The Past
Abstract
This chapter explores the modern history of Laos according to three themes: Laos’s distinctive demographics resulting from major military conflicts and resulting mass population movements since the 19th century; the country’s high degree of autonomy and capacity to influence events despite unequal relations and dependency vis-à-vis its neighbours; and modern nationalism building on culturally distinct Lao-Tai linguistic communities, even as Lao governments since the 1950s promoted multi-ethnic identities. The authors briefly survey Laos’s past, considering how these themes have interacted since the pre-colonial era.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies
Vietnamese History and Culture Studies
Cambodian History and Society
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Routledge eBooks
- Pages
- 17–30
- Publication date
- 2 February 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter