In 1765 the Burmese had conquered Luang Prabang and two years later destroyed Ayutthaya, until then the most powerful kingdom in the region. But within a year of Ayutthaya's destruction the Siamese had regrouped under Chao Phaya Taksin at Thonburi, across the Chao Phraya River from modern day Bangkok. Within a decade Taksin was strong enough to have expelled the Burmese from the Chao Phraya basin and to send his armies east to subdue first Champassak and then, with Luang Prabang's assistance, Vientiane. Thousands of Lao from these regions were taken forcibly across the Mekong to provide labour to the Siamese as they populated and established control over the Korat plateau, modern day North-East Thailand. Luang Prabang's king Chao Suliyavong II was also forced to recognise Siam's suzerainty and ended up a hostage in Bangkok where he died.
In 1824 the Siamese King Rama II died in Bangkok. The Lao kings journeyed to Bangkok to pay their respects but with dramatically different outcomes for their kingdoms. Luang Prabang's king Chao Manthaturath had maintained good relations with Rama II and on arriving in Bangkok he prostrate himself in front of the new king Rama III and requested to ordain as a monk in order to make merit for Rama II and Rama I. He was subsequently ordained at Wat Phra Keo and spent three months in the monkhood, then staying on in Bangkok for a further two years. He only returned home when Luang Prabang was hit with a serious outbreak of cholera and on his departure was presented with new royal regalia as a sign of the good relations he had fostered with Rama III. Meanwhile Chao Anouvong, who had grown up in the court of Bangkok and had been appointed by Rama II as the ruler of Vientiane in 1804, was rebuffed by Rama III when he requested that many Lao slaves be allowed to return to Vientiane. He was further insulted when members of his entourage were forced into corvée labour digging canals in Bangkok. After the funeral ceremonies were complete Chao Anouvong returned to Vientiane and began plotting a split with Bangkok.
In February 1827 Chao Anouvong made a surprise attack across the Mekong from Vientiane, his armies reaching as far as Korat. The consequences were devastating for Vientiane. Once Bangkok mustered its vastly superior forces they quickly drove back Chao Anouvong's armies. Siam was ably assisted by 5,000 troops sent from Luang Prabang - Chao Manthaturath had not forgotten 1792 when Vientiane had attacked and sacked Luang Prabang. By May 1827 the Siamese entered Vientiane and set about destroying the cities defences, temples and monuments. Once again thousands of Lao were rounded up and taken as slave labour to the Korat Plateau. Chao Anouvong himself was taken prisoner back to Bangkok where he was kept in a cage before being publicly executed. As severe as the destruction of Vientiane was, when Rama III heard the reports from his general he was dissatisfied. In 1828 the Siamese returned to totally obliterate Vientiane. The Kingdom of Vientiane ceased to exist and the once glorious capital became a scarcely populated village, its ruins disappearing into the jungle.
The elimination of Vientiane had unintended consequences. Chao Anouvong had maintained a balance between the two rival kingdoms of Siam and Vietnam but now the two powers came into direct conflict and the war would last until 1837. Bangkok was only able to extend its power to the northern west borders of Vietnam with the co-operation of Luang Prabang. In 1834 joint Siamese and Luang Prabang forces assisted by the local Phuan population defeated the Vietnamese garrison at Xieng Khuang. Other operations extended the Siamese/Luang Prabang domain across Houaphan, Xieng Houng, Muang Thaen (Dien Bien Phu) and Muang Lai. By the end of the 1830's the entire northern region of modern Laos would express fealty to Bangkok but in practice tribute would be paid to Luang Prabang which controlled all diplomatic relations with these territories and crucially controlled the flow of information to Bangkok, an arrangement that profited Luang Prabang for the next five decades.
The Haw and the Sacking of Luang Prabang
Between 1850 and 1864 China was convulsed by the Taiping rebellion in which 20 to 30 million people died. By 1865 remnant groups from this rebellion were moving south into what is today the northern parts of Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. Grouped around different leaders the bands became known by the banners that they carried, such as the Black Flags, the Yellow Flags and the Red Flags. They ruthlessly plundered towns and villages in a relentless search for loot, causing considerable destruction and disruption in the region.
In 1875 Bangkok sent an army north across the Mekong to eliminate these rebels which they called "Haw". The campaign failed however, as the Haw simply retreated temporarily to the mountains rather than fight the well equipped military force. In 1884 at the request of Luang Prabang's king Chao Oun Kham, Bangkok sent another army north to tackle the Haw problem. Once again over confidence appears to have led not only to the failure of the mission, but to a catastrophic outcome for Luang Prabang.
In late 1886 the Siamese Commander-in-Chief Chao Meun Vai Vonarat, whilst on a mission north to attack the Haw, had arrested two sons of the ruler of Mueang Lai. This rulers eldest son, Kham Oum (More often referred to by his Vietnamese name Deo Van Tri), decided to set about rescuing his brothers and exacting revenge. Enlisting the support of Black, Yellow and Red Flag Haw who had been encamped near Mueang Lai they rowed down the Nam Ou River to attack Luang Prabang during May1887. Meanwhile confident that he had suppressed the Haw, Vai Vonarat and one of the two Siamese Commissioners had already departed Luang Prabang with the army to return triumphantly to Bangkok. With responsibility for defence split between the one remaining Siamese Commissioner, the Vice-King and the King, no effective resistance was organised. On June 7 some 300 Haw bandits together with 270 armed Mueang Lai men entered the city and set up their camp in Vat Mai and Vat Xieng Thong (Where Kham Oum had once been a novice monk). Initially they offered to buy the freedom of Kham Oum's two brothers, but during two days of uneasy calm the request changed to the invaders offering to take charge of the annual tribute to be offered to the Emperor of China. Finally on the morning of June10 the Haw marched into the palace and began shooting.
Up until this moment Chao Oun Kham and his court had been pinning their hopes upon a negotiated settlement with the invaders. Now taken by surprise chaos ensued. Many in the palace were killed after which the shooting and pillaging spread throughout the town causing widespread deaths. The Oupalat or Vice-King, Tiao Souvanna Phouma, who was in charge of the city's defence, was captured and executed. A large part of the population took to their boats and attempted to escape down river, but in the chaos many became casualties in the treacherous waters of the Mekong. By the afternoon the city was in flames which resulted in most of the town on the peninsular being destroyed. Wat Xieng Thong and Vat Mai, being used by the invaders as encampments, were spared.
By chance the French explorer Auguste Pavie had arrived in Luang Prabang five month earlier and had been treated as a friend by the king. As the battle erupted in the palace Chao Oun Kham was rescued by his guards together with Pavie's assistant Keo who got the king to safety on a boat on the Mekong. Joined by Pavie himself a small flotilla of boats ferried the king three days down river to Pak Lai where they stopped for some days to take stock of the desperate situation. In the end the king was evacuated to Bangkok by the Siamese. By Pavie's account during these days on the river together the king requested France's protection, Siam having failed so disastrously in its obligation to provide defence. What is certain is that these tumultuous events marked the beginning of the end of Siam's suzerainty. The period of French colonisation was about to begin.
By chance the French explorer Auguste Pavie had arrived in Luang Prabang five month earlier and had been treated as a friend by the king. As the battle erupted in the palace Chao Oun Kham was rescued by his guards together with Pavie's assistant Keo who got the king to safety on a boat on the Mekong. Joined by Pavie himself a small flotilla of boats ferried the king three days down river to Pak Lai where they stopped for some days to take stock of the desperate situation. In the end the king was evacuated to Bangkok by the Siamese. By Pavie's account during these days on the river together the king requested France's protection, Siam having failed so disastrously in its obligation to provide defence. What is certain is that these tumultuous events marked the beginning of the end of Siam's suzerainty. The period of French colonisation was about to begin.