Somdetch Brhat-Anya Fa Ladhuraniya Sri Sadhana Kanayudha Maharaja Brhat Rajadharana Sri Chudhana Negara (Lao: ສົມເດັດ ພຣະບາດ ອັນຍາ ຟ້າ ລັດທຸຣັນຍາ ສຣີ ສັດຕະນາ ຄະນະຍຸດທາ ມະຫາຣາຊ໌ ພຣະບາດ ຣາຊະທໍຣະນາ ສຣີ ສັດຕະນະ ນະຄອນ), better known as Fa Ngum (Laotian: ຟ້າງູ່ມ [fâː ŋūːm]; 1316 – 1393, born in Muang Sua, died in Nan), established the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang in 1353.
With the support of Jayavarman IX, Fa Ngum returned to Muang Sua with a 10,000 armed men to gain control and consolidate his kingdom.
In 1353, Fa Ngum founded the kingdom of Lan Xang Hôm Khao—"land of one million elephants and a white parasol."
[4] Political turmoil ensued, and Fa Ngum's son Oun Huan also known as Samsènethai, succeeded the throne in 1368.
He was named after the 1376 census, which concluded that he ruled over 300,000 Tais living in Laos; samsèn means, literally, 300,000.
He set up a new administrative system based on the existing muang, nominating governors to each that lasted until it was abolished by the Communist government in 1975.
Disliking the Vietnamese, the Prince dispatched a box of its excrement instead, whereupon the Emperor formed an improbably large 550,000 man army.