Jessadabodindra - Insurgency of Anouvong

Insurgency of Anouvong

The three Laotian kingdoms (Lan Xang in Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and Champasak) became Siamese tributary states after Chao Phraya Maha Kshatriyaseuk (King Rama I, Prince Jessadabodin's grandfather) had conquered them in 1778. Anouvong, the son of the king of Vientiene, was taken to Bangkok as a captive. He spent his time in Siam for nearly thirty years and joined the Siamese forces in wars with Burma. In 1805, Anouvong returned to Vientiane to be crowned as the king.

In 1824, Buddha Loetla Nabhalai died and, in the next year, Siam was dragged into conflicts with the British Empire. Anouvong saw this as an opportunity to expose his power. In 1825, returning from the funeral of Buddha Loetla Nabhalai in Bangkok, Anouvong rallied a huge troops. After defeating major Bangkok's vassal principalities along the route, Anouvong captured Korat, the main defensive stronghold of Siam in the northeast. He forced the city to be evacuated while heading down to Saraburi, approaching the capital Bangkok. However, the Korat captives rebelled - said to have been at the instigation of Lady Mo, wife of a ruling noble of Korat - although this claim is countered by many historians who say Mo had no heroic role in the events at Tung Samrit, though a contemporary account did mention her action. As Bangkok began to move its counterstriking troops, Anouvong then decided to return to Vientiane after subsequently being defeated by Thai forces. When he was later captured at Lao-Vietnam border, Rama III had him tortured and publicly humiliated until he died.

Prince Jessadabodindra sent his brother Maha Sakdi Polsep the Front Palace and Sing Singhaseni (at the time styled Phraya Rajsupawadi) to defeat the armies of Anouvong in Isan. Anouvong was defeated and fled to Vietnam. The Siamese captured Vientiane and ordered the evacuation of the city.

In 1827, Prince Jessadabodindra ordered the total destruction of Vientiane. Anouvong returned to Laos with Vietnamese forces. Rajsupawadi led the Siamese to fight and the engagements occurred at Nongkai. Anouvong was defeated again and, after an attempt to flee, was captured. Vientiane was razed to the ground, extinguishing her 200-year prosperity, and ceased to be a kingdom. Anouvong was imprisoned in an iron cage in front of the Suthaisawan Hall and died in 1829.