| Abstract: |
The theme of continuity and discontinuity in Lao history is examined in detail by Martin Stuart-Fox in a separate chapter of this book. As he indicates, the territory that forms present-day Laos became divided among several independent kingdoms at various times in modern history. Each of these kingdoms had its own chroniclers. But only one the kingdom of Luang Prabang had any pretensions to a continuous history extending back to the very origins of the Lao people. The chronicle of Luang Prabang is thus the only primary source for the study of Lao history that offers an uninterrupted record, at least for the northern part of Laos, from legendary times until the present century.
|
