Nguyen dynasty

"Dai Nam" redirects here. For other uses, see Dai Nam (disambiguation).

Nguyễn Dynasty 阮朝
Kingdom, Empire
← 1802–1945 →
Vietnamese Nguyen Dynasty Flag
Anthem Đăng Đàn Cung
Capital	Phú Xuân
Language(s)	Vietnamese, French (after 1887)
Religion	Neo-Confucianism
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
- 1802-1820	Gia Long
History
- Coronation of Gia Long	June 1, 1802
- Colonization of Cochinchina	September 1, 1858
- Japanese occupation	September 22, 1940
- Abdication of Bao Do	August 30, 1945

The Nguyễn Dynasty (Vietnamese: Nhà Nguyễn; Hán Việt: 阮朝, Nguyễn triều) was the last ruling family of Vietnam. Their rule lasted a total of 143 years. It began in 1802 when Emperor Gia Long ascended the throne after defeating the Tây Sơn Dynasty and ended in 1945 when Bảo Đại abdicated the throne and transferred power to the State of Vietnam. During the reign of Emperor Gia Long, the nation officially became known as Việt Nam (越南), but from the reign of emperor Minh Mạng on, the nation was renamed Đại Nam (大南, literally "Great South"). Their rule was marked by the increasing influence of French colonialism; the nation was eventually partitioned into three, Cochinchina became a French colony while Annam and Tonkin became protectorates which were independent in name only.

Origins

For more information, see Nguyễn Lords and Trịnh Lords.

History of Vietnam

Hồng Bàng Dynasty prior to 257 BC Thục Dynasty 257–207 BC Triệu Dynasty 207–111 BC First Chinese domination 111 BC–39 AD Trưng sisters 40–43 Second Chinese domination 43–544 Early Lý Dynasty 544–602 Third Chinese domination 602–905 Autonomy 905–938 Ngô Dynasty 939–967 Đinh Dynasty 968–980 Early Lê Dynasty 980–1009 Lý Dynasty 1009–1225 Trần Dynasty 1225–1400 Hồ Dynasty 1400–1407 Fourth Chinese domination 1407–1427 • Later Trần Dynasty 1407–1413 Later Lê Dynasty (Early Lê) 1428–1527 Mạc Dynasty 1527–1592 Later Lê Dynasty (Restored Lê) 1533–1788 • Trịnh Lords 1545–1787 • Nguyễn Lords 1558–1777 Tây Sơn Dynasty 1778–1802 Nguyễn Dynasty 1802–1945 • French imperialism 1887–1954 Partition 1954–1975 • Democratic Republic (North) 1945–1976 • State of Vietnam (South) 1949–1955 • Republic of Vietnam (South) 1955–1975 Socialist Republic from 1976 Related topics Champa Dynasties 192–1832 List of Vietnamese monarchs Economic history of Vietnam Prehistoric cultures of Vietnam v · d · e

Lê Lợi's tortoise-borne memorial stele

The Nguyễn family had been one of the major families in Vietnamese history, dating back to the days of the Hero–Emperor Lê Lợi. Due to a civil war and the weakness of the Later Lê Dynasty, the Nguyễn and the Trịnh (another of the major families) joined together in opposition to the Mạc. Nguyễn Kim, the leader of this alliance, was assassinated in 1545 by a servant of the Mạc. Kim's son-in-law Trịnh Kiểm, took over the alliance because Kim's sons were too young. In 1558, Nguyễn Hoàng, the eldest son of Nguyễn Kim was given lordship over the southern, newly conquered provinces of Vietnam. He ruled from the city of Huế for the rest of his life and established the dominion of the Nguyễn Lords in the southern part of the country. While the Nguyễn Lords, like the Trịnh, paid tribute to the Lê Emperor, the reality was they ruled, not the king. Nguyễn Hòang and his successors continually expanded their territory by making Kampuchea a protectorate, and by invading Laos, Champa and many small countries in the area. The Nguyễn lords styled themselves as "lord" (Chúa in Vietnamese).

Birth of the dynasty

It was Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên (or Lord Sãi), Nguyễn Hoàng's son, who started the Nguyễn Phúc family name. 200 years later, Nguyễn Phúc Khoát was the first ruler of the line who styled himself King (Vương in Vietnamese), as the Trịnh Lords began to do so in the North. Nguyễn Phúc Ánh finally united Vietnam for the second time in 300 years. He started a dynasty and styled himself Emperor (Viet: Hoàng Đế) Gia Long. After Gia Long, other rulers of the dynasty would soon run into problems with Catholic missionaries and, subsequently, the involvement of Europeans in Indochina. His son Minh Mang was then faced with the Le Van Khoi revolt, when native Christians and their European clergy tried to overthrow him and install a grandson of Gia Long who had converted to Roman Catholicism. This was only the start as frequent revolts were launched by the missionaries in an attempt to Catholicize the throne and the country.

Emperors Minh Mạng, Thiệu Trị and Tự Đức, were opposed to French involvement in the country and tried to reduce the growing Catholic community in Vietnam at that time. The imprisonment of missionaries who had illegally entered the country was the primary pretext for the French to invade and occupy Indochina. Much like what had occurred in Qing China, there were also numerous incidents involving other nations (European) during the 19th century.

The last Nguyễn Emperor to rule with complete independence was Tự Đức. After his death there was a succession crisis as the regent Ton That Thuyet orchestrated the murders of three emperors in a year. This allowed the French to take direct control of the country and eventually gain complete control of the monarchy. All emperors since Đồng Khánh were chosen by the French and had only a symbolic position.

Western imperialism

Further information: Colonization of Cochinchina, Cochinchina campaign, Tonkin campaign, Sino-French war, Truong Dinh, and Union of Indochina

Napoleon III took the first steps to establishing a French colonial influence in Indochina. He approved the launching of a naval expedition in 1858 to punish the Vietnamese for their mistreatment of European Catholic missionaries and force the court to accept a French presence in the country. An important factor in his decision was the belief that France risked becoming a second-rate power by not expanding its influence in East Asia. Also, the idea that France had a civilizing mission was spreading. This eventually led to a full-out invasion in 1861. By 1862 the war was over and Vietnam conceded three provinces in the south, called by the French Cochinchina, opened three ports to French trade, allowed free passage of French warships to Kampuchea (which led to a French protectorate over Kampuchea in 1863), allowed freedom of action for French missionaries and gave France a large indemnity for the cost of the war. France did not however intervene in the Christian-supported Vietnamese rebellion in Bắc Bộ, despite the urging of missionaries, or in the subsequent slaughter of thousands of Christians after the rebellion, suggesting that although persecution of Christians was the prompt for the intervention, military and political reasons ultimately drove colonialism in Vietnam.

France completely conquered the Vietnamese in 1887 and promoted the further occupation and development of the Mekong Delta region by the Vietnamese. The Nguyễn Dynasty still ruled nominally the French protectorate of Annam. France added new ingredients to the cultural stew of Vietnam. The French added Catholicism and a writing system based upon Latin letters. The spelling used in this transliteration of Vietnamese surprisingly was Portuguese because the French relied upon a dictionary compiled earlier by a Portuguese cleric.

World War I

Main article: Vietnam during the Great War

Flag of the Dynasty, 1890–1920; same as a flag of South Vietnam.

While seeking to maximize the use of Indochina's natural resources and manpower to fight World War I, France cracked down on all patriotic mass movements in Vietnam. Indochina, mainly Vietnam, had to provide France with 70,000 soldiers and 70,000 workers, who were forcibly drafted from the villages to serve on the French battlefront. Vietnam also contributed 184 million piasters in the form of loans and 336,000 tons of food.

These burdens proved all the heavier as agriculture was hard hit by natural disasters from 1914 to 1917.

Lacking a unified nationwide organization, the Vietnamese national movement, though still vigorous, failed to take advantage of the difficulties France was experiencing as a result of war to stage any significant uprisings.

Flag of the Dynasty, 1920 – 9 March 1945

In May 1916, the sixteen-year-old king, Duy Tân, escaped from his palace in order to take part in an uprising of Vietnamese troops. The French were informed of the plan and the leaders arrested and executed. Duy Tân was deposed and exiled to Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean.

World War II

Main articles: Vietnam during the Second World War and Empire of Vietnam

Nationalist sentiments intensified in Vietnam, especially during and after the First World War, but all the uprisings and tentative efforts failed to obtain any concessions from the French overseers. The Russian Revolution which occurred at this time had a tremendous impact on shaping 20th century Vietnamese history.

The sequels to the Second World War: For Vietnam, the explosion of World War II on September 1, 1939 was an event as decisive as the French taking of Đà Nẵng in 1858. The Axis power of Japan invaded Vietnam on September 22, 1940, attempting to construct military bases to strike against the Allies in Southeast Asia.

Flag of the Empire of Vietnam, which was a Japanese Puppet state, 9 March 1945 – 30 August 1945

In 1941-1945, a communist resistance movement called the Vietminh developed under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. In March 1945, realizing the allied victory was inevitable, the Japanese overthrew the French authorities in Vietnam, imprisoned their civil servants and proclaimed Vietnam "independent" under Japanese "protection" with Bảo Đại as emperor. Japan surrendered on August 15, triggering a revolt by the Vietminh. After receiving a "request" for his resignation, Bảo Đại, abdicated on August 30 and handed power over to the Vietminh. Bảo Đại was named "supreme counselor" to the new government. Bảo Đại left shortly afterward since he did not agree with the policies of the Vietminh and went into exile in Hong Kong. Following the return of the French in October, the French-Indochina War (1946-1954) was fought between France and the Vietminh.

Succession and Heads of Dynasty

Further information: State of Vietnam and State of Vietnam referendum, 1955

In 1948, the French persuaded Bảo Đại to return as "Chief of State" (Quốc Trưởng) of the "State of Vietnam" (Quốc Gia Việt Nam) set up by France in areas over which it had regained control, while a bloody war with the Viet Minh under Ho Chi Minh continued. Bảo Đại spent much of his time during that conflict enjoying a good life either at his luxurious home in Đà Lạt (in the Vietnamese Highlands) or in Paris, France. This came to end with the French defeat at Điện Biên Phủ in 1954.

After Vietnam was divided into North and South Vietnam, the South Vietnamese prime minister Ngô Đình Diệm, in a referendum claimed by many as to have been manipulated, overthrew Bảo Đại in 1956. Diem then assumed the position of President of the Republic of Vietnam (Việt Nam Cộng Hòa), once more ending Bảo Đại's involvement in Vietnamese affairs — this time permanently.

Bảo Đại went into exile in France, where he died in 1997 and was buried in Cimetière de Passy. Crown Prince Bảo Long succeeded on the death of his father Emperor Bảo Đại as Head of the Imperial House of Vietnam, July 31, 1997.

Nguyễn Dynasty Emperors of Vietnam

Imperial crown of Nguyễn emperors

The following list is the Emperors' era names, which have meaning in Chinese and Vietnamese. For example, the first ruler's era name, Gia Long, is the combination of the old names for Saigon (Gia Định) and Hanoi (Thăng Long) to show the new unity of the country; the fourth, Tự Đức, means "Inheritance of Virtues"; the ninth, Đồng Khánh, means "Collective Celebration".

Emperors of Vietnam 1802–1945

Temple name	Posthumous Name	Personal Name	Reign	Era name	Royal Tomb	Events
世祖 Thế Tổ	開天弘道立紀垂統神文聖武俊德隆功至仁大孝高皇帝 Khai Thiên Hoằng Đạo Lập Kỷ Thùy Thống Thần Văn Thánh Vũ Tuấn Đức Long Công Chí Nhân Đại Hiếu Cao Hoàng Đế	阮福暎 Nguyễn Phúc Ánh	1802–1820	嘉隆 1802–1820 Gia Long	千壽陵 Thiên Thọ lăng	unified the whole country, founder of Vietnam's last dynasty, named the country as Vietnam for the first time
聖祖 Thánh Tổ	體天昌運至孝淳德文武明斷創述大成厚宅豐功仁皇帝 Thể Thiên Xương Vận Chí Hiếu Thuần Đức Văn Vũ Minh Đoán Sáng Thuật Đại Thành Hậu Trạch Phong Công Nhân Hoàng Đế	阮福晈 Nguyễn Phúc Kiểu	1820–1841	明命 1820–1841 Minh Mạng	孝陵 Hiếu Lăng	annexed the remaining of the Champa kingdom, renamed the country Đại Nam, suppress religion
憲祖 Hiến Tổ	紹天隆運至善淳孝寬明睿斷文治武功聖哲章皇帝 Thiệu Thiên Long Vận Chí Thiện Thuần Hiếu Khoan Minh Duệ Đoán Văn Trị Vũ Công Thánh Triết Chượng Chương Hoàng Đế	阮福暶 Nguyễn Phúc Tuyền	1841–1847	紹治 1841–1847 Thiệu Trị	昌陵 Xương Lăng
翼宗 Dực Tông	世天亨運至誠達孝體健敦仁謙恭明略睿文英皇帝 Thể Thiên Hanh Vận Chí Thành Đạt Hiếu Thể Kiện Đôn Nhân Khiêm Cung Minh Lược Duệ Văn Anh Hoàng Đế	阮福時 Nguyễn Phúc Thì	1847–1883	嗣德 1847–1883 Tự Đức	謙陵 Khiêm Lăng
恭宗 Cung Tông	惠皇帝 Huệ Hoàng Đế	— —	1883	育德 1883 Dục Đức	安陵 An Lăng
—	—	阮福昇 Nguyễn Phúc Thăng	1883	協和 1883 Hiệp Hòa	—
簡宗 Giản Tông	紹德志孝淵睿毅皇帝 Thiệu Đức Chí Hiếu Uyên Duệ Nghị Hoàng Đế	阮福昊 Nguyễn Phúc Hạo	1883–1884	建福 1883–1884 Kiến Phúc	陪陵 Bồi Lăng
—	—	阮福明 Nguyễn Phúc Minh	1884–1885	咸宜 1884–1885 Hàm Nghi	Thonac Cemetery, France	was dethroned after 1 year because stratagem piles the West, but continued the rebellion until was captured in 1888 and forced to exile to Africa
景宗 Cảnh Tông	弘烈統哲敏惠純皇帝 Hoằng Liệt Thống Thiết Mẫn Huệ Thuần Hoàng Đế	阮福昪 Nguyễn Phúc Biện	1885–1889	同慶 1885–1889 Đồng Khánh	思陵 Tư Lăng	friendly with the West
—	—	阮福昭 Nguyễn Phúc Chiêu	1889–1907	成泰 1889–1907 Thành Thái	安陵 An Lăng
—	—	阮福晃 Nguyễn Phúc Hoảng	1907–1916	維新 1907–1916 Duy Tân	安陵 An Lăng
弘宗 Hoằng Tông	嗣代嘉運聖明神智仁孝誠敬貽謨承烈宣皇帝 Tự Đại Gia Vận Thánh Minh Thần Trí Nhân Hiếu Thành Kính Di Mô Thừa Liệt Tuyên Hoàng Đế	阮福昶 Nguyễn Phúc Tuấn	1916–1925	啟定 1916–1925 Khải Định	應陵 Ứng Lăng
—	—	阮福晪 Nguyễn Phúc Thiển²	1926–1945	保大 1926–1945 Bảo Đại	Cimetière de Passy, France	restored Vietnamese sovereignty, created the Empire of Vietnam, abdicated and transferred power to the Viet Minh, Vietnamese monarchy came to an end

1. Following the death of Emperor Tự Đức, and according to his will, this Emperor ascended to the throne on 19 July 1883. However, he was dethroned and imprisoned three days later, after being accused of deleting one paragraph from Tự Đức's will. He had no time to announce his dynastic title (era name); hence his was named after his residential palace as Dục Đức.
2. Crown Prince Bao Long (Viet: Bảo Long) succeeded on the death of his father, Emperor Bảo Đại, as Head of the Imperial House of Vietnam on 31 July 1997.
3. Prince Bảo Thắng following the death of his brother, Crown Prince Bảo Long, succeeded as head of the Nguyễn Dynasty on July 28, 2007.

Lineage

1 Gia Long 1802–1819

2 Minh Mạng 1820–1840

3 Thiệu Trị 1841–1847

4 Tự Đức 1847–1883

Thoại Thái Vương

Kiên Thái Vương

6 Hiệp Hoà 1883

5 Dục Đức 1883

9 Đồng Khánh 1885–1889

8 Hàm Nghi 1884–1885

7 Kiến Phúc 1883–1884

10 Thành Thái 1889–1907

12 Khải Định 1916–1925

11 Duy Tân 1907–1916

13 Bảo Đại 1926–1945

Note:

• Years in the table are their reigning years.
• See also: Family tree of Nguyễn Lords

Preceded by Tây Sơn Dynasty

Dynasty of Vietnam 1802-1945

Succeeded by Empire of Vietnam

See also

• French Indochina
• List of Vietnamese dynasties
• Vietnam during World War I
• Nguyen Truong To - Served Emperor Tự Đức

I might be wrong, but Minh Mang was not the direct descendant of Gia Long. Nguyen Canh was the son of Gia Long, and was throned as a "teen-age" king, and later was overthrown by Nguyen Hue (or Quang Trung).

Please check with "Viet Nam Su Luoc" written by Tran Trong Kim.

External links

• The Nguyễn Dynasty
• homepage of The Nguyễn Dynasty