Chao Anou
(1767–1829), Lao monarch. Chao Anou, or Anuvong, was the last ruler of the Lao kingdom of Viang Chan (present-day Vientiane, capital of Lao People's Democratic Republic) and a significant patron of Lao Buddhism. Born in Viang Chan, Chao Anou ascended the throne in 1805 and initiated construction of many temples, including Vat Si Saket. He also undertook repairs to the Phathat Luang temple complex and added the cloister surrounding the stupa, a dome-shaped structure that serves as a Buddhist shrine.
Chao Anou improved relations with the reigning Nguyen dynasty of Vietnam and united the central and southern kingdoms of Laos by placing his son on the throne of Champasak, the southern Lao kingdom. In 1826, Chao led an unsuccessful attempt to win independence from Siam, Viang Chan's suzerain, and recover lost territory on the Khorat plateau. The Siamese retaliated, destroying Viang Chan, except Vat Si Saket and Phathat Luang. The Siamese troops took tens of thousands of the people in Viang Chan and its vicinity captive and relocated the prisoners of war to Siam. Chao Anou fled to Vietnam but returned in 1828 to find his capital in ruins. The Siamese eventually captured Chao Anou, who died cruelly in a Bangkok prison a year later. Chao Anou is considered a national hero for his attempts to unify the Lao kingdom and gain independence from Siam and for his contributions to Lao Buddhism.
Further Reading
Ngaosyvath, Mayoury, and Pheuiphathn Ngaosyvath. (1998) Path to Conflagration: Fifty Years of Diplomacy and Warfare in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam 1778–1828. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press and SEAP.
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