List of Vietnamese dynasties

Prior to the abdication of Bảo Đại on 30 August 1945 in the aftermath of the August Revolution, Vietnam was ruled by a series of dynasties of either local or Chinese origin. The following is a list of major dynasties in the history of Vietnam.

Background

Naming convention

In Vietnamese historiography, the names of dynasties were usually derived from the family name of the ruling house. For example, the Đinh dynasty (Nhà Đinh; 家丁) is known as such because the ruling clan bore the family name Đinh (丁).

Similar to Chinese dynasties, Vietnamese dynasties would adopt a quốc hiệu (國號; lit. "name of the state") upon the establishment of the realm. However, as it was common for several dynasties to share the same official name, referring to regimes by their official name in historiography would be potentially confusing. For instance, the quốc hiệu "Đại Việt" (大越) was used by the Lý dynasty (since the reign of Lý Thánh Tông), the Trần dynasty, the Later Trần dynasty, the Later Lê dynasty, the Mạc dynasty, and the Tây Sơn dynasty.

In the Vietnamese language, the word for "dynasty" may be written as either nhà (家) or triều (朝). For instance, the Mạc dynasty can be rendered as "Nhà Mạc" (家莫) or "Mạc triều" (莫朝).

Origin of dynasties

Apart from over one millennium of direct Chinese rule, Vietnam was ruled by a series of "local" dynasties, some of which could have their origins traced to China.

The founder of the legendary Hồng Bàng dynasty, Lộc Tục, was recorded as a descendant of the mythical Chinese ruler Shennong.[1]

According to two historical Vietnamese texts, Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (大越史記全書) and Khâm định Việt sử Thông giám cương mục (欽定越史通鑑綱目), Thục Phán of the Thục dynasty was originally a prince of the ancient Chinese State of Shu.[2][3]

The Triệu dynasty, established by Zhao Tuo from the Chinese Qin dynasty,[4][5] was considered an orthodox local regime by traditional Vietnamese historiography. However, modern Vietnamese historians generally regard the Triệu dynasty to be a foreign regime that ruled Vietnam.[6]

The founder of the Early Lý dynasty, Lý Bôn, was descended from Chinese refugees who fled Wang Mang's seizure of power in the final years of the Western Han in China.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

The first emperor of the Lý dynasty, Lý Công Uẩn, could have his paternal bloodline traced to modern-day Fujian, China.[14][15][16][17][18] Lý Công Uẩn's father, Lý Thuần An, escaped to Quanzhou from Hebei after Lý Công Uẩn's grandfather, Li Song, was wrongly accused of treason and executed by the Emperor Yin of Later Han.[19][20]

The origin of the Trần dynasty was traced to modern Fujian, where the ancestor of the Trần imperial clan, Trần Kính, migrated from in the 11th century CE.[21][22] The Later Trần dynasty was ruled by the same imperial clan as the earlier Trần dynasty.

The Hồ dynasty claimed descent from the Duke Hu of Chen, the founder of the ancient Chinese State of Chen.[23][24] The Duke Hu of Chen was in turn descended from the legendary Emperor Shun, who was recognized by Hồ Quý Ly as the progenitor of the Hồ imperial family.[25][26] Accordingly, the Hồ dynasty adopted the official quốc hiệu "Đại Ngu" (大虞; lit. "Great Ngu"); "Ngu" (虞) was derived from the Emperor Shun's lineage name, Youyu (有虞). The Hồ family migrated from present-day Zhejiang, China to Vietnam under Hồ Hưng Dật during the 10th century CE.[20] Rulers of the Tây Sơn dynasty, initially surnamed Hồ, were descended from the same line as the Hồ dynasty.[27]

Champa

See also: King of Champa

Champa (Chăm Pa; 占婆) existed as an independent polity until its annexation by the Nguyễn dynasty in 1832 CE, thereby laying the foundation for the territories of the modern Vietnamese state. The rulers of Champa were of Cham descent, an Austronesian ethnic group distinct from the majority Kinh ethnicity of Vietnam.

There were 15 dynasties in the history of Champa. According to Chinese historical sources, Champa officially used the quốc hiệu "Lâm Ấp" (林邑) from the 1st to 4th dynasties, "Hoàn Vương" (環王) during the 5th dynasty, and "Chiêm Thành" (占城) from the 6th to 15th dynasties.

List of dynasties in Vietnamese history

This list includes the various dynasties in the history of Vietnam, of both local and Chinese origins. Dynasties of China that ruled Vietnam are highlighted in orange. The Triệu dynasty is highlighted in light orange due to its disputed status.

Dynasty		Period of rule			Status[lower-alpha 1]	Rulers
Historiographical name (English / Vietnamese / Hán Nôm)	Official name[lower-alpha 2] (Vietnamese / Hán Nôm)	From	To	Term		Surname	First to rule[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4]	Last to rule[lower-alpha 4]	List
Hồng Bàng dynasty Hồng Bàng thị 鴻龐氏	2879–2524 BCE: Xích Quỷ 赤鬼 2524–258 BCE: Văn Lang 文郎	2879 BCE	258 BCE	2621 years	Royal		Kinh Dương Vương	Hùng Duệ Vương	(list)
Thục dynasty Nhà Thục 家蜀	Âu Lạc 甌雒	257 BCE[lower-alpha 5]	208 BCE[lower-alpha 5]	49 years[lower-alpha 5]	Royal	Khai Minh 開明	An Dương Vương	An Dương Vương	(list)
Triệu dynasty[lower-alpha 6] Nhà Triệu 家趙	Nam Việt 南越	204 BCE	111 BCE	93 years	204–180 BCE; 125–111 BCE: Royal 180–125 BCE: Imperial[lower-alpha 7]	Zhao 趙	Wu of Nanyue	Zhao Jiande	(list)
Western Han[lower-alpha 8][lower-alpha 9] Tây Hán 西漢	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	111 BCE	9 CE	120 years	Imperial	Liu 劉	Wu of Han	Liu Ying	(list)
Xin dynasty[lower-alpha 9] Nhà Tân 家新	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	9 CE	23 CE	14 years	Imperial	Wang 王	Wang Mang	Wang Mang	(list)
Eastern Han[lower-alpha 8][lower-alpha 9][lower-alpha 11] Đông Hán 東漢	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	25 CE	220 CE	192 years[lower-alpha 12]	Imperial	Liu 劉	Guangwu of Han	Xian of Han	(list)
Eastern Wu[lower-alpha 11] Đông Ngô 東吳	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	229 CE	280 CE	45 years[lower-alpha 13]	Imperial	Sun 孫	Da of Eastern Wu	Sun Hao	(list)
Western Jin[lower-alpha 14][lower-alpha 11] Tây Tấn 西晉	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	266 CE	316 CE	41 years[lower-alpha 15]	Imperial	Sima 司馬	Wu of Jin	Min of Jin	(list)
Eastern Jin[lower-alpha 14][lower-alpha 11] Đông Tấn 東晉	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	317 CE	420 CE	103 years	Imperial	Sima 司馬	Yuan of Jin	Gong of Jin	(list)
Liu Song[lower-alpha 11] Lưu Tống 劉宋	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	420 CE	479 CE	59 years	Imperial	Liu 劉	Wu of Liu Song	Shun of Liu Song	(list)
Southern Qi[lower-alpha 11] Nam Tề 南齊	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	479 CE	502 CE	23 years	Imperial	Xiao 蕭	Gao of Southern Qi	He of Southern Qi	(list)
Liang dynasty[lower-alpha 11] Nhà Lương 家梁	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	502 CE	544 CE	42 years	Imperial	Xiao 蕭	Wu of Liang	Wu of Liang	(list)
Early Lý dynasty Nhà Tiền Lý 家前李	Vạn Xuân[lower-alpha 16] 萬春	544 CE	602 CE	58 years	Imperial	Lý[lower-alpha 17] 李	Lý Nam Đế	Hậu Lý Nam Đế	(list)
Sui dynasty[lower-alpha 18] Nhà Tùy 家隋	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	602 CE	618 CE	16 years	Imperial	Yang 楊	Wen of Sui	Gong of Sui	(list)
Tang dynasty[lower-alpha 18] Nhà Đường 家唐	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	618 CE	907 CE	274 years[lower-alpha 19]	Imperial	Li 李	Gaozu of Tang	Ai of Tang	(list)
Wu Zhou[lower-alpha 18] Võ Chu 武周	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	690 CE	705 CE	15 years	Imperial	Wu 武	Wu Zhao	Wu Zhao	(list)
Southern Han[lower-alpha 18] Nam Hán 南漢	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	930 CE	938 CE	8 years	Imperial	Liu 劉	Gaozu of Southern Han	Gaozu of Southern Han	(list)
Ngô dynasty Nhà Ngô 家吳	Tĩnh Hải quân 靜海軍	939 CE	965 CE	26 years	Royal	Ngô[lower-alpha 20] 吳	Tiền Ngô Vương	Nam Tấn Vương and Thiên Sách Vương[lower-alpha 21]	(list)
Đinh dynasty Nhà Đinh 家丁	Đại Cồ Việt 大瞿越	968 CE	980 CE	12 years	Imperial[lower-alpha 22]	Đinh 丁	Đinh Tiên Hoàng	Đinh Phế Đế	(list)
Early Lê dynasty Nhà Tiền Lê 家前黎	Đại Cồ Việt 大瞿越	980 CE	1009 CE	29 years	Imperial[lower-alpha 22]	Lê 黎	Lê Đại Hành	Lê Ngọa Triều Đế	(list)
Lý dynasty Nhà Lý 家李	1009–1054 CE: Đại Cồ Việt 大瞿越 1054–1225 CE: Đại Việt 大越	1009 CE	1225 CE	216 years	Imperial[lower-alpha 22]	Lý 李	Lý Thái Tổ	Lý Chiêu Hoàng	(list)
Trần dynasty Nhà Trần 家陳	Đại Việt 大越	1225 CE	1400 CE	175 years	Imperial[lower-alpha 22]	Trần[lower-alpha 23] 陳	Trần Thái Tông	Trần Thiếu Đế	(list)
Hồ dynasty Nhà Hồ 家胡	Đại Ngu 大虞	1400 CE	1407 CE	7 years	Imperial[lower-alpha 22]	Hồ[lower-alpha 24] 胡	Hồ Quý Ly	Hồ Hán Thương	(list)
Ming dynasty[lower-alpha 25] Nhà Minh 家明	No independent Vietnamese dynastic title[lower-alpha 10]	1407 CE	1427 CE	20 years	Imperial	Zhu 朱	Yongle	Xuande	(list)
Later Trần dynasty Nhà Hậu Trần 家後陳	Đại Việt 大越	1407 CE	1413 CE	6 years	Imperial[lower-alpha 22]	Trần 陳	Giản Định Đế	Trùng Quang Đế	(list)
Primitive Lê dynasty[lower-alpha 26] Nhà Lê sơ 家黎初	Đại Việt 大越	1428 CE	1527 CE	99 years	Imperial[lower-alpha 22]	Lê 黎	Lê Thái Tổ	Lê Cung Hoàng	(list)
Mạc dynasty Nhà Mạc 家莫	Đại Việt 大越	1527 CE	1677 CE	150 years	Imperial[lower-alpha 22]	Mạc 莫	Mạc Thái Tổ	Mạc Kính Vũ	(list)
Revival Lê dynasty[lower-alpha 26] Nhà Lê trung hưng 家黎中興	Đại Việt 大越	1533 CE	1789 CE	256 years	Imperial[lower-alpha 22]	Lê 黎	Lê Trang Tông	Lê Chiêu Thống	(list)
Tây Sơn dynasty Nhà Tây Sơn 家西山	Đại Việt 大越	1778 CE	1802 CE	24 years	Imperial[lower-alpha 22]	Nguyễn[lower-alpha 27] 阮	Thái Đức Đế	Cảnh Thịnh Đế	(list)
Nguyễn dynasty[lower-alpha 28] Nhà Nguyễn 家阮	1802–1804 CE: Nam Việt 南越 1804–1839 CE: Việt Nam[lower-alpha 29] 越南 1839–1945 CE: Đại Nam 大南 1945 CE: Đế quốc Việt Nam 帝國越南	1802 CE	1945 CE	143 years	Imperial[lower-alpha 22]	Nguyễn Phúc[lower-alpha 30] 阮福	Gia Long	Bảo Đại	(list)

Timeline of dynasties in Vietnamese history

Legend:

• Orange denotes local Vietnamese dynasties
• Teal denotes dynasties during the First Chinese domination of Vietnam
• Olive denotes dynasties during the Second Chinese domination of Vietnam
• Green denotes dynasties during the Third Chinese domination of Vietnam
• Pink denotes dynasty during the Fourth Chinese domination of Vietnam

See also

• Dynasty
• East Asian cultural sphere
• Emperor at home, king abroad
• Family tree of Vietnamese monarchs
• History of Vietnam
• Hua–Yi distinction
• List of historical capitals of Vietnam
• List of monarchs of Vietnam
• Names of Vietnam
• Sinicization
• Southern and Northern Dynasties (Vietnam)
• Timeline of Vietnamese history
• Timeline of Vietnam under Chinese rule
• Vietnam under Chinese rule

Notes

1. The status of a dynasty was dependent upon the chief title bore by its monarch at any given time.
2. The official dynastic name, or quốc hiệu (derived from the Chinese equivalent guóhào), functioned as the formal name of the state during the respective period.
3. In the case of Vietnamese dynasties, the monarchs listed were the de facto founders of dynasties. However, it was common for Vietnamese monarchs to posthumously honor earlier members of the family as monarchs. For instance, while the Trần dynasty was officially established by Trần Thái Tông, four earlier members of the ruling house were posthumously accorded imperial titles, the most senior of which was Trần Kinh who was conferred the temple name Mục Tổ (穆祖) and the posthumous name Ý Hoàng Đế (懿皇帝).
4. In the case of Chinese dynasties that ruled over Vietnam, the first and last monarch to rule Vietnam could be different from the founder and the final monarch of the particular dynasty.
5. Alternative sources identify the rule of the Thục dynasty as having started in 208 BCE and ended in 179 BCE, for a length of 29 years.
6. The Triệu dynasty was founded by Zhao Tuo, an ethnic Chinese from the Qin dynasty.[4][5] The dynasty was considered a local regime by traditional Vietnamese historiography, while modern historians usually view the regime as foreign.[6] In Chinese historiography, the dynasty is typically regarded as a regional regime in southern China.
7. While the Emperor Wu of Nanyue and the Emperor Wen of Nanyue claimed imperial title domestically, they adopted royal title when dealing with the Western Han.
8. The Western Han (Tây Hán; 西漢) and the Eastern Han (Đông Hán; 東漢) are collectively known as the Han dynasty (Nhà Hán; 家漢).
9. China's rule over Vietnam under the Western Han, the Xin dynasty, and the Eastern Han (until 40 CE) constitute the First Chinese domination of Vietnam in Vietnamese historiography.
10. During periods of direct Chinese rule, Vietnam naturally did not possess an independent quốc hiệu of its own. Instead, the formal name of the realm would be the respective guóhào adopted by the Chinese dynasty that governed Vietnam at that time.
11. China's rule over Vietnam under the Eastern Han (since 43 CE), the Eastern Wu, the Western Jin, the Eastern Jin, the Liu Song, the Southern Qi, and the Liang dynasty constitute the Second Chinese domination of Vietnam in Vietnamese historiography.
12. The rule of the Eastern Han over Vietnam was interrupted by the rule of the Trưng Sisters between 40 CE and 43 CE.
13. The rule of the Eastern Wu over Vietnam was interrupted by the rule of the Western Jin between 266 CE and 271 CE.
14. The Western Jin (Tây Tấn; 西晉) and the Eastern Jin (Đông Tấn; 東晉) are collectively known as the Jin dynasty (Nhà Tấn; 家晉).
15. The rule of the Western Jin over Vietnam was interrupted by the rule of the Eastern Wu between 271 CE and 280 CE.
16. Dã Năng (野能) was the quốc hiệu adopted by the realm of Đào Lang Vương.
17. As Triệu Quang Phục, surnamed Triệu (趙), was not a member of the Lý (李) clan by birth, his enthronement was not a typical dynastic succession.
18. China's rule over Vietnam under the Sui dynasty, the Tang dynasty, the Wu Zhou, and the Southern Han constitute the Third Chinese domination of Vietnam in Vietnamese historiography.
19. The rule of the Tang dynasty over Vietnam was interrupted by the rule of the Wu Zhou between 690 CE and 705 CE.
20. As Dương Tam Kha, surnamed Dương (楊), was not a member of the Ngô (吳) clan by birth, his enthronement was not a typical dynastic succession.
21. Nam Tấn Vương and Thiên Sách Vương reigned as co-rulers.
22. While Vietnamese rulers used the imperial title of hoàng đế (皇帝; "emperor") domestically, they adopted the royal title of vương (王; "king") or quốc vương (國王; "king of state") when dealing with China—a policy historians have termed "emperor at home, king abroad".
23. Dương Nhật Lễ, surnamed Dương (楊), was an adopted member of the Trần (陳) clan. His enthronement was therefore not a typical dynastic succession.
24. The ruling house of the Hồ dynasty initially bore the surname Hồ (胡). Hồ Liêm later adopted Lê (黎) as the surname. Hồ Quý Ly subsequently restored the surname Hồ after the establishment of the Hồ dynasty.
25. China's rule over Vietnam under the Ming dynasty constitutes the Fourth Chinese domination of Vietnam in Vietnamese historiography.
26. The Primitive Lê dynasty (Nhà Lê sơ; 家黎初) and the Revival Lê dynasty (Nhà Lê trung hưng; 家黎中興) are collectively known as the Later Lê dynasty (Nhà Hậu Lê; 家後黎).
27. The ruling house of the Tây Sơn dynasty initially bore the surname Hồ (胡). Nguyễn (阮) was subsequently adopted as the surname by Thái Đức Đế prior to the establishment of the Tây Sơn dynasty.
28. From 1883 CE to 1945 CE, Nguyễn monarchs nominally ruled over the French protectorates of Annam and Tonkin. In 1945 CE, the last Nguyễn monarch, Bảo Đại, served as the nominal ruler of the Japanese-dominated Empire of Vietnam.
29. While Việt Nam (越南) was the quốc hiệu bestowed on the Nguyễn dynasty by the Jiaqing Emperor of the Qing dynasty, the Nguyễn dynasty used the name Đại Việt Nam (大越南) when it conducted foreign relations with states other than China.
30. The ruling house of the Nguyễn dynasty initially bore the surname Nguyễn (阮). Nguyễn Phúc (阮福) was subsequently adopted as the surname by Nguyễn Thái Tổ prior to the establishment of the Nguyễn dynasty.

References

1. Vu, Hong Lien (2016). Rice and Baguette: A History of Food in Vietnam. ISBN 9781780237046.
2. Taylor (1983), p. 19
3. Asian Perspectives, Volume 28, Issue 1 (1990), p. 36
4. Wicks, Robert (2018). Money, Markets, and Trade in Early Southeast Asia: The Development of Indigenous Monetary Systems to AD 1400. p. 27. ISBN 9781501719479.
5. Walker, Hugh (2012). East Asia: A New History. p. 107. ISBN 9781477265178.
6. Yoshikai Masato, "Ancient Nam Viet in historical descriptions", Southeast Asia: a historical encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor, Volume 2, ABC-CLIO, 2004, p. 934.
7. Taylor (1983), p. 135
8. Walker (2012), p. 134 East Asia: A New History, p. 134, at Google Books
9. Catino (2010), p. 142 The Aggressors: Ho Chi Minh, North Vietnam, and the Communist Bloc, p. 142, at Google Books
10. Kohn (2006), p. 308 Dictionary of Wars, p. 320, at Google Books
11. Coedès (1966), pp. 45–46 The Making of South East Asia at Google Books
12. Lockhart (2010), p. 221 The A to Z of Vietnam, p. 221, at Google Books
13. West (2009), p. 870 Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania, p. 870, at Google Books
14. Le Minh Khai (Liam Kelley Professor of Vietnam History at University of Hawaii at Manoa). The Stranger Kings of the Lý and Trần Dynasties. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2019-10-21.

15. Dream Pool Essays volume 25 Classical Chinese :桓死、安南大亂、久無酋長。其後國人共立閩人李公蘊為主。 — 夢溪筆談 卷25 Chinese Wikisource has original text related to this article: 夢溪筆談/卷25

16. (in Chinese) 千年前泉州人李公蕴越南当皇帝 越南史上重要人物之一
17. (in Chinese) 两安海人曾是安南皇帝 有关专家考证李公蕴、陈日煚籍属晋江安海
18. Lynn Pan (1998). The Encyclopedia of the Chinese Overseas. Harvard University Press. p. 228. ISBN 0674252101.
19. (in Vietnamese) Origin of Lý Thái Tổ
20. "Ethnic origin of Kinh in Vietnam".
21. "Ham sắc, Tô Trung Từ tự hại mình". Retrieved 2017-09-03.
22. "Nhà Trần khởi nghiệp". Retrieved 2017-09-03.
23. K. W. Taylor (9 May 2013). A History of the Vietnamese. Cambridge University Press. pp. 166–. ISBN 978-0-521-87586-8.
24. Kenneth R. Hall (2008). Secondary Cities and Urban Networking in the Indian Ocean Realm, C. 1400-1800. Lexington Books. pp. 161–. ISBN 978-0-7391-2835-0.
25. Trần, Xuân Sinh (2003). Thuyết Trần. p. 403. ...Quý Ly claims Hồ's ancestor to be Mãn the Duke Hồ [Man, Duke Hu], founding meritorious general of the Chu dynasty, king Ngu Thuấn's [king Shun of Yu] descendant, created his country's name Đại Ngu...
26. Trần, Trọng Kim (1919). "I.III.XI.". Việt Nam sử lược. Vol.I. Quí Ly deposed Thiếu-đế, but respected [the relationship] that he [Thiếu Đế] was his [Quí Ly's] grandson, only demoted him to prince Bảo-ninh 保寧大王, and claimed himself [Quí Ly] the Emperor, changing his surname to Hồ 胡. Originally the surname Hồ [胡 Hu] were descendants of the surname Ngu [虞 Yu] in China, so Quí Ly created a new name for his country Đại-ngu 大虞.
27. Social Issues in Area Studies Perpectives: Theory and Cases. 2010. p. 112. ISBN 9789797995447.