Town · The Lao muang of the middle Mekong · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Muang Sua

Lao muang, a valley seat.

The muang on the Mekong where the Nam Khan comes in: the natural capital of the middle river and the head of navigation for the big boats coming up (board). The Lao chronicle tradition puts a ruling line here for centuries (Khun Borom and Khun Lo, legend); it was written down long afterwards and cannot be checked. English Wikipedia's dates (Khun Lo 698, Khun Chuang 1128 to 1169, a Khmer suzerainty 1185 to 1191) rest on two secondary works and no inscription.

There is no town of Luang Prabang yet: the name belongs to a later century, and Fa Ngum's Lan Xang (1353) is a century and a half away. What stands is a stockaded landing and rice flats.

Who holds it

Name
Not known (see the Muang Sua record)
Title
Chao muang (not named)
Since
not known
Born
not known
Family
not known
Confidence
low

English Wikipedia (Muang Sua); the brief.

Lord in 1200

Not known (see the Muang Sua record)

How things stand that morning

Unrecorded.

Communities

Lao and Tai villagers; the Kha (Khmu) of the hills, who gather the forest goods and pay in kind.

Trade and crafts

Benzoin, lac and cardamom of the hills, boat tolls, the Nam Ou road.

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: Chronicle legend and geography.

On the map: A disc of seeds round the landing.

Primary sources for Lao muang of the middle Mekong

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

  • The Glass Palace Chronicle of the Kings of Burma, The Royal Historical Commission of King Bagyidaw (Monywe Sayadaw and others), drawing on U Kala's Maha Yazawin (about 1724) and earlier chronicles (1829 to 1832). The standard Burmese court chronicle, compiled six centuries after 1200 from older chronicles now lost. Read online
  • The later Tai, Lao and Mon chronicles of the north, Ratanapanna (Jinakalamali); Bodhiramsi (Chamadevivamsa); anonymous monks and court scribes (the Chamadevivamsa about 1410; the Jinakalamali 1516 to 1528; the Chiang Mai Chronicle in its surviving form 1827; the Nithan Khun Borom 16th to 17th century). There is no text of 1200 for the Mon kingdom of Haripunjaya, the Tai muang of Ngoenyang (Chiang Saen), Chiang Rung, the Yom and Nan valleys, or the Lao middle Mekong.
  • Inscriptions of Pagan, Pinya and Ava; Inscriptions of Burma, Various (the Pagan kings, queens, ministers and donors), edited by Tun Nyein, Taw Sein Ko, G. H. Luce and Pe Maung Tin (inscriptions of the 11th to 14th centuries; editions 1899 and 1933 to 1956). The dedicatory inscriptions of Pagan are the only contemporary texts for the kingdom of Narapatisithu (reigning 1174 to 1211). Read online
  • The Inscriptions of Cambodia, Various (the Khmer kings and their officers), edited by George Coedes (inscriptions of the 6th to 14th centuries; edited 1937 to 1966). The Khmer empire of 1200 is known almost entirely from the great foundation stelae of Jayavarman VII (reigning from 1181), which Coedes edited: the Ta Prohm stele of 1186 (K. Read online

Sources and studies

  1. English Wikipedia, Muang Sua
  2. OMNIA board notes for the Khmer and Lao area (a lead, not a source)

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.