FA GHOUM (1316 - 1374 ), founder of and the first king of Lane Xang who created the first unified state of the Lao people.
Fa Ngum was the grandson of Souvanna Khamphong, the last in a long line of loyal rulers of the principality of Muang Swa, later called Luang Prabang. According to the legend, Souvanna Khamphong banished Fa Ngum’s father for having seduced one of Khamphong’s concubines. The family fled to Cambodian capital at Angkor, where he married a Khmer princess.
In about 1350 Fa Ngum and his father raised an army in Cambodia and fought their way through the numerous Lao principalities of the southern and central Mekong River valley, in the course of which his father died. He continued on to the conquest of Xieng Khouanh then, in 1353, took Muang Swa, forced the abdication of Souvanna Khamphong, and proclaimed himself king of expanded kingdom of Lane Xang. Small Lao principalities to the north recognised his suzerainty, but he had to fight to gain the allegiance of the south. His major conquest was of the kingdom of Vientiane. Before his death, his empire extended through virtually the entire area of what was to become Laos, plus the Black River valley of present northern Vietnam and northern and eastern edges of the Khorat Plateau of present Thailand.
During his rule, he introduced Buddhism of the Sinhalese school to Laos. Prabang, Buddha Image which served as the kingdom’s palladium and gave Luang Prabang its new name, was brought from Sri Lanka.
By the last year of his reign, he had become insensitive to growing public dissatisfaction with constant warfare. His ministers finally deposed him in 1373 and exiled him to the principality of Nan in present Thailand. He was succeeded by his son Un Heuan, who ruled as Sam Saen Thai. (Britannica)