Control over regions in Southeast Asia was not as unified as some sources imply. Familiarization with the areas in question is limited to the American researcher. This article will allow gamers to add a little flavor to campaigns conducted in the Southeastern region of Asia. In several cases, the countries will overlap in either years of existence or territory controlled or both.

AYUTTHAYA SIAM DYNASTY

Founded in 1351, in the region known today as Thailand. The kingdom was founded by the Shan, a Sino ethnic group from the Sichuan area of China. They were also known as the Thais and Siamese.

To the north they conducted a long campaign against Sukhothai and the Chiang Mai allies from 1371-1438. Another long war was fought with the Khmer to the east. The Khmer war was finally ended in 1431 when the Thais captured Angkor.

The most persistent enemy were the Burmans of Burma. When the Tailangs or Shan controlled Burma, there tended to be peace between Burma and Thailand. However, whenever the Burmans were in control, they launched campaigns against the Thais.

See the earlier article on their war with the Burmans in the History of Burma articles.

BAI KINGDOMS

Small independent Shan kingdoms near lake Erhai in Yunnan China from 200BC? until 729 AD. Eventually they were united to form the Nan Zhao state. Later after Nan Zhao’s decline the Bai became the dominant faction in the local Dali kingdom.

CHENLA

Located initially in the delta region of the Mekong River. Reportedly being a vassal state of the Funan in 435 AD, they revolted and replaced the Funan as the region’s dominant power by 590 AD. Once independent the original Chenla became known as the Maritime region and the old Funan area as the Upper Chenla region. The areas in some sources are called Water Chenla and Land or Mountain Chenla. They paid frequent tribute to the Chinese. Though in 722 they launched a combined attack with the Champa, Khmer and Dai Viet rebels on Tonkin. In 750 they sent troops to aid in a Chinese expedition against Nan Chao. Their force was defeated which resulted in a weakened country. They then suffered numerous raids to the Srivijaya and other Java raiders in 767 and 774 AD. They were destroyed as a regional power in 799 by the Khmer.

CHAMPA

Located in Southern Viet Nam near Hue in 190 AD Originally it had been a Commandarie of the Han Chinese Empire much like those established in Korea. The Commanding General established his own kingdom while the empire was in decline. At this time local warlords gave nominal alligence to Hue in exchange for military help against rival tribes in the Tokin region. At this time it began to develop an Indian culture for the Malayanese people.

The Han General’s descendants power diminished and the country split into four main powers with each being under a different Warlord’s clan. These regional powers (the Indianized name is in parenthesis) were Quang Nam (Amaravati), Binh Dihn (Vijaya), Nha trang (Kauthara) and Phan Rang (Panduranga). The Cham people were united in 400 AD by a very aggressive king named Bhadravarman. The Champa had long maintained a strong navy and used it to attack the Tonkin area and further north into China proper.

In 446 AD the Chinese launched an invasion of Champa in response to these raids and conquered it. The Chinese held power for a hundred years until a Champa revolt removed them. In the 700s AD Warlords from Java raided the Champa region.

Beginning in the 900s, a serious war broke out with the Dai Viet of Tonkin. By 1000 the Dai Viet had conquered Quang Nam followed swiftly by the fall of Binh Dinh in 1069. The weakened Champa was able to halt the Dai Viet advance but was unable to prevent the invasion and conquest of their country by the Khmer in 1145. The Champa rebelled in 1147 and was actually able to capture and sack the Khymer capital of Angkor in 1177. This loss inspired the Khymer to counter attacked and reconquered Champa in 1190 and control it until 1220.

Though technically a vassal of the Khmer, they allied with the northern Tran to fend off Mongol invasions in 1284 and 1287. The Tran alliance was short lived and the Tran began a serious invasion to the south in 1312 to eliminate the Champa threat.

Control over the Champa land only lasted until 1326 when a revolt wit hChinese support freed the conquered people. The Champa resurgence was spurred by General Che Bong Nga. The Champa was able to regain most of their lost land. They even sacked Hanoi in 1371.

Another Tran campaign in 1390 resulted in a second conquest of the Champa by the Tran. The Tran in an effort to show unity with the conquered southern land moved their capitol from Hanoi south to Thanh Hoa. Champa Warlords frequently attacked the Tran but weakened their positions with attacked with rival Warlords as well. By the mid-1400s the Champa were no longer capable of mounting a ‘Champa’ operation. By the 1700s most Champa had migrated to Siam or Cambodia to escape their traditional Vietnamese enemies.

CHIANG MAI

Located in the Northern region of Thailand along the Ping River from 1282 – 1558.

It arose from the lands previously controlled by the Mon Dynasty of Southern Burma. It was conquered by the Burmese Toungoo in 1588. The a region became a hotly contested area. It had to be controlled by the Burmese prior to any assault against the Thais in Ayutthaya .and the Thais prior to an assault on Burma. In 1774, the Burmese were drove out of the area for the last time. After that time, the Chiang Mai were a semi-independent vassal of the Thai government in Bangkok.

DALI KINGDOM.

A regional power located in the Lake Erthai area of Yunnan China from 1000-1253

A Bai controlled fragment of the Nan Zhao kingdom. They were defeated and occupied by the Mongols in 1253.

DIAN

A Bronze Age culture that existed in Lake Dian region of southern China from 1000 BC. It was conquered by the Chinese in 109 BC. AKA as Tian culture.

DONGSON

A number of minor city states with a Bronze Age culture that existed in an area that stretched from Thailand across Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and into southern China. Most exited from 500 BC until 100 BC. Most of the tose small towns in China, and Vietnam were conquered by the Northern Chinese by 111 BC.

DVAR AVATI

A ethnic Mon kingdom established in central Thailand along the Chao Phraya river prior to the arrival of the Shan/Thai people. The kingdom was at its strongest about 500 AD. Lost territory to the Srivijaya but was conquered by the Khmer in about 900 AD.

FUNAN

Located in the upper Mekong River region from about 50 AD until about 590 AD.

They were regarded as the first major Indianized power in Southeast Asia. At their height of power, they controlled land in southern Burma, southern Thailand, Cambodia and western and southern Vietnam. They had a number of vassal states and often launched campaigns to maintain control over them. They reportedly conducted campaigns against ten kings of various city states. While often at odds with the Chinese dominated area of Tonkin, they refused to aid Champa requests for aid against Tonkin in 431. They sufferd raids from the Srivijaya and most believe were overthrown by Chenla revolts around 590 AD. Several small successor states were created out of the Funan territory including Chenla, To Ho Lo, Sang Kao and To Yuan.

HARIPUNJAYA

A ethnic Mon kingdom established in the Lamphun region of northern Thailand prior to the arrival of the Shan/Thai people. The kingdom was at its strongest about 500 AD. It eastern territories were conquered by the Khmer in about 900 AD. They were finally destroyed as a local power by the Lan Na in 1200 AD.

KAMBUJA (AKA KHMER KINGDOM)

Located in Cambodia with its capital being Angkor from 802 AD-1432. The Khmer dominance began as the weak kingdoms of Funan and Chenla. The unification under Jayavarman is set at 802. The Khmer expanded their power with numerous powers with their neighbors. In the process they established control over a number of vassal states which lasted a variable amount of time. Their peak of power is often dated as being during the 1100s. The Khmer power extended from northern Thailand in the west to the northern Tokin area of Vietnam in the east.

Civil Wars dominated the 1200s and 1300s which weakened the Khmer state. Even though in 1373 the Khmer invaded Siam but were defeated.

It now became the Khmer’s turn to become vassals of either the Siam/Thais or the Vietnamese. Angkor was sacked by the Siamese in 1385, 1417, 1431 and 1444. They moved their capital to Ohnom Penh but it too was sacked by the Siamese in 1473.

KUN-MING

Hill tribes located in extreme Southern China from 300 BC – 100BC. May be ancestors of the Shan that migrated to Burma and Thailand.

LANNATHAI

Located in northern Thailand. This state emerged in 1240, but its independent history ended in 1558, when it fell to the Burmese; thereafter it was aregional vassal stste dominated by Burma and Ayutthaya in turn before falling to Ayutthaya in 1775.

LANKASUKA

A major tribal group in the Malay Peninsula in 700 AD. Conquered by Srivijaya before 800 AD

LAN XANG KINGDOM

Located in Laos on the Khorat Plateau and along the upper Mekong valley from 1353-1713 The Khmer of Angkor established a Vassal buffer state under the control of Fa Ngum. He ruled between 1353 and 1371 and proved to be both a great warrior and able administrator. He expanded his area of rule to include much of Northern and Eastern Thailand as well as Laos. His son continued his able rule but the country was invaded by the Tonkin area Vietnamese in 1479. In the 1520s the Lan Xang became allies of the Burmese in three wars against the Thais of Ayutthaya. The alliance allowed the Xang to conquer the Chiang Mai who had allied with the Thais.

By the 1560s, the Burmese alliance had collapsed and the Xang lost control of the Chiang Mai region. The Burmese continued the war by invaded the main Lan Xang country in 1565 and 1570. The Burmese pushed their advantage and captured the Xang capital of Vientiane in 1571 or 1572.

Lan Xang continued as a fragmented vassal until it was united in 1637 under Souligna Vongsa. Lan Xang remained stable until Vietnamese intervention during a successor conflict in 1694. Various factions obtained support from foreign countries which resulted into the country being divided in 1701 into Prabang and Vientiane in the north. In 1713 a third kingdom, Champassak was created in the south. The eastern land continued to be controlled by the Vietnamese and the extreme western land by either the Burmese or Thais.

LE EARLY

Located in Northern Viet Nam near Hanoi from 980 – 1009. Founded by Le Hoan.

LE LATER

Located in Northern Viet Nam near Hanoi from 1428 –1778.

Formed by rebel leaders including Le Loi who fought the Chinese warlords. A Central government with most of the regional power controlled by feudal family powers including the Nguyen, Mac, Trinh and Tran. Most of their early campaigns were conducted against the Champa in Southern Viet Nam. The later decades saw a constant civil war between the Nguyen (capital in Hue) and the Trinh (capital in Hanoi). The dynasty ended with the 1771-78 Tay Son Peasant Revolt that cultivated with French intervention as the request of the Nguyen family.

LY EARLY

Located in Northern Viet Nam near Red River Delta from 544 – 603.

Founded by Ly Bon and was a regional power with limited influence on other regions.

LY LATER

Located in Northern Viet Nam near Red River Delta from 1009 – 1225

Founded by Ly Thai To and was also called the Dai Viet. It is considered the first stable dynasty in Viet Nam. It is credited with establishing universal military service requirements. The Ly were frequently at war with the invading Chinese from the north and fending off Champa invasions from the south.The four year Dai Viet-China War from 105.

The Dai Viets were more successful against the Champa and expanded their power with frequent invasions.

MAN VIET

This country was established by the early Vietnamese in Fujian province of southern China. It lasted from 300-100 BC before the some of the Vietnamese began to move further south.

MATARAM/KEDIRI KINGDOM

An Javanese/Indonesian country located in eastern Java who grew to power in about 600 AD and it lasted until l222 AD.

A rival of the Srivijaya kingdom who launched sea borne raids against them, the Chenla and even southern ports controlled by the Chinese. A long war was fought with Srivijaya who defeated them in 755. But a royal marriage merged the two rivals by 860 AD. Mataram maintained its independence but began to focus its economy on agriculture rather than sea trade which remained controlled by Srivijaya.

Kediri a local town started a civil war and overthrew Mataram in 928 and started a new series of sea borne raids against Srivijaya which again developed into a long war. The Kediri dominated kingdom collapsed in 1016 either due to an invasion or natural disaster.

In 1050 a regional power was established in the same location but the people of eastern Java remained in a civil war that lasted 200 years. Finally in 1222, the rival town of Singosari destroyed the last vestiges of Kediri/Mataram power.

MON BURMA

Also called the Tailings forced into the lower delta region Originally migrated from western China. They were related to the Mongols. See the earlier article on them in the History of Burma articles.

NAN ZHAO or NAN CHAO

Located in Yunnan region of China from 729 AD until 1253.

The kingdom was founded by the Shan ethnic group from the Sichuan area of China. They were related to the Shan who settle in the mountains of Burma and the Thais who established Ayutthana. Formed from the united of six local Bai tribal powers under Pi-Lo-Ko. A capital was established at Dai. Their location allowed them to dominate the trade routes between China- Burma- India and the Mekong and Vietnam regions.

Immediately they allied with the Chinese to fend off Tibetan expansion. Later, China attacked with four armies against their easily defendable capital in 751 and 754 but were repulsed. The Nan Zhao attempted to expand their power into Burma by invading 832 and Vietnam in 862. Both invasions met with only limited success. They were unable to hold onto their gains.

These campaigns weakened the nation that declined in power until it was only a shell of its former glory. By the time the Mongols conquered it in 1253, it had became only a regional power known as Dali.

PAGAN KINGDOM

A Tibeto-Burman power. See the earlier article on them in the History of Burma articles.

PAN PAN

A major tribal group in the central Malay Peninsula in 700 AD. They were located between the Tun His and the Chi’ih Tu.

SHAN BURMA

A nountain power related to the Thais and Chinese of Nan Zhao. See the earlier article on them in the History of Burma articles.

SINGOSARI-MAJAPAHIT KINGDOM

An Javanese/ Indonesian country located in eastern Java who grew to power in about 1222 AD and it lasted until 1518 AD. At the height of its power it controlled all of Indonesia and Malyasia. (Historians from rival cities maintain that they actually only controlled parts of several key islands.) After years of civil war in 1222 the rival town of Singosari destroyed Kediri/Mataram and established their own kingdom. They quickly expanded control over the islands of Madura, Bali, numerous smaller islands and even conquered part of southern Sumatra.

A brief civil war between 1289-1300 saw Yuan china-Mongol intervention to aid a faction. The Mongol supported faction won but soon turned on their allies and drove the Mongols out of the country. The capital of the kingdom shifted at about this time to Majapahit. As Majapahit the kingdom expanded into an empire.

In 1377 several of the Srivijayan cities were vassals of Majapahit. They rebelled but were easily defeated. A succession civil war soon broke out and lasted until 1406 but the Empire lost its control over most of the rival towns. Now only a local power the Majapahit city was crushed in 1518 by a rival Sultan.

SRIVIJAYA DYNASTY

Located on the southeastern coast of Sumatra near the Malacca and Sunda Straits.

A major unification effort in the Indonesia islands around 600 AD. It established a capital at Palembang and was noted for dominating trade in the area. By 770 it had expanded it control to include land from the Malay Peninsula to the western part of Java. The city state also ruled over the local forest tribesmen called Orang Asli and controlled the Malaccan pirates Orang Laut (sea people) who provided naval support as vassals in the time of war.

A long war was fought with Mataram whom they defeated them in 755. But a royal marriage merged the two rivals by 860 AD. Mataram maintained its independence but began to focus its economy on agriculture rather than sea trade which remained controlled by Srivijaya. A Kediri controlled Mataram in 928 and started a new series of sea borne raids against Srivijaya which again developed into a long war.

Always more of an economic rather than military power, it suffered a decline in power in the mid-900s when its main customers of China and the Abbasid empire collapsed into civil war. In 1030 the Chola (India) Empire launched an invasion which resulted in Srivijaya paying tribute to them until 1190. By 1292 the country had broken into eight competing minor successor kingdoms. In 1377 several of the cities were vassals of Majapahit. They rebelled but were easily defeated..

SUKHOTHAI KINGDOM

Located in the region of Thailand/Siam from 1240-1438

Sukhothai was located in north-central Thailand in the Chao Phraya River basin. It was regarded as one of the countries earliest and most important towns. Originally, a vassal of the Khmer kingdom located in Angkor. From 1280-1300, the kingdom expanded its control north into Laos, west to the Andaman Sea and south onto the Malay Peninsula. Many regard the latter 1300s as the high water mark for the country. Conquered by Ayutthaya in 1365 and became a vassal until 1438 when it was absorbed.

TAM BRALINGA

A major tribal group in the Malay Peninsula around 700 AD

TRAN DYNASTY

Located in Northern Viet Nam near the Red River Delta from 1225 – 1400 Conquered the Later Ly dynasty in 1225. They were the main Vietnamese dynasty during the Mongol invasions of 1257, 1284 and 1287. Though the capital was burned during the first invasion, the Tran were able to forge an alliance with the Champa to defeat the later two invasions. The Champa alliance was short lived and the Tran began a serious invasion to the south in 1312 to eliminate the Champa threat once the Mongol threat was stopped.

Control over the Champa land only lasted until 1326 when a revolt freed the conquered people. Another Tran campaign in 1390 resulted in a second conquest of the Champa by the Tran. The Tran in an effort to show unity with the conquered southern land moved their capitol from Hanoi south to Thanh Hoa. In 1400 a powerful local Warlord revolted which caused several other powerful rival families to request Chinese intervention in order to defeat the Warlord.

VYADHAPURA

Located in the Lower Mekong delta from ?230-627 AD. The noble case were ethnic Malays. The lower classes were Polynesian but called Negrito due to their dark skins and frizzy hair. They maintain a strong military and conquered parts of southern Thailand and the Malay peninsula. After 500 they weakened and began to pay tribute to the Khmer in 539 and were conquered by the Khmer in 627 AD.

VIETNAMESE REBELLIONS

The term Viet means Yue in Chinese indicating that the Vietnamese originated in south China . They began migrating further south in 1000 BC.. The first rebellion occurred in the Tonkin region of Vietnam against the Chinese. The rebellion lasted from 39-42 AD. The rebellion was led by two Trung sisters who united various small tribes. The Chinese eventually suppressed it. A second female led rebellion occurred in 248 and its leader was Trieu Au. Three more revolts occurred during the 500s AD but were brutally suppressed.

Ancient to Medieval Southeast Asia Who's Who

Kingdom List (Alphabetical Order)
Kingdom List (Region and Era)
DBA Armies Suitable for Regional Campaigns