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Grant Evans, the Last Century of Lao Royalty 272 REVIEWS Grant Evans, The Last Century of So, first to the book. To begin with, Lao Royalty: A Documentary History. there is an intriguing ambiguity in the Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books, 2009. title that is carried through into the 443 pp. 523 photos. Hardbound: ISBN content. The ‘last century’ of Lao royalty 978-974-9511-66-4 has at least three possible meanings. Since the Lao monarchy came to an end This large, beautifully produced and in 1975 when King Sisavang Vatthana lavishly illustrated book brings to life abdicated, and this volume purports to the all-but-forgotten Lao monarchy be ‘a documentary history’, the most through more than 500 photographs obvious reading would be that the ‘last and dozens of descriptions, reports, century’ refers to the period from 1875 letters and interviews with surviving to 1975. Since the book begins with members of the former royal family. the return in 1888 of King Ounkham to The photographs have been assiduously Luang Phrabang after it had been sacked collected over several years, and many the previous year by Tai and Chinese of the documents have been translated bandits, the ‘last’ century would actually from French and Lao by their compiler. cover just a ‘short’ century from 1888 To set the context for the photographs to 1975. Or the last century could refer and documents, Grant Evans provides to Lao royalty during the twentieth a longish introduction. Apart from its century, which is what it is mostly about. value to historians and anyone interested Or the last century could date from the in the history of Laos, the book should book’s publication, extended to cover appeal immensely to the worldwide Lao the ‘long’ century from 1888 to the diaspora, nostalgic for the kingdom they present. This last alternative is not as once knew. unlikely as would at first appear, since An anthropologist turned historian, Evans includes a recent interview with Evans is one of the finest scholars the pretender to the Lao throne, whom he working on Laos today, with several describes as being ‘in waiting’, and ends books to his name. He is particularly with an account of how commemorative interested in how cultural and religious rituals are performed for the royal family symbols and rituals are constructed to this day. and used for political ends; on the face The book is divided into 16 sections, of it, this book reflects those interests. arranged in part chronologically and His presentation, however, invites a in part thematically. They begin with number of questions. This brief review the transfer of sovereignty over Lao concentrates on just two. The first is: territories east of the Mekong from Siam what sort of message does this book to France, as seen through colonialist have for a reader? The second is: how French eyes, followed by two sections is a reader to understand the historical covering the ‘Main Palace’ during role of the monarchy in Laos? the reign of King Sisavang Vong (1885–1959; reigned 1904–1959), Journal of the Siam Society, Vol. 98, 2010 REVIEWS 273 and the ‘Front Palace’ personified by on Prince Boun Oum) and Xiang Prince Phetsarath (1890–1959). These Khuang, and to the political activities two institutions refer to the king and of the princely half-brothers, Souvanna the ouparat or viceroy, a position that Phouma and Souphanouvong. King Chulalongkorn abolished in Siam, Four sections follow whose rationale but which lived on in Luang Phrabang seems to be that they reveal the in an hereditary form until 1920, personalities and activities of kings and when Phetsarath’s father died. It then princes in a positive light. One section is lapsed, only to be resuscitated in 1941 devoted entirely to the art of embroidery when Phetsarath was appointed to the in gold thread, apparently singled out position. because it is traditionally performed by The political pas de deux of Sisavang the ladies of the extended royal family. Vong and Phetsarath was critical in Other arts wholly or partly dependent shaping the future of Laos during the on royal patronage are ignored, such as turbulent years from the Japanese coup Lao classical dance, puppetry, sculpture, de force of March 1945 until the country wood carving and the decorative arts obtained full independence from France as applied in the royal monasteries and in October 1953. Evans devotes a section the palace. to this period when the monarchy was One section is devoted to the important challenged by the nationalist Lao Issara, ritual and religious role of the monarchy, led by Phetsarath. The relationship the disappearance of which Evans, the between the two men is discussed later anthropologist, clearly regrets. And the in this review. Suffice it here to note that reader can sympathise, in comparing while Phetsarath declared the unification the New Year ceremonies of 1953 of Laos as an independent state, the king described by Henri Deydier with what favoured the return of the French. remains of them today in the Lao The next section, subtitled ‘The People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). Making of a National Monarchy’, is Next come royal portraits presented in devoted to royal travels, both internally the form of interviews by Evans of five and internationally, which Evans members of the royal family, including interprets as having established the Prince Soulivong, grandson of King legitimacy of the king as head of state Sisavang Vatthana and pretender to the in the eyes of all Lao. The following Lao throne; and royal weddings, which section covers the rule of King Sisavang Evans presents as nationally unifying Vatthana (subtitled ‘Ruling through public spectacles. While the interviews Righteousness’). This subtitle, like that (some of which could have been edited) of the previous section, is indicative of reveal the homely side of the Luang the sympathetic treatment Evans accords Phrabang monarchy, the weddings the monarchy throughout the book. displayed both wealth and status—as Subsequent sections are devoted to the most Lao weddings do. royal families of Champasak (focusing Journal of the Siam Society, Vol. 98, 2010 274 REVIEWS The two brief concluding sections tell he admits this is unlikely. the story of the imprisonment and death There is, however, a downside to of King Sisavang Vatthana, his only monarchy that Evans does not examine, queen (his father had had 11) Khamphui, which has to do with how the example and Crown Prince Vong Savang at the of hereditary privilege reinforces social hands of the new communist rulers, who status and hierarchy and so limits refused for years to admit they were (or even prevents) social mobility. dead; and the revival of commemorative This was certainly the case in Laos, rituals for King Sisavang Vong in Luang where the heads powerful aristocratic Phrabang, and their performance by families monopolised political power, members of the royal family in France. mostly for their own benefit and at the The future of the Lao monarchy is thus expense of the nation. King Sisavang permitted to remain open. Vatthana might admonish them for The reader certainly comes away corruption and be frugal in his own from this book with a more rounded habits, but he also endorsed their picture of the Lao royal families, from activities by presenting them with noble their personal lives (no whiff of scandal titles. The very existence of monarchy noted, except that some failed to marry underwrote their hereditary position in ethnic Lao spouses) to their ritual a firmly entrenched social hierarchy, obligations and their political roles, which the unscrupulous and greedy which they performed with dignity. were able to exploit. Furthermore, in In his introduction Evans absolves the a hierarchical society the relationship Lao monarchy of virtually all criticism between monarchy and democracy is (though to be fair, not all of the often problematic. Recall that to relegate documents he includes are entirely monarchy to a purely constitutional role laudatory). No character flaws or political took centuries in England. misjudgements are discussed. Criticism There is, by the way, a justification by the Lao Issara of the political role for having a king as head of state in played by Sisavang Vatthana, when he a Theravada Buddhist country, which was Crown Prince, is brushed aside with Evans does not make explicitly, but the help of political theory: it is difficult which is implied by his focus on ritual to be a crown prince (as Charles Windsor and religion. Through the concept of would probably agree). Corruption karma, Buddhism accepts that human on the part of Prince Boun Oum is beings are not born equal: some have mentioned to be quickly passed over. more advantages than others because Evans emphasises rather the significant they are more advanced along the ritual role monarchy played in Lao universal path towards Enlightenment. culture and religion. The reader may The social circumstances of rebirth be forgiven for concluding that Evans reflect this, as does social status, which would be happy to see Laos revert to a is accorded to monks and families constitutional monarchy—even though wealthy enough to make considerable Journal of the Siam Society, Vol. 98, 2010 REVIEWS 275 merit through donations to the Sangha. were not constitutional monarchs. Evans Kings stand at the apex of this merit- dates the constitutional monarchy in making social hierarchy, revered, as Laos from 23 April 1946, when King is the King of Thailand, for the merit Sisavang Vong was re-enthroned as made in previous lifetimes in order to be king at the behest of the Lao Issara, reborn into the royal family and become which had deposed him the previous king, as well as for the additional merit October.
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