GOVERNMENTAL MODEL OF LAN XANG KINGDOM IN KING XETTHATHIRAT

Abstract

         The objective of this article was to study the style of governance of the Lan Xang Kingdom in the reign of King Xetthathirat by studying the documents The study found King Xetthathirat was a Lao king who created a great prosperity for the Lan Xang Kingdom. Although his reign has faced war all the time, but he was able to lead the Lan Xang Kingdom through the crisis very well together with preserving Buddhism. So he was known as a wise king who played politics on religious issues. When there was a war, he acted as a commander of the army. When there was a calmness, he showed himself as a patron. King Xetthathirat ruled over the Lan Xang Kingdom in the pace of his ancestors with a monarchy model by using the four criminal laws as follows: 1) Location in the capital consisting of kings, viceroys, dynasties, and royal sons, these four positions were the ruling positions and successors with the prefix called “Chao”, the above 4 positions a nobleman with the prefix called "Phaya". 2) Positions in various cities were senior civil servants of the city, it was a governing position at the district level with the prefix called "Pia". 3) Position in a small community, it was a ruling position at the head of the village. Armed tools used to control Lan Xang society consists of religion by using Buddhist principles and other beliefs as a ploy to rule the law, the law of Lan Xang society being based on Buddhism, and the legends and literature by being inserted morality, social order, and the role of the king through legends and literature because the content of literature was easier to reach the public than the law.