Maha Sarakham

Originally established in 1865 as a satellite settlement of Roi Et, Maha Sarakham was elevated to provincial status by Bangkok in 1868. The provincial terrain is almost entirely a level plain covered in paddy fields, lying between 130 and 230 metres elevation and watered by the Chi River as it flows east across the Khorat Plateau. The city has historically been called the 'Taxila of Isan' in recognition of its role as a regional seat of learning; Mahasarakham University serves around 41,000 students, and Rajabhat Mahasarakham University adds further academic capacity. The province contains Buddhist heritage sites at Na Dun district, where relics from an ancient town called Champasi date to the 8th–10th centuries and represent an important chapter in Isan's early Buddhist history. Agriculture, primarily rice and cassava, remains the economic backbone of the province.