THE WORLD CIVILIZATIONS AND INDIA , PART-127

DRAGON HEAD OF MAC DYNASTY

VIETNAM ( SERIES -45 )

RULE OF MAC DYNASTY IN DAI VIET

MAC DYNASTY or HOUSE OF MAC ruled the whole of DAI VIET from 1527 AD to 1540 AD and the northern part of the country from 1540 AD to 1593 AD . Subsequent members of this Dynasty ruled over the province of CAO BANG with the support of the MING and QING Dynasties until 1677 AD . Their capital was DONG KINH . Religions prevailing during this period were — NEO-CONFUCIANISM , BUDDHISM , TAOISM and ROMAN CATHOLICISM . Apart from others the two important kings (the first and the last) who ruled during the period were : 1. MAC DANG DUNG ; and 2. MAC KINH VU . The contemporary historians of LE and NGUYEN Dynasties considered MAC Rulers as downright usurper. To modern researchers , during MAC Dynasty women enjoyed much more freedom and privileges than the previous Dynasties . The MAC court also encouraged the domestic and foreign trades to flourish . As a result , DONG DO and CHU DAU were developed as the East-West maritime commerce route . It happened simply due to some notable figures existed in the MAC court who were exceptionally talented and loyal . They were as follows : 1. PRINCE REGENT MAC KINH DIEN ; 2. GENERAL NGUYEN QUYEN ; and 3. MAC NGOC LUEN.

MAP OF MAC DYNASTY RULE

EMPEROR MAC DANG DUNG OF DAI VIET

MAC DANG DUNG or MAC THAI TO was the founder of the MAC DYNASTY in DAI VIET . MAC DANG DUNG was born on 23rd November 1483 AD at the village of CO TRAI of NGHI DUONG district of DAI VIET as a fisherman’s son . His father’s name was MAC HICH and his mother’s name was DANG THI HIEU . He had one spouse and her name was NGUYEN THI NGOC TOAN . He started his Career as a bodyguard to the LE Emperor LE UY MAC . MAC DANG DUNG was a military man who rose through the rank . MAC eventually deposed the last Emperor of the LE DYNASTY . He executed Emperors like LE CHIEU TONG and LE CUNG HOANG and became Emperor himself . Using ruthless methods, he forced the LE officials to recognize his Dynasty and murdered members of the LE family . Emperor LE CUNG HOANG and his mother committed suicide . Some government officials also committed suicide rather acknowledge MAC DANG DUNG as Emperor of DAI VIET . He reigned DAI VIET from 1530 AD to 1541 AD . However , his usurpation of DAI VIET virtually split the Kingdom , with the MAC DYNASTY reigning in the north , while LE DYNASTY continued to reign in the south with the help of the TRIN LORDS and the NYUYEN LORDS . And MAC DYNASTY ruler MAC DANG DUNG frightened by the invasion of MING DYNASTY of CHINA with the army of 110,000 in 1540 AD , compelled him to succumb to CHINA by declaring himself as the chieftain of the latter .

EMPEROR MAC THAI TONG

EMPEROR MAC THAI TONG OF DAI VIET

MAC THAI TONG or MAC DANG DOANH was the second Emperor of the MAC DYNASTY who ruled DAI VIET from 1530 AD to 1540 AD . He was the son of MAC THAI TO (EMPEROR MAC DANG DUNG) who was still alive during the first year of his reign . His era name was DAI CHINH . MAC DANG DOANH was born in CAO DOI village of BINH HA district from Emperor MAC DANG DUNG as his father and NGUYEN THI NGOC TOAN as his mother . As oldest son of the couple , he was designated as the crown prince of DAI VIET in 1527 AD when his father seized the throne from Emperor LE CHIEU TONG and established the reign of MAC DYNASTY . And Emperor MAC THAI TONG or MAC DANG DOANH died on 25 January, 1540 AD after reigning for ten long years .

MAC THAI TONG was succeeded by MAC HIEN TONG as the third Emperor of the MAC DYNASTY who ruled DAI VIET from 1540 AD to 1546 AD . He also was born in the same CAO DOI village of BINH HA district where his predecessor was born . His father’s name was Emperor MAC THAI TONG and he was the grandson of late Emperor MAC DANG DUNG . They all were nominal Emperor of DAI VIET . Their contributions to the socio-political-economic development of DAI VIET was not so important . They all were functioning as Chieftains of MING CHINA . Other Emperors in this line were : 1. MAC TUYEN TONG (1546 AD to 1561 AD) ; 2. MAC MAU HOP (1562 AD to 1593 AD) ; 3. MAC TOAN (1592 AD to 1593 AD) ; 4. MAC KINH CHI (1592 AD to 1593 AD) ; 5. MAC KINH CUNG (1592 AD to 1625 AD) ; 6. MAC KINH KHOAN ( 1623 AD to 1638 AD) ; 7. MAC KINH VU (1638 AD to 1677 AD) . MAC KINH VU was the tenth Emperor of the MAC DYNASTY. After the revolt of Three Feudatories of CHINA (namely— YUNNAN , GUANGDONG and FUJIAN provinces against QING DYNASTY) , he (EMPEROR MAC KINH VU) was attacked by TRINH LORD and the former fled to QING CHINA .

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