingdom of Lan Xang against military campaigns of Burmese conqueror Bayinnaung, who had already subdued Xieng Mai in 1558 and Ayutthaya in 1564...
returned from Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
to succeed him to the throne of Lan Xang
Lan Xang
The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Kao was established in 1354 by Fa Ngum.Exiled as an infant to Cambodia, Prince Fa Ngum of Xieng Dong Xieng Thong married a daughter of the Khmer king. In 1349 he set out from Angkor at the head of a 10,000-man army to establish his own country...
.
Photisarath was ruler (1520–47) of the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang whose territorial expansion embroiled Laos in the warfare that swept mainland Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
in the latter half of the 16th century. King Jayaraja of Ayudhya invaded vientiane with a large army in 1540, captured Moung Khuk and crossed the Mekong, but succumbed to a rout at the battle of Sala Kham, the remnants fleeing for their lives and leaving enormous casualties behind. Photisarath himself allied himself with Burma, sent out 3 campaigns against Ayudhya, the first to Pitsanuloke in 1535, the second one to Vieng Prangarm in 1539, and third was sent in 1548 to Vieng Prab*** (now Sawangaburi) where he brought back 20,000 families to settle in Lanxang kingdom.
King of Burma Tabinshweti who was planning an attack of Ayudhya asked King Potisararat to attack Ayudhya from the North, this attack on Ayudhya is during the reign of King Maha Chakrapat and his famous Queen Suryotai, who was killed a battle.
Photisarath was a pious Buddhist who worked to undermine animism
Animism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
and Brahmanic religious practices and promote Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. He resided much of the time not in the capital at Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province...
but in Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
, which was located farther south and maintained better communications with the major states of the region. Photisarath married a princess from Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
(now part of northern Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
), and when his father-in-law, the ruler of Chiang Mai, died in 1546 without male issue, Photisarath had his own son Setthathirat I placed on the Chiang Mai throne. When Photisarath died in the following year, after a fatal accident while hunting wild elephants, Setthathirat succeeded him and joined together the two kingdoms--which were soon embroiled in Siamese-Burmese wars that devastated much of the region over the next half-century.
External links
- Photisarath at britannica.com