Nguyễn lords

The Nguyễn lords (Vietnamese: Chúa Nguyễn; 1558–1777), also known as the Nguyễn clan or House of Nguyễn, were rulers of Đàng Trong (Inner Realm) in Central and Southern Vietnam, as opposed to Đàng Ngoài or Outer Realm, ruled by the Trịnh lords.[1] [lower-alpha 1]

Nguyễn lords

Chúa Nguyễn
1558–1802
Map showed the division of Vietnam territory among Nguyễn lords, Trịnh lords, Mạc rulers and Champa in the civil war.
CapitalPhú Xuân
Common languagesVietnamese
Religion
Neo-Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism
GovernmentMonarchic feudal stratocracy
Lords 
• 1558–1613
Nguyễn Hoàng (first)
• 1778–1802
Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (last)
History 
• Established
1558
• Disestablished
1802
CurrencyVăn
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Revival Lê dynasty
Mạc dynasty
Nguyễn dynasty
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While they recognized and claimed to be loyal subjects of the Later Lê dynasty, they were de facto rulers of Cochinchina. Meanwhile the Trịnh lords ruled northern Vietnam, where the Lê Emperor remained a puppet figure.[2] [lower-alpha 2] [3] They fought a long, bitter war that lasted 45 years that separated Vietnam into two polities for nearly two centuries. After the Tây Sơn wars, their descendants would finally rule over the whole of Vietnam as the Nguyễn dynasty and posthumously elevated their titles to emperors. Their rule consolidated earlier southward expansion into Champa and push into Cambodia.[4] [lower-alpha 3]

The Nguyễn–Trịnh alliance
Main article: Lê–Mạc War

The Nguyen lords traced their descent from a powerful clan originally based in Thanh Hóa Province. The clan supported Lê Lợi in his successful war of independence against the Ming dynasty. From that point on, the Nguyễn were one of the major noble families in Vietnam. Perhaps the most famous Nguyễn from this time was Nguyễn Thị Anh, the queen-consort for nearly 20 years (1442–1459).

In 1527 Mạc Đăng Dung replaced the last Lê emperor Lê Cung Hoàng and established a new dynasty (Mạc dynasty). The Trịnh and Nguyễn lords returned to Thanh Hóa province and refused to accept the rule of the Mạc. All of the region south of the Red River was under their control, but they were unable to conquer Đông Đô for many years. During this time, the Nguyễn–Trịnh alliance was led by Nguyễn Kim; his daughter was married to the Trịnh lord leader, Trịnh Kiểm.

In 1545 Nguyễn Kim was assassinated. One logical successor to the leadership of the Nguyễn-Trịnh alliance was his eldest son, Nguyễn Uông but instead, Uông was killed and Trịnh Kiểm took control. The younger son Nguyễn Hoàng was sent to the far south to administer the newer province of Ô-châu (modern Quảng-bình to Quảng-nam), in what used to be Champa lands. Governing from the new city of Phú Xuân (modern Huế), the Nguyễn lord, under Nguyễn Hoàng, slowly expanded their control to the south while the Trịnh lords waged their war for control over the north of Vietnam.

In 1592 Đông Đô (Hanoi) was captured the last time by the Trịnh army under Trịnh Tùng, and the Mạc Emperor was executed. The next year, Nguyễn Hoàng came north with an army and money to help defeat the remainder of the Mạc forces, but soon afterwards Nguyễn Hoàng refused to obey the orders coming from the new court at Hanoi.

Rising tensions
Main article: Trịnh–Nguyễn War

In 1600, a new Lê emperor took the throne, Lê Kính Tông. The new emperor, like the previous Lê emperors, was a powerless figurehead under the control of Trịnh Tùng. Also, a revolt broke out in Ninh Bình Province, possibly instigated by the Trịnh. As a consequence of these events, Nguyễn Hoàng formally broke off relations with the Court, rightly arguing that it was the Trịnh who ruled, not the Lê emperor. This uneasy state of affairs continued for the next 13 years until Nguyễn Hoàng died in 1613. He had ruled the southern provinces for 55 years.

Hội An port in 18th century

His successor, Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên, continued Nguyễn Hoàng's policy of essential independence from the Court in Hanoi. He initiated friendly relations with the Europeans who were now sailing into the area. A Portuguese trading post was set up in Hội An. By 1615 the Nguyễn were producing their own bronze cannons with the aid of Portuguese engineers. In 1620 the emperor was removed from power and executed by Trịnh Tùng. Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên formally announced that he would not be sending any money to the Court nor did he acknowledge the new Emperor as the Emperor of the country. Tensions rose over the next seven years till open warfare broke out in 1627 with the new leader of the Trịnh, Trịnh Tráng.

The war lasted until 1673 when peace was declared. The Nguyễn not only fought off the Trịnh attacks but also continued their expansion southwards along the coast, though the war slowed this expansion. Around 1620, Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên's daughter married Chey Chettha II, a Khmer king. Three years later, 1623, the Nguyễn formally gained permission for Vietnamese to settle in Prei Nokor, which was later reborn as the city of Saigon.

When the war with the Trịnh ended, the Nguyễn were able to put more resources into pushing suppression of the Champa kingdoms and conquest of lands which used to belong to the Khmer Empire.

The Dutch brought Vietnamese slaves they captured from Nguyễn lord territories in Quảng Nam Province to their colony in Taiwan.[5]

The Nguyen lord Nguyen Phuc Chu had referred to Vietnamese as "Han people" 漢人 (Hán nhân) in 1712 when differentiating between Vietnamese and Chams.[6] The Nguyen Lords established đồn điền after 1790. It was said "Hán di hữu hạn" 漢夷有限 ("the Vietnamese and the barbarians must have clear borders") by the Gia Long Emperor (Nguyễn Phúc Ánh) when differentiating between Khmer and Vietnamese.[7]

Trousers and tunics on the Chinese pattern in 1774 were ordered by the Vo Vuong Emperor to replace the sarong type Vietnamese clothing.[8] The Chinese Ming dynasty, Tang dynasty, and Han dynasty clothing was ordered to be adopted by Vietnamese military and bureaucrats by the Nguyen Lord Nguyễn Phúc Khoát (Nguyen The Tong).[9] Pants were mandated by the Nguyen in 1744 and the Cheongsam Chinese clothing inspired the Ao Dai. [10] Chinese clothing started having an impact on Vietnamese dress in the Ly dynasty. The current Ao Dai was introduced by the Nguyen Lords.[11] Cham provinces were seized by the Nguyen Lords.[12] Provinces and districts originally belonging to Cambodia were taken by Vo Vuong. [13] [14]

Wars over the south
Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam Tien), dark green portions conquered by the Nguyễn lords

In 1714 the Nguyễn sent an army into Cambodia to support Keo Fa's claim to the throne against Prea Srey Thomea (see also, Dark ages of Cambodia). Siam joined in siding with the Prea Srey Thomea against the Vietnamese claimant. At Bantea Meas the Vietnamese routed the Siamese armies, but by 1717 the Siamese had gained the upper hand. The war ended with a negotiated settlement whereby Keo Fa was allowed to take the Cambodia crown in exchange for his allegiance to Siam.[15] For their part, the Nguyễn lords wrested more territory from the weakened Cambodian kingdom.

Two decades later, in 1739, the Cambodians attempted to reclaim the lost coastal land. The fighting lasted some ten years, but the Vietnamese fended off the Cambodian raids and secured their hold on the rich Mekong Delta.[16]

With Siam embroiled in war with Burma, the Nguyễn mounted another campaign against Cambodia in 1755 and conquered additional territory from the ineffective Cambodian court. At the end of the war the Nguyễn had secured a port on the Gulf of Siam (Hà Tiên) and were threatening Phnom Penh itself.

Under a new king Phraya Taksin, the Siamese reasserted its protection of its eastern neighbor by coming to the aid of the Cambodian court. War was launched against the Nguyễn in 1769. After some early success, the Nguyễn forces by 1773 were facing internal revolts and had to abandon Cambodia to deal with the civil war in Vietnam itself. The turmoil gave rise to the Tây Sơn.

The fall of the Nguyễn lords

In 1771 as a result of heavy taxes and defeats in the war with Cambodia, three brothers from Tây Sơn sparked a peasant uprising that quickly engulfed much of southern Vietnam. Within two years the Tây Sơn brothers captured the provincial capital Qui Nhơn. In 1774, the Trịnh in Hà Nội, seeing their rival gravely weakened, ended the hundred-year truce and launched an attack of the Nguyễn from the north. The Trịnh forces quickly overran the Nguyễn capital in 1774, while the Nguyễn lords fled south to Saigon. The Nguyễn fought on against both the Trịnh army and the Tây Sơn, but their effort was in vain. By 1777 Saigon was captured and nearly the entire Nguyễn Phúc family was killed, all except one nephew, Nguyễn Ánh, who managed to flee to Siam.

Nguyễn Ánh did not give up, and in 1780 he attacked the Tây Sơn army with a new army from Siam (he was allied with King Taksin). However, Taksin went insane and was killed in a coup. The new king of Siam, Chulaloke, had more urgent affairs than helping Nguyễn Ánh retake Vietnam and so this campaign faltered. The Siamese army retreated, and Nguyễn Ánh went into exile, but would later return.

Nguyễn foreign relations
Da Nang in painting "Giao Chỉ quốc độ hàng đồ quyển " (交趾国渡航図巻)" of Chaya Shinroku (茶屋新六) in 17th century

The Nguyễn were significantly more open to foreign trade and communication with Europeans than the Trịnh. According to Dupuy, the Nguyễn were able to defeat initial Trịnh attacks with the aid of advanced weapons they purchased from the Portuguese (see Artillery of the Nguyễn lords for more details). The Nguyễn also conducted fairly extensive trade with Japan and China.[17]

The Portuguese set up a trade center at Faifo (present day Hội An), just south of Huế in 1615. However, with the end of the great war between the Trịnh and the Nguyễn, the need for European military equipment declined. The Portuguese trade center never became a major European base (unlike Goa or Macau).

In 1640, Alexandre de Rhodes returned to Vietnam, this time to the Nguyễn court at Huế. He began work on converting people to the Catholic faith and building churches. After six years, the Nguyễn Lord, Nguyễn Phúc Lan, came to the same conclusion as Trịnh Tráng had, that de Rhodes and the Catholic Church represented a threat to their rule. De Rhodes was condemned to death but he was allowed to leave Vietnam on pain of death were he to return.

List of the Nguyễn lords


Preceded by
Mạc dynasty		 Ruler of southern Vietnam
1533–1777		 Succeeded by
Tây Sơn dynasty

Family tree
Nguyễn lords family tree
Nguyễn Kim
Ngọc Bảo
wife of Trịnh Kiểm		Nguyễn UôngNguyễn Hoàng
Nguyễn Phúc HàNguyễn Phúc HánNguyễn Phúc ThànhNguyễn Phúc DiễnNguyễn Phúc HảiNguyễn Phúc NguyênNguyễn Phúc HợpNguyễn Phúc TrạchNguyễn Phúc Khê
Nguyễn Phúc VệNguyễn Phúc TuyênNguyễn Phúc TuấnNguyễn Phúc KỳNguyễn Phúc LanNguyễn Phúc ÁnhNguyễn Phúc TrungNguyễn Phúc TứNguyễn Phúc Diệu
? (name is unknown)Nguyễn Phúc TầnNguyễn Phúc Thăng
Nguyễn Phúc DiễnNguyễn Phúc TrănNguyễn Phúc Hiệp
Nguyễn Phúc ChuNguyễn Phúc Trinh
Nguyễn Phúc TrúNguyễn Phúc TứNguyễn Phúc ĐiềnNguyễn Phúc Phong
Nguyễn Phúc KhoátNguyễn Phúc Nghiêm
Nguyễn Phúc ChươngNguyễn Phúc LuânNguyễn Phúc VănNguyễn Phúc ChíNguyễn Phúc HiệuNguyễn Phúc Thuần
Nguyễn Phúc CaoNguyễn Phúc ĐồngNguyễn Phúc ÁnhNguyễn Phúc MânNguyễn Phúc ĐiểnNguyễn Phúc Dương

Notes:

    Reference:
    Tran Trong Kim (2005). Việt Nam sử lược (in Vietnamese). Ho Chi Minh City: Ho Chi Minh city General Publishing House. p. 328.

    Notes
    1. Taylor, p. 170 "The "Kingdom of Cochinchina" was the polity of the Nguyễn lords (chúa), who had become the more and more independent rivals of the Trịnh lords of the north — if not of the Lê emperors whose affairs the Trịnh lords managed.."
    2. Pelley, p. 216 "This fragmentation became more pronounced in the mid-sixteenth century when a distinctly bifurcated pattern of politics arose, with the Trịnh lords in the North and the Nguyễn lords in the South."
    3. Hardy, p. 61 "Vietnam's southward expansion as it took place before the period of the Nguyễn Lords ..."

    Citations
    1. Taylor, p. 170.
    2. Pelley, p. 216.
    3. Chapuis, p. 119ff.
    4. Hardy, p. 61.
    5. Mateo, p. 125.
    6. Wong Tze Ken.
    7. Choi Byung Wook, p. 34.
    8. Reid, p. 90.
    9. Werner, p. 295.
    10. Ao Dai.
    11. Vietnamese Ao Dai.
    12. Bridgman, p. 584.
    13. Coedes (1966), p. 213.
    14. Coedes (2015), p. 175.
    15. Kohn, p 445.
    16. Aung-Thwin, p. 158.
    17. Khoang, pp. 414–425.
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    gollark: They aren't intuitive, really. Voice makes you EXPECT you can talk to it in a normal human-ish way, except voice assistants are really limited and will trip over on anything complex.

    References
    "Ao Dai". Vietnam Online. Vietnam Online.com. 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
    Aung-Thwin, Michael Arthur; Hall, Kenneth R. (13 May 2011). New Perspectives on the History and Historiography of Southeast Asia: Continuing Explorations. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-81964-3.
    Bridgeman, Elijah Coleman; Williams, Samuel Wells (1847). The Chinese Repository. Proprietors.
    Chapuis, Oscar (1995). A History of Vietnam: From Hong Bang to Tu Duc. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313296222. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
    Choi Byung Wook (2004). Southern Vietnam Under the Reign of Minh Mạng (1820–1841): Central Policies and Local Response. SEAP Publications. ISBN 978-0-87727-138-3.
    Coedes, George (1966). The Making of South East Asia. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-05061-7.
    Coedes, George (2015). The Making of South East Asia (RLE Modern East and South East Asia). Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-317-45094-8.
    Dupuy, R. Ernest and Trevor N. The Encyclopedia of Military History. Harper & Row.
    Hardy, Andrew David; Cucarzi, Mauro; Zolese, Patrizia (2009). Champa and the Archaeology of Mỹ Sơn (Vietnam).
    Khoang, Phan (2001). Việt sử xứ Đàng Trong (in Vietnamese). Hanoi: Văn Học Publishing House.
    Kohn, George Childs (1999). Dictionary of Wars Revised Edition. Facts On File, Inc.
    Mateo, José Eugenio Borao (2009). The Spanish Experience in Taiwan 1626–1642: The Baroque Ending of a Renaissance Endeavour (illustrated ed.). Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 978-9622090835.
    Pelley, Patricia M. (2002). Postcolonial Vietnam: New Histories of the National Past.
    Reid, Anthony (9 May 1990). Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce, 1450–1680: The Lands Below the Winds. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-04750-9.
    Taylor, Keith Weller and John K. Whitmore (1995). Essays Into Vietnamese Pasts.
    "Vietnamese Ao Dai: From Dong Son Bronze Drum to Int'l Beauty Contests". VIETNAM BREAKING NEWS. Vietnam Breaking News. 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
    Werner, Jayne; Whitmore, John K.; Dutton, George (21 August 2012). Sources of Vietnamese Tradition. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-51110-0.
    Wong Tze Ken, Danny (2004). "Vietnam-Champa Relations and the Malay-Islam Regional Network in the 17th–19th Centuries". Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 17 June 2004. Retrieved 4 July 2019.

    See also

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