Middle Years
The kingdom of Lan Xang, made up of diverse Lao, Tai, and ethnic hill tribes, lasted for another 600 years, briefly reaching an even greater extent in the northeast. The principality of Muang Phuan, brought under Lan Xang in the mid-14th century, enjoyed semi-independent status. Fa Ngum's descendants remained on the throne for almost 600 years after his death. They maintained the independence of Lan Xang to the end of the 17th century by a complex network of vassal relations with lesser princes. During this time, they fought off invasions by Vietnamese Emperor Le Thanh Tong, 1478–79, Ayutthaya King Chairacha in 1536, and Burmese King Bayinnaung, 1571–1621.
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Famous quotes containing the words middle years, middle and/or years:
“The middle years of parenthood are characterized by ambiguity. Our kids are no longer helpless, but neither are they independent. We are still active parents but we have more time now to concentrate on our personal needs. Our children’s world has expanded. It is not enclosed within a kind of magic dotted line drawn by us. Although we are still the most important adults in their lives, we are no longer the only significant adults.”
—Ruth Davidson Bell. Ourselves and Our Children, by Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, ch. 3 (1978)
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—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“Parents who want a fresh point of view on their furniture are advised to drop down on all fours and accompany the nine or ten month old on his rounds. It is probably many years since you last studied the underside of a dining room chair. The ten month old will study this marvel with as much concentration and reverence as a tourist in the Cathedral of Chartres.”
—Selma H. Fraiberg (20th century)