Nguyễn lords

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Nguyễn lords 主阮 Chúa Nguyễn
1558–1777
Heirloom seal (from 1709)
Map showed the division of Vietnam territory among Nguyễn lords(green), Trịnh lords(pink), Mạc rulers (pink) and Champa (yellow) in the Lê–Mạc War.
Capital	Phú Xuân
Common languages	Vietnamese
Religion	Neo-Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism
Government	Feudal dynastic hereditary military dictatorship
Lords
• 1558–1613	Nguyễn Hoàng (first)
• 1765–1777	Nguyễn Phúc Thuần
• 1776–1777	Nguyễn Phúc Dương
History
• Established	1558
• Disestablished	1777
Currency	Copper-alloy and zinc cash coins
Preceded by Succeeded by Revival Lê dynasty Mạc dynasty Tây Sơn dynasty

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The Nguyễn lords (Vietnamese: Chúa Nguyễn, 主阮; 1558–1777),^[a] 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.^[2]

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.^[3][4] 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.^[5]

The Nguyễn–Trịnh alliance[]

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, 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 in Hanoi.

Rising tensions[]

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.

Japanese merchant pay tribute to chief mandarin at Governor house of Quang Nam in Hoi An, late 17th century

Japanese merchant pay tribute to Nguyễn lords at private mansion in Phú Xuân, late 17th century

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.^[6]

The main gate of Phu Xuan citadel

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.^[7] 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.^[8]

Trousers and tunics on the Chinese pattern in 1774 were ordered by the Vo Vuong Emperor to replace the sarong type Vietnamese clothing.^[9] 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).^[10] Pants were mandated by the Nguyen in 1744 and the Cheongsam Chinese clothing inspired the Ao Dai.^[11] Chinese clothing started having an impact on Vietnamese dress in the Ly dynasty. The current Ao Dai was introduced by the Nguyen Lords.^[12] Cham provinces were seized by the Nguyen Lords.^[13] Provinces and districts originally belonging to Cambodia were taken by Vo Vuong.^[14][15]

Wars over the south[]

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

The soldiers of Nguyen lord, painting by Japanese

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.^[16] 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.^[17]

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[]

Southern Vietnamese people live in territory of Nguyễn

In 1771 as a result of heavy taxes and defeats^{[citation needed]} 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

18th and 19th-century Vietnamese vessels were built based on French model

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.^[18]

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[]

• Nguyễn Kim: he is the founder of Nguyen lords but he never claimed himself as Nguyen Lord, hence he is not considered as the first Nguyen Lord
• Nguyễn Hoàng 1558–1613: the first Nguyen Lord
• Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên 1613–1635
• Nguyễn Phúc Lan 1635–1648
• Nguyễn Phúc Tần 1648–1687
• Nguyễn Phúc Thái 1687–1691
• Nguyễn Phúc Chu 1691–1725
• Nguyễn Phúc Thụ 1725–1738
• Nguyễn Phúc Khoát 1738–1765
• Nguyễn Phúc Thuần 1765–1777
• Nguyễn Phúc Dương 1776–1777 (co-ruled with Nguyễn Phúc Thuần)

Family tree[]

See also[]

• List of Vietnamese dynasties
• Nguyen, the surname

Notes[]

Citations[]

References[]

External links[]

• Vietnamese trade with Japan

Coordinates: 16°28′N 107°36′E / 16.467°N 107.600°E / 16.467; 107.600