King Samsenthai (1373-1416)
King Samsenthai had 5 daughters: Princess Keo Koumari, Anousa, Manora, Souphutta and Siva Yaka.
He also had 6 sons: Three of them (Lan Khamdeng, Sai Tia Kaphut (Vangburi) and Khamtem) born from Princess Keo YotFa of Sri Ayudthaya kingdom. The other three (Kongkeo, Leu-sai and Fa-Kheun) born from Lanna kingdom's princess (Noy Onsa).

King Samsanthai was a peaceful king. During his reign he built many Buddhist temples especially Wat Manorom, Wat Ubosot and Wat ChiangKhan in memory of his beloved daughter (Princess Siva Yaka) who passed away before him.
He also built many schools, libraries and social services departments. He was the first Lao king to create three different national forces but limited their powers over the civilian's authorities - rules. The relationship between Lanxang Kingdom and his father-in-law's Kingdoms (Lanna and Aytthaya Kindoms) were at the peak of the peaceful coexistence. He rules for 43 years without a single conflict with neighboring kingdoms. He dies in 1416 and was 60 years old.

King Lan Khamdeng (1416-1428)
He was the older son of king Samsenthai. He had 2 sons: Prince Phommathat and Prince YuKhon. During his reign, Vietnamese king made a special request to him for some Lao troops to fend off the Chinese aggression. The King then sent thousands of his troops to help Vietnam but somehow those LanXang troops sided with the Chinese troops and turned against the Vietnamese instead.
After the Vietnamese troops defeated the Chinese, they then turned against LanXang Kingdom. The relationship between LanXang and Viet Kingdom were at the lowest point and finally the all-out war between Lao and Vietnamese broke out. Lanxang Kingdom fell into a chaotic situation, and at the same time many princes and the king's family members also fought one another for the throne.
He died in 1428 at the age of 53. He ruled for 12 years.

King Phommathat (1428-1428)
He was an older son of king Lan Khamdeng. He became king for only 10 months. He was beheaded at Pha Dio - Khan River on the osders of his aunt (Nang Keophimpha). According to the Khun Bourom Phongsavadan from Wat Sisaket in Vientiane, her name was Nang Keo KetKaysi and she was a sister of King Samsenthai. After the execution of the king, she then became the most powerful person in LanXang kingdom and no one dared to challenge her absolute authority.

King Pak HouyLuang (1429-1429)
Nang Keophimpha invited prince Khamtem to take the throne (son of king Samsenthai, his mother was Nang Si-Devi or Nang Sida - a daughter of prince muang Xieng Hung). At that time he was Pak HouyLuang's governor.
He ruled for only 5 months and was removed from the throne because he lacked of leadership and was incapable of ruling the kingdom affectively. He then fled to Pak HouyLuang in fear of his life.

King Meun-sai (1429-1430)
His name was Lue-sai, a second son of king Samsenthai. Before taking the throne he was a governor of Muang Kabong, earned the title as king Meun Ban. When he became a king of LanXang, he was named King MeunSai.
He ruled for 6 months but Nang KeoPhimpha was not satisfied with the king's performance and she started to put pressure on the ministers and he followers to eliminate the king. By the time he realized about her plan to assassinate him, it was already too late to escape. He then committed suicide in his XiengThong palace.

King Fa-Khai (1430-1433)
Governor of Muang ChiengKhai and was a grandson of king Samsenthai. (King Fa-Khai's father was Thao Fa Kheun - the younger son of king Samsenthai / Lanna's princess mother)
He ruled for 3 years. He was arrested and killed in 1433, on the orders of Nang KeoPhimpha.

King KoneKham (1434-1434)
Without a king again, the ministers then invited Thao Kongkeo (son of king Samsenthai).
At the time he was a governor of Muang XiengSa and when he became king of LanXang he was named King KoneKham. He ruled LanXang kingdom for 7 months and again was ordered to execute by his aunt, Nang KeoPhimpha.

King YouKhon (1434-1436)
A younger brother of king Phommathat and a second son of King Lan Khamdeng. He ruled for 2 years and found out that Nang KeoPhimpha and her followers was going to kill him so he escaped fron the palace.
Nang KeoPhimpha sent her people after the king. They captured him and she ordered them to execute the king.

King KhamKeut (1436-1438)
Thao Khamkeut was not a member of the royal family. He was recommended by Nang KeoPhimpha to the royal ministers. He fainted and collapsed in his palace and later died. It's believed that he was poisoned by Nang KeoPhimpha.
After the death of king Khamkeut, she finally mounted the throne and proclaimed herself a Queen of LanXang but was deposed within a few months by the Council of Ministers. A Prime Minister "Sen-Luang-Xieng-Lor" (her grandnephew), the royal ministers and the people of LanXang had enough of her babaric acts. For the best part of a decade; on her orders; so many kings were deposed and killed. In 1438, unable to tolerate anymore, the royal ministers and the people turned against her. She and her husband were finally executed at Pha-Dieo.

Imterregnum (1438-1441)
The kingdom was without a king but was ruled by two monks.

King Chakaphut PhenPheo (1441-1479)
Prince Sai (Vangburi), before taking the throne, he was a governor of Viengchan (Vientiane). He was a son of king Samsenthai. His mother was Princess Keo YotFa (daughter of the King of Ayudthaya).
He had 7 daughters and 6 sons: Prince Kon Keo, Thengkham, Nhuan, Lakara (Lah Sen Thai), Vixaya Kumara (Visunarat) and Thepha.

During his reign, he also tried to move Prabang statue from Viengchan to Luang Prabang without success. He recued the kingdom from falling futher apart. For once, the kingdom finally lived in peace and harmony. But peace didn't last very long, the Vietnamese troops invaded LanXang kingdom and the all-out war had broken out. It's believed that it was a retaliation of what king Lan Khamdeng (his older brother) did in 1416. He was defeated by the invasion forces and fled with his family to Chiang Khan in 1477.

King's oldest son (Prince Kon Keo) who was appointed as Heir Apparent with the tile of Upparat; continued to fight the enermy to protect his father's kingdom but failed. The Vietnamese invasion forces captured the kingdom in 1479. When he retreated from the capital to regroup in Chiang Khan, his boat capsized in the Mekong river and drowned.
King Chakaphut PhenPheo appointed his second oldest son (prince Thengkham) to take Lao troops to fight the enemy at the mount of Nam Phoun river. Prince Thengkham and his troops fought the Vietnamese fiercely and finally defeated the enemy and drove them out the kingdom in the same year.

King Chakaphut Phenpheo died in Chiang Khan in 1479, he was 64 years old. In a memory of his father and his brother, Prince Thengkham and the people of Lan Xang built a memorial chedi monument. Today it has become Muang Sanakham, (Victory town).

-- To be continued --