King Phrom’s sacred biography through time: reshaping Yonok-Lanna political Buddhist identity in Siam and Lao

Abstract

This article examines the sacred biography of Phrom, a cultural and divine Buddhist hero of Yonok. It also unravels the impact of his biography on the re-construction of Yonok-Lanna political identity in Siam and Lao. It does so by tracking down on the roles of either those rulers who use the term ‘phrom’ as parts of their given names; or those portrayed as descendants of Phrom. These rulers include: Lanna royal members in the fourteenth century; Ayutthaya kings from U Thong (r.1351–1369) to Maha Jakkraphat (r.1548/9–1569); Lan Xang kings from Chaiyachettha (r.1547/8–1571) to Suriyavongsa (1636/7–1694); and Lanna governors under Siamese control up to the early twentieth century. Textual sources used for this research include: northern Siamese legends, royal chronicles, inscriptions, European writings, manuscripts, and royal diaries. Research findings suggest that Phrom’s legends and the royal use of the term ‘phrom’ not only functioned to re-construct the identity of royal families and entourage in Lanna, Ayutthaya and Lao, but they established royal linkages amongst these kingdoms. This article represents the alternative view that an understanding of Siamese and Lao histories requires those of Yonok and Lanna. This challenges the nationalist, mainstream Thai view that separates Lanna from Siamese history for creating a single Siamese identity.