THE WORLD CIVILIZATIONS AND INDIA , PART-129

A NGUYEN DYNASTY’S RULER

VIETNAM ( SERIES -47 )

NGUYEN DYNASTY OF DAI VIET

NGUYEN DYNASTY was the last VIETNAMESE Dynasty which ruled the country from 1802 AD to 1945 AD . Called NGUYEN LORDS , NGUYEN family emerged into prominence in the 16th century under the rule of LE DYNASTY . They established feudal rule over a larger part of the territory of DAI VIET by the 16th century , before they were defeated by the TAY SON BROTHERS in the 19th century . NGUYEN ANH took over the reign of DAI VIET in 1802 AD as GIA LONG . He celebrated his coronation at HUE on 1st June 1802 AD . He proclaimed himself Emperor with era name as GIA LONG . Credit goes to him that he united VIETNAM after a three-hundred-year division of the country . His era name GIA LONG implied that his rule ranged from ‘GIA’ DINH region in the far south to THANG ‘LONG’ in the north . To avoid another civil war , he replaced the feudal system with reformist Doctrine of the Mean based on CONFUCIANISM . The NGUYEN DYNASTY was founded as a tributary state of the QING Empire . GIA LONG received an Imperial pardon and recognition from Emperor JIAQING of QING CHINA for accepting the CHINESE suzerainty . When Emperor GIA LONG ( NGUYEN ANH ) sent an envoy to QING CHINA to acquire this recognition , he cited the name of his country as ‘the ancient kingdom of NANYUE‘ to Emperor JIAQING . This displeased Emperor JIAQING very much . He was disconcerted by such prevention that NGUYEN ANH had to officially rename his kingdom as VIETNAM next year just to satisfy Emperor JIAQING of QING CHINA . Thus , the country of DAI VIET was officially known as ‘The (Great) Vietnamese state’.

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ADMINISTRATION DURING EMPEROR GIA LONG

To ensure stability over the unified kingdom, Emperor GIA LONG adopted a CONFUCIAN-BUREAUCRATIC government model . He sought unification with northern literati . He deputed two of his most loyal and CONFUCIAN-educated advisors : 1.NGUYEN VAN THANH ; and 2.LE VAN DUYET as Viceroys of HANOI and SAIGON respectively . Not only that , about 300 FRENCHMEN served GIA LONG’S court as officials from 1780 AD to 1820 AD . During his reign , a system of road connecting HANOI , HUE , and SAIGON with postal stations and inns was established . Several canals were constructed to connect the MEKONG RIVER to the GULF OF SIAM . In 1812 AD , Emperor GIA LONG issued the GIA LONG CODE on the basis of the CH’ING CODE of CHINA , replacing the previous THANH TONG’S CODE of 1480 AD . When a coup d’etat broke out in the Kingdom of CAMBODIA in 1811 AD , a VIETNAMESE tributary state since 1806 AD , Emperor GIA LONG sent 13,000 men to CAMBODIA to restore the throne of a PRO-VIETNAMESE King ANG CHAN II . After two years of fighting against SIAMESE and PRO-VIETNAMESE CAMBODIAN forces , VIETNAMESE forces took and acquired much of CAMBODIA by 1813 AD . King ANG CHAN II was restored back to power . But the Kingdom of CAMBODIA was now put under VIETNAMESE Viceroyship . And thus , CAMBODIA had become a VIETNAMESE client Kingdom for the next 30 years , while SIAM seized northern CAMBODIA in 1814 AD . However, Emperor GIA LONG died in 1819 AD . He was succeeded by his fourth son , NGUYEN PHUC DAM who took over the reign of VIETNAM as Emperor MINH MANG ( 1820 AD to 1841 AD ) .

EMPEROR MINH MANG

EMPEROR MINH MANG OF VIETNAM

MINH MANG literally means ‘The Bright Favour of Heaven’, was the fourth son of Emperor GIA LONG and the second Emperor of the NGUYEN DYNASTY of VIETNAM who ruled the country from 14th February 1820 AD to 20th January 1841 AD . He was widely known for FRENCH involvement in VIETNAM and his rigid CONFUCIAN orthodoxy . In February 1825 , Emperor MINH MANG banned missionaries from entering VIETNAM . All entries in VIETNAM were to be watched . FRENCH vessels entering VIETNAMESE harbors were ordered to be searched with extra care . CHRISTIANITY , in an Imperial edict , was described as the ‘Perverse European’ practice and , thus , accused of ‘corrupting the hearts of men’. Seven missionaries were sentenced to death between 1833 AD to 1838 AD . Following the edict which forbade entry of missionaries into VIETNAM, the authorities started arresting clerics . On the intervention of DUYET , the governor of COCHIN CHINA , who was a close confidant of Emperor GIA LONG and PIGNEAU De BEHAINE , Emperor MING MANG agreed to the priests on the condition that they congregate at DA NANG and return to FRANCE . However , some of them obeyed and some disobeyed after being released and resumed preaching . So far as his foreign policy was concerned , Emperor MING MANG adopted the isolationist and conservative CONFUCIAN policies . With his CONFUCIAN orthodoxy , Emperor MING MANG shunned all western influences and ideas as hostile and avoided all contact . Lieutenant JOHN WHITE , an officer of US NAVY, was the first AMERICAN who contacted with VIETNAM . Emperor MING MANG was willing to sign a contract , but only for purchase of artillery , firearms , uniforms and books , which to JOHN WHITE was not sufficient . So treaty was not signed at all .

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NOTE : THE SOURCES OF THE BLOG ARE TEXT BOOKS AND OTHER WRITTEN MATERIALS ON THE SUBJECT .

TO BE CONTINUED ………………

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