Viện cơ mật

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Map showing the institute marked as "5" in South-East corner

The Viện cơ mật or "Secret Institute" (chu Han 院機密, Chinese 機密院, established 1834) was the Privy Council and key mandarin agency of the royal court of Vietnam's final Nguyễn Dynasty at Huế, until the end of the dynasty in 1945.

Privy council of Nguyen Dynasty (Cơ Mật Viện: 機密院).
The headquarter of the Privy council.


Minh Mạng established the Viện cơ mật (Privy Council) along with the Nội Các Viên (Cabinet, Grand Secretariat) as the main agencies of the court's administration. The Privy Council, or Secret Institute, comprised four of the most senior mandarins.[1][2][3]

In 1897 the Resident-Superior of Annam was granted the power to appoint the Nguyễn dynasty Emperors and presided over the meetings of the Viện cơ mật.[4] These moves incorporated French officials directly into the administrative structure of the Imperial Huế Court and further legitimised French rule in the legislative branch of the Nguyễn government.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Vietnam law & legal forum - Volume 3, Issues 25-36 - Page 233 1996 "In 1834 the "Vien Co Mat"" (secret affairs institute) was set up for the first time in the feudal history of Vietnam, comprising four high-ranking mandarins. This was the key agency in the royal court, just besides the king, which was entitled to ..."
  2. ^ The Vietnamese Response to French Intervention, 1862-1874 - Page 55 Mark W. McLeod - 1991 "... Minister of Public Office (Thuong thu Bo Lai) as well as his membership in the emperor's Privy Council (Co mat vien)"
  3. ^ The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and ... - Page 757 Spencer C. Tucker - 2011 "At the capital of Hue, Minh Mang established the Noi Cac Vien (Grand Secretariat) and the Co Mat Vien (Privy Council). The rest of the bureaucracy was also re- organized with the creation of a nine-rank mandarin corps. It was also under Minh
  4. ^ a b Trần Gia Phụng. Trung Kỳ Dân biến 1908. Toronto, Canada, 2008. Pages: 35-40.