se AHISTORY OF VIETNAM ‘Ayudhiya, Bight years late, Ang Chan came back and killed Neai Kan. Then, he proclaimed himself King Ang Chan. In 1549, when the Thais were having succession problems that led to the ‘accession of monk Maha Chakrapat, Ang Chan attacked Prachin and took its inhabitants to Cambodia as slaves. Maha Chakrapat demanded that Ang Chan send a white elephant as tribute, Upon his denial, the Machiavellian Thai king designed a scheme so thatthe two Khmer brothers would kill each other. He sont Prince Ong against Ang Chan, Prince Ong was shot to death on the back Of his elephant, and the Thais lost 10,000 troops. Maha Chakrapat came back ‘with $0,000 men to force the issue, Ang Chan had to submit and deliver the ‘white elephant as a symbol of his allegiance. But when the Thais had to deal ‘with Burma, Ang Chan resumed his raids and even reached the suburbs of Ayudhya in 1564. In 1566, Ang Chan died and was suceeded by his son Borom Reaches, who, with various fortunes, engaged in large-seale wars. He ended up by being tossed ‘oat of Thailand and tumed against Larnchang (Laos), whose King Setthatiat ‘was Maha Chakrapat’s son-in-law. In 1576, Borom Reachea passed away and. ‘was sueceeded by his son Sattha, who prefered to live in peace with the Thais Maha Dhammaraja, the king of Thailand, agreed because he was quite preoc- cupied with the Burmese, So, for the fist time in history, « Cambodian prince, Soryopor, fought side by side with a Thai prince, Ramesuen, against the Bur- ‘mese. But soon a question of etiquette made the two princes oppose each other During the victory celebration, Soryopor refused to bow to the young com ‘mander in chief, Ramesuen. In response, Ramesuen had the head of a prisoner hhung on Soryopor's boat. Soryopor became quite upset and retired with his {oops at once. King Maha Dhammaraja was not aware of the quarrel and at ‘another battle against the Burmese, was extremely surprised to see Soryopor raiding Prachin, a Thai tesitory Tn 1590, Ramesuen finally took his revenge against Soryopor. His father King Maha Dhammaraja, died, and Ramesuen sueceeded him on the throne. In 1591, he foreed the Phra Charuk passage and laid siege to Lovec. After three months, Jack of provisions forced im to withdraw. But he came back in 1593 with an enormous fore, to which the Khmer mounted an equal defense. In 1594, Lovee fell to the Thais afer heavy bombing and charges by Thai elephants equipped ‘with armor and ironclad feet, Sattha Ned to Vientiane with his son. The Thais took Soryopor and his family to Ayudhya together with 90,000 Khmers. Rax mesuen left a Thai general in command, with 20,000 occupation troops. Cam= bodia was no longer « power in the region. It became a tributary of the Thais, ‘who from Ayudhya appointed and controled the Khmer kings. Tn 1613, a Cambodian prince, Chung Prey, led a secret army and killed the ‘Thai governor general, The Khmer situation became so chaotic that Ramesuen hhad to reestablish Soryopor on the Khmer throne, with al the royal apparatus, Soryopor kept Lovee as his capital. Curiously enough, he forced his court 0 ‘adopt Thai etiquette and finaly, in 1618, was deposed by his own son, Chetiah {THIF INDIANIZED NEIGHBORS oF 1, who opposed the Thai influence. In retaliation, Bangkok dispatched three farmies, which Chettiah IT quickly defeated. He then moved his eapital to Ou- dong. In 1623, to improve his alliance with Vietnam, he martied Ngoc Van, a augiter of Lord Thuong (Nguyen Phuc Lan), the euler of Cochin China. This ‘vas the beginning of massive Viet immigrations into Preykoe (Saigon). Actually, Preykor was not the first Viet colony in Cambodia, since the Viet had setled {in Bienhoa and Baria long ago. But it legitimized the Viet presence in Cambodia CChettiah IT died in 1626. Afterward, the succession became a chain of palace tingedies. First, asthe helt, Ponhea To, was only fifteen years old, his uncle (Ouiey was named regent, But the young monarch was fatally attracted to one ff Outey's beautifl wives, and he ended up being chopped t0 death together ‘with the adulterous princess. His brother Ponhea Nu succeeded him in 1630, lnder the same regent, and died ten years later. AS there was no other hei, (Ouiey enthroned his own son Ang Non T (Nac Ong Non) His other son, Ang ‘Chan, with a retinue of Cham and Malay mercenaries procoeded to slaughter ‘everyone in the palace, including Outey himself. But atthe time of the coup, tivo members of the Outey family were away on a hunting trip. Later, in 1638, Wwhen both came back with a gang of Cham and Malay kilers, Ang Chan fled to Hve, where he pleaded allegiance to Chua Hien (Neuyen Phuc Tan). Nguyen ‘Phuc Tan placed him back on the throne of Cambodia. When he died in 1664, his son Ang Non succeeded him. In 1674, the loitimate heir, Ang Chei (Nac ‘Ong Dai, with Thai help overthrew Ang Non. Viet troops had to go to Phnom Penh to look forthe troublemaker. Ang Chei fled into the jungle, where he died. ‘Buc his son Ang Sor (Nac Ong Thu) surrendered to Nawyen Phuc Tan, who ound out he had bet on the wrong horse. Since Ang Sor was the son of the Tegitimate heir, he was appointed first king at Phnom Penh, while Ang Non was ‘elegated tothe rank of second king at Saigon. It goes without saying that both hhad to pay separate tributes It seems that Ang Sor moved to Angkor for a while, but, unable to revive the capital to its ancient splendor, he went back to Phnom Penh in 1672. There the was assassinated by his nephew in-law. who not only had his niece, but also ‘wanted his wife. Obviously the widow did not approve of the scheme, although ithad become the palace tradition. She therefore hited a team of Chams and Malays to dispose of the double usurper. The killers were perhaps the same ones ‘who had been employed before by other members of the royal family under similar circumstances ‘Ang Em, Ang Sor’s brother, succeeded him with the agreement of the Viet, alter he yielded to them the entire littoral of West Cambodia. But the two sons fof Ang Sor, Ang Thom (Thommo Reachea) and Ang Ton fed to Thailand. In the meantime, Ang Non, the second king, started to have problems, This ‘eame from the fat that in 1679, a Chinese renegade general Duong Ngan Dich, ‘who had fled China, was authorized by Nguyen Phuc Tan to settle in Cambodi Ieritory. Soon, he was murdered by his assistant, Hoang Tien, who persuaded ‘Ang Non ¢o join him in a coup against Ang Sor, the fist king. In 1688, both« AHISTORY OF VIETNAM were defeated at Phnom Penh and put to death. Ang Em, the son of Ang Non, pleaded allegiance to Nguyen Phuc Tan and was allowed to succeed to Ang [Non as the second king ‘In 1714, Ang Thom came back from Thailand with 15,000 Thais and attacked ‘Ang Em in Battambang. He was defeated, but he persisted and laid siege to ‘Oudong, where Ang Em hurried to rally the Thais. OF course, the Viet did not like his turncoat comportment and scornful called him the “King of Thai- land.” Indeed, as regicide had become a palace tradition, opportunism was his ‘only way of staying alive. He ‘abdicated four times and was crowned five." But in 1736, he definitively abdicated to his son Sotha TI, and the situation became even more confused. Sotha’s uncles, Ang Thom (Thommo Reaches) and Ang Ton, with Tai troops took Phnom Penh and even pushed down to Hatien, where they were beaten off by Mac Cuu's son, Mac Thien Tu, who was consequently promoted to the rank of admiral by Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat ‘Ang Thom reigned as Thommo Reachea from 1738 to 1747. He was suc: ceeded by Ang Ton's son, Outey Il, who ereated havoc at the Viet border. AS ‘result, he had to yield Go Cong and Tan An provinces as payment for his ‘depredations. This was not the end of his troubles, for Taksin, the new king of ‘Siam, demanded allegiance which Outey If rejected on the grounds that Taksin ‘was only a commoner. This prompted Taksin to dispatch an army under Phy CChakkri. The Viet were also poised for the defense of Cambodia. What was expected to be a bloody confrontation turned out to be a friendly arrangement allowing Phya Chakkri 10 go back to Bangkok and replace Taksin, who had hecome hopelessly mad. Finally, in 1757, Outey Il had to abdicate in favor of ‘Ang Non II. As Ang Non Il was a minor, his uncle, Ang Nhvan, gave South Bassac to the Nguyen rulers in exchange for being named regent. Later, wen ‘Ang Non Il was enthroned, the Viet investiture cost him North Bassa. "Now almost the entire arca of Water Chen La was inthe hands ofthe Nguyen as the price the Cambodian kings had to pay for Viet protection. In 1698, be ‘cause a census indicated the presence of only 200,000 inhabitants inthe region, the Nguyen decided to send in Viets from Quang Ngsi. ‘The rivalry between Siam and Cochin China contributed a great deal to the disruption of the Cambodian monarchy. ‘There was a calm period when the Nguyen waged war against Tay Son, leaving Cambodia at the merey of the ‘Thais, But afterward, coups and contrecoups resumed, until Ang Eng arrived in 1799 to inaugurate the modern dynasty SIAM (THAILAND) “The Thais came fom the Altai Mountains in Mongolia and moved east into central China, Citing Professor W. Eberhard, Manich Jumsai writes that “as far back as 1450 ne, the ‘Thai people had lived in the valley of the Yellow River before the Chinese, At this period, there were no indications of Chinese civic zation. During their long migration to the south the Thais seed first im Yun- "THE INDIANIZED NEIGHBORS a ‘nan, where they grew rice and pigs. But various Thai groups speaking Thai-Le ‘wore found in South China, Tonking, the Shan state, Assim, and Hainan In the seventh century, they founded the powerful kingdom of Nan Chao in ‘Yunnan, At the beginning of the reign of T'ang Hsuan Tsung, Yunnan existed 1s a confederation of six Chaos. The southem one, Nar Chao, was ruled by King P'i Lo Ko, whose dream was to unite the six kingdoms under his aegis, In 931, he celebrated the founding of his new capital, Ta Li, with @ banquet to ‘which the five other Yunnan kings were invited. When he had all of them well {moxivated, he set fire to the building and then proclaimed himself king of ‘Yunnan without any opposition, the potential contestants having been perma: rently silenced. Seven years later, he invaded Tibet, where he installed a new capital. The T'ang who were having some disagreements with Tibet, were pleased enough to confirm P'i Lo Ko in his ttle of king of Yunnan, His son, Prince Feng Chia Yi (Ko Lo Feng), maried a T'ang princess. But after P'i Lo o's death in 742, Ko Lo Feng rebelled against Yang Kuei Fei's brother and invaded Kweichow. In 751, he defeated the T'ang troops at Hsia Kuan, killing £60,000 Chinese soldiers together with their general Li Ming. An Lu Shan's rebellion gave Ko Lo Feng free hand to invade Burma and seize the Irrawaddy valley. He wrested control of Szechwan, Kweichou, and Hunan. Thea, in 860, hoe proclaimed himself emperor of Ta Li In 863, Nan Chao swept Chiao Chao (Vietnam) with $0,000 troops, killing the Chinese governor and slaying 15,000 Viet. But they had to retreat under the ‘Tang forces. In the thirteenth century, Yunnan fell to the Yuan and became a Chinese province. The exodus further south gave the Thais other colonies in the southeast, among which was Thailand, Inthe thieemth century, the firs king- ddom of Sukothai emerged under Rama Kamleung. Late, inthe fourteenth cen- tury, Ramatibodi I founded the kingdom of Ayudhya. Sukhotai ‘The first Thai territory was a Khmer tributary in the non of the Indochinese peninsula, and the Thai were compelled periodically to cay sacred water from ‘Thale Chubsom to Louvo for the anointment ceremony of the Khmer kings, ‘The containers, which consisted of earthen jars, could barely withstand transport in bulfock carts through the jungles. Thus, the ‘Thais had 1 invent woven bam- boo vessels which they made waterproof with wood oil. In 1238, they had had enough of the Cambodian kings and their sacred water. Sp they staged a rebel- lion, led by Phea Runng, a Thai chieftain who was marred o one of Jayavarman ‘VII's daughters. Phra Ruang seized the upper Menam valley and, as King Rama Kamheung, founded the kingdom of Sukhoi. He then dispatched an embassy to Kublai Khan to secure Chinese neutrality in his fortccming war with Cam- boda. Kublai Khan, who had not forgotten Khmer Jayavarman VII's inso- ence, gave his blessing, and Rama Kamheung invaded Angkor. In spite of aa AHISTORY OF VIETNAM general mobilization in which women and children had fight, the Khmers wore defeated. In 1296, the Thai captured Angkor Thom. Ayudhya {In 1350, the Thai Prince U Thong, renowned for his lightning attacks, seized 1 large island in the Chao Phya River. Under the name of Ramatibodi 1, he founded the prestigious kingdom of Ayudhya which would last for 400 years. ‘To secute his borders, he captured Louvo, the last Khmer defense inthe Menam valley. To the south, he extended his teritory tothe Malay peninsula and tothe \wost, to the coast of Martaban, In 1351, as is described above, Ramatibodi I dispatched his son Prince Ra rmesuen to invade Cambodia, but he was beaten off by the Khmer Prince Sor- yotey. In the atte, Sisavath, the Thai king's grandson, was killed, and the Thai Fetreuted. But in the winter, Ramesven, under his uncle Pangua, the powerful ‘zovernor of Supambury, returned, for a seven-month siege. King Lampong was Killed, the Khmer capital was again looted, and the Thais went home taking ‘wih them quantities of slaves, both male and female. A son of King Ramatibodi, Prince Basath, was left behind to rule Angkor. Three years later, he died of disease and was replaced by his uncle Baat who, three months later, succumbed to cholera, Prince Pisey then ascended to the throne. In 1357, Soryotey, who hhad previously escaped, ook Angkor by suprise and regained the Khmer throne. 'As for the Thai Prince Pisey, he disappeared mysteriously, leaving not a trace. Ramatibodi put an end to the war, but until his death in 1269, there were spo- adie incursions between the ‘Thais and Khmers. ‘In 1420, with the help of Khmer conspirators, Ramesuen invaded Angkor for the second time, and the Khmer King Dharmasoka was executed. The Khmer regalia and sacred sword were taken away to Ayudhya Again, thousands of Khmers were earied back to Thailand as slaves forthe construction ofthe ‘Tha capital In 1430, Ayudhya King Boromaraja I sent a third expedition against Angkor. It eame back with an enormous booty, including the famous emerald buddha. ‘At that time, Boromaraja IL set his son Intaburi on the Khmer throne, but he ‘was assassinated by Ponhea Yat's mercenaries. After a bloody massacre of the ‘Thais, Ponhes Yat ascended the Angkor throne as King Soryopor. Since Angkor ‘was s0 close to the Thai border, Soryopor prudently moved the capital to Phnom enh. But, the Kier had not changed, They resumed their palace intigues after the death of Soryopor. His brother Phra Srei fought against his heir Sor- ‘yotey. Annoyed by this perpetual state of confusion, the Thai King Trailokanart lrrested the two contenders and took them back to Ayudhya. He gave the throne to Thommo Reachea, son of Soryopor, who had pledged allegiance and given his son Prince Ong as hostage tothe Ayudhya court “Then, the Thai themselves had their own palace predicaments. In 1548, Queen Sri Sudachan poisoned her husband King Prajai and placed her lover Khun {THE INDIANIZED NEIGHBORS 6 ‘Worawongsa, a commoner, on the throne. To avenge the unfortunate Praja, ‘Thai dignitaries lured both the queen and the usurper im a journey to view a white elephant. On the way, the couple was killed togeher with their newly ‘born daughter. In 1549, Prince Tiergja, a monk, was enthroned as King Maha ‘Chakrapat. Once in power, Chakrapat had to forseke Buddhist chastity and mar- ried a very beautiful princess. He resumed hostilities with the Khmers. After having invoked their refusal to deliver a white elephant, he ordered the invasion ‘of Cambodia. He sent as hostage Prince Ong, against his relative Ang Chan, In the ensuing battle at Siem Reap, the Khmer King Ang Chan killed Prince Ong ‘and captured more than 10,000 Thai troops. Mahia Chakrapat finally succeeded in subduing Cambodia, but that white elephant caused nothing but trouble. The ‘Thais took it from the Khmers, and then lost it to the Burmese who could not keep it either. Finally, that strange animal fll in to the hands of the famous Portuguese adventurer Captain de Brito, But that was not the only problem forthe Thais. Burma had become a nui sance. Burma had invaded Thailand many times, seizing the Shan states and [Lamchamg and even attacking Ayudya. A Burmese was placed on the throne of Chiang Mai. In 1555, King Chakrapat was defeated, and the Burmese took sway his beautiful wife. In 1569, the Burmese finally seized Ayudhya and took the entire royal family and 70,000 Thais hack to Burma. They lft their man, ‘Thai Prince Dhammaraja, on the Thai throne. Prince Dhammaraja was a wise politician. He asked the Burmese to appoint his own son Ramesuen as military commander of Ayuchya. At the age of seventeen, Ramesien enjoyed the pres- tige of a great warrior. He was also an outstanding politician. In 1584, he pro- claimed independence from Burma and concluded an alliance with Cambodia. In retaliation, the Chiang Mai army under Burmese command marched on Ayu- ‘ya, Cambodia's: King Satha dispatched Prince Sri Soryopor with 20,000 Khmers to help Ramesuen, ‘Soon, as reported in the previous section, a personal conflict placed the two commanders at loggerheads. The dispute was to have fatal consequences for the Khmers. Back home, while Ramesuen kept the incident to himself, Soryopor's report infuriated Sattha. To the Khmer king, the Thais deserved a lesson of “savoir vive,” and atthe fst opportunity, he subbed them in the back. In 1587, the Burmese invaded Thailand again. As the Thai were preoccupied ‘with their enemy in the north, King Satha attacked the tvo Thai provinces of Prachin and Nakorn Nayok in the south. Ramesuen threw the Khmers back {0 the border: In 1590, the Thai King Dhammaraja died, leaving the throne 10 Ramesuen (1590-1605). To overthrow Ramesuen, the Burmese invaded Ayu- «ya with 200,000 troops, under their erown prince. Ramesuen Killed the prince in hand to band combat, and the Burmese retreated. Now he was ready to take care of Cambodia Ramesuen made his first foray against Cambodia in 1591 to evaluate the Khmer forces. Two years later, in 1593, he launched his tiggest campaign with four combined land and sea armies. The Cambodians put up a formidable de-“ AHISTORY OF VIETNAM fense, displaying 10,000 men at Battambang, 20,000 at Pusat, 30,000 at Boris ‘bun, and. 10,000 at Phnom Peah, which was also protected by 150 gunboats. Despite the help of Spanish and Portuguese mercenaries, who were manning their heavy anillery, the Khmers lost During the campaign, King Sattha asked for rescue from the Spanish in the Phitippines. But Ramesven and his troops did not waste time in surrounding Lovee. After having delivered an ultimatum to Satha, giving him three days to surrender, the Thais began very heavy bombing, then hurled their elephants against Lovee, forcing Sattha to flee to Vientiane. Ninety thousand Khmers were taken to Ayuilhya as slaves. As for Prince Soryopor, he was sent into confine- ‘ment in Thailand with his entire family. He was released later to assume the Cambodian throne. “Then Thailand had to deal with Burma again. In 1767, the Burmese invaded Thailand and captured Cambodian Phala, known as the Leper King, whose fam- ily fled and took refuge in Ha Tien and Cambodia. At that time, Taksin Phya fof Mang Tak, son of a Chinese named Yen from Sow Chow (Kwangtung), revolted and seized the Thai throne. As he demanded allegiance from the Cam- bodian King Outey, the Khmers rebuked him, citing his lowly origins. This prompted Taksin to dispatch a punitive expedition under Phya Chakkr. “Taksin went mad under strange citcumstances. Among his numerous wives, too of the most seductive were women of the traditional dynasty of Ayudhys, Princesses Chim and Ubol. One day, the king's bedroom curtains were found to have been gnawed by rats. Taksin imprudently ordered his two Portuguese pages to hunt down the predator. Soon, news spread that the two handsome Tacs had spent ther time with the two princesses. The furious king had a show= {down with his two wives, who felt deeply offended by his suspicion. Instead of displaying restraint in their language, they managed to add insult o injury. They not only refused to answer their husband's questions, but also challenged him to send them back to ther illustrious families. Taksin lost his temper and had them submitted to the most horible tortures. Both were flogged, and salt was put on their bloody wounds. Their delicate hands and feet were hacked off Finally, they were cut through the breasts. One of them, Princess Ubol, was two ‘months pregnant. ‘When that insanity was over, Taksin wanted to kill himself, and the queen ‘mother, Songkardan, had to send for high priests to restrain im. From that time, “Taksin sank into profound meditations which led him to believe he could fly in space, So he compelled the high priests to pay him respects living deity. Those ‘who refused were defrocked, then flogged and directed to clean latrines. He also thought he had powers of divination and sent for housewives found in the mar- ketplace, whose fortunes he would tell. I a housewife agreed he was ight, he re- watded her with gifts. Otherwise, she as brutally caned and tossed out Gradually, this madness led to serious problems. During the wars with Burma, many people buried their riches. Now to dig them up, they needed government licenses. Only high officers who helieved in Taksin’s divine powers were al- {THE INDIANIZED NEIGHBORS “ Jowed 10 deliver such licenses, for exorbitant fees. Among them was the gov= ernor of Ayudhya himself, who pressured people for mare and more pay off. A rebellion ensued, led by Khun Sra, Bunnag, and Khun Keo, who burned the ‘goverer’s palace, killing his wife and children, Taksin was aware that one of the rebels, Khun Keo, was the brother of Phya Sanka, an army officer stationed atthe Dhonbury garrison. He therefore dispatched Phya Sanka to quel the re ‘ol, but Phya Sanka instead joined his brother and marched on the royal palace “Taksin asked the high priests to mediate, The rebels demanded that the King be removed and retired as a monk. Then Phya Sanka appointed himself regent. At his instigation, a group opposed Phya Chakksi’s retum ‘0 the country. They were defeated, Phya Sanka was put to death, and Phya Chakkri proclaimed himself king. Taksin was brought toa high court presided cver by Phya Chak Because they had been comrades in arms, Phya Chakkri was reluctant .o impose the death penalty on Taksin. But the ex-king was dragge¢ out of his sight and summarily executed. In Vietnam, Taksin was well known by Nguyen Anb, who had a relative at the Bangkok court. One day Taksin, who said that in a trance he had seen the Viet stealing his pearls, demanded that he return the jewels. As the Viet prince could not comply, and for a good reason, Taksin put him to death ‘THE LAO KINGDOM Laos, located to the west of Vietnam, played a sporadic role in Vietnam's life, a role that was not always laudable. Preoccupied wilh i survival in the Asian world of ruthless competition, Laos often resorted to treacherous policies ‘But an alliance with the Lao had contributed to Nguyen Arh’s final victory over the Tay Son. ‘The Lao kingdom appeared late, inthe fourteenth century, asa settlement of ‘Thai-Lao in the valley of Dien Bien Phu, while the other Thai group, the Thai- Syam, moved to the lower Menam to form the kingdom of Ayudhys. Another group of Thai-Lao setled in Luang Prabang and replaced the native Khas rbes Subsequent vicissitudes led the early Lao princes to accept Khmer domination and share Indianized Kier culture, At one point, the Lao Prince Fa Ngum had to take refuge in Angkor after his throne was seized by his own grandfather, He married 8 Cambodian princess, and in 1353, with the hap of King Lampong, his father-in-law, he regained the throne and founded the Thai kingdom of Lann- charng, which was ultimately shared by Sukhotai and Ayudhya, Under Prince Fa Ngum, Laos rose to be a significant power in the region. Its territory extended over the upper Mekong, the Black River, and Xieng Khouang. 1 bordered Vietnam to the east and Cambodia to the south. The Lao even extended their protection to Chiang Mai and Ayudhya. In 1421, when Annama fevolted against China, Luang Prabang offered to help. But when the Lao troops rived in Annam, they sided with the Chinese Ming and atacked the Viet at right by surprise, killing one general. In 1478, after having defeated both Chi-ry AHISTORY OF VIETNAM. nese and Chams, the Viet turned against Laos with a vengeance. Fist they demanded from the Lao a white elephant as a symbol of submission, which of ‘course the Lao rejected. Then three Viet armies converged over Luang Prabang from which the Lao King Seuthathirat fled. In 1558, when the Burmese warrior, King Bayinnaung, invaded Chiang Mai, further threatening Luang Prabang, King Setthathirat moved his capital to Vien- tiane to put a distance hetween himself and the Burmese. This did not stop King Bayinnaung from pursuing the ‘Thais and taking Ayudhya four years late. De- spite Setthatirat’s help, Ayudhya was totally sacked. As the Burmese ruler set jut to punish the Lao for their alliance with the Thais, the ruler of Chiang Mai also fled to Vientiane. In 1571, Setthathirat mysteriously disappeared during a raid against Cambodia. ‘During the period 1641-1647, under King Souligna Vongss, who was marred toa Le princess, Vientiane reached its apogee. An agreement was reached with [Nam Ha (Cochin China) regarding border definition. Land on which houses were built on piles was to be considered Lao tertitory2" But soon Laos was divided into three kingdoms. To the north of Vientiane, there was Luang Prabang under King Sisarath, and to the south, there was Champassak (Bassac) under King ‘Sisarath’s brother Nokasat. This was not precisely a quiet environment for King Souligna Vongsa. The Triah found themselves trapped in the protection of thet Vientiane ally. At the end of his life, Souligna Vongsa experienced a family drama. His only son seduced the wife ofthe chief of the palace guard. This was ‘capital offense for which Souligna Vongsa had to sentence his son to death But when he passed away in 1700, there was no heir to succeed him, except for two baby geandsons. The Trinh put his nephew Sai Ong Hue (Tricw Phuc) ‘on the throne. He married into a Trinh family. The grandsons escaped to Luang Prabang where they proclaimed their independence. In 1778, the Thai aceupied Vientiane, putting an end to Trinh contol ‘In 1806, under King Anou, Laos became a “bied with two heads.” In other words, it was a dual tbutary of both Thailand and Cochin China. But King ‘Anou, whose ancestors had been invested kings of Laos by the Thai, managed to secretly train his troops against his benefactor. In 1827, when he learned of ‘an imminent British attack on Siam, he revolted and marched on Bangkok. He ‘was defeated and fled tothe Viet. Bu the Nguyen did not wish to confront their “Thai allies, so they confined themselves to a symbolic gesture. They seat two ‘companies of soldiers to reinstall Anou on the throne. In 1829, Anou was again {defeated by the Siamese near Vientiane and fled 10 China, knowing he could not count on the Viet any longer. On his way to safety, he was captured by Prince Noi of Xieng Khouang who delivered him to the Thais. Anou died in Bangkok while Vientiane underwent total devastation. Thereafter, all inhabitants ‘were forcibly relocated to the Thai side of the Mekong River. ‘As for the Nguyen king, to demonstrate his authority, he had Prince Noi arrested and charged for having betrayed an ally. He was put (0 death and his territory, Xieng Khouang, was conveniently annexed to the Viet kingdom, “THE INDIANIZED NEIGHBORS o NOTES 1. Homeopathic mage, which is based on the principle of “like produces like” ‘nakes use of dolls and effigies. Contagious magic, whch s based on the principle that Snything that comes in contact wih the body sil affects it ever when removed, makes tse of mail, eth salva, and 80 forth, 2, Like the Khmer, the Cham adopted the South Indian Pallava sie and called themselves Varman (King. 3. Georges Coed, The Indanzed States of Souheast Asi (Honelulu: East West Center Press 1964), p. 123 “In 1054, under King Ly Thanh Tong, Dai Go Viet bec known 38 Dai Vie. 5, Goodes, The Indianised States, p. 188 6, Tran Trong Kim, Ver Nam Su Luoc (reprinted, Los Angeles: Dal Nam, nd), Ba. p. 125. 7. Nguyen Khae Ngu, Mau He Cham (Montel: Nahin Cw Su Di 8, Goodes, The Indianied Stats, p 9, A Chiso Chen Ju isa descendant of Kaundinys 10, Coedes, The Inianeed States, p. 3839. LL John Audie, Anghor and the Ker Empire (London: R. Hale, 1972, p. 38 12 Hydraulic agriculture does not have the sume connaation for Wiel 12, DGE. Hal, A History of Southeast Asia (New York: St Manin's Press, 1964), 1986), p. 17 1. Audie, Anghor and the Kimer Empire, p. 6, 15, Ibid, pa. 16. bid, p58, 17. Ibid, p. 6, 18. Manich ums, History of Thailand and Cambodia (Bangkok: Chalermit, 1970), 19. bid, p21 20. Auaic, Angkor and the Khmer Enpie,p. 89. 21, Ibid, p. 87-88 Ibid, p98. 23. thd, p. 134 24. Manich Jumssi, History of Thailand and Cambodia . 25. In 1283, the Mongols sent troops. under Sulayman, to invade Cambodia, They ‘vere captured by Jayavarman VI, who refused to retum them Wo China. 26. Hugh Toye, Laos: Buffer State or Batleground (London: Oxford University Press 1968, p. 16.VIETNAM'S DYNASTIES If, in her struggle for independence from China, Vietnam had to rely solely on Confucian ethics and Taoist Wu-Wei (nonaction), no patie of resistance could have successfully developed. But the people of Vietnam found in Meneius a staunch supporter, since he opposed the concept of divine right. According to ‘Mencius, «rulers only right consisted ofthe proper exercise of is rule. If he failed, he was supposed to retire. If he used force to remain in power, he would face the opposition of the people. To King Hsuan of Ch'i, Mencius gave a warning “When you [King] make the water more deep and the fire more fierce, they [the people will in like manner make another revolution." 'As for the Viet kings themselves, atthe onset of independence, they ruled lover a stratified Confucian society, but whether or not it was a feudal society Js indeed open to question, Fits, scarcity of land was a negative factor for ‘classical feudalism let alone an Oriental despotism, which was distinguished by huge tigation networks, institutionalized corvee, and organized terror for socal control. Second, itis possible that, after a long period of enslavement, the frst Viet rulers developed the conservative mentality of civil servants and simply ‘considered themselves managers “responsible for the preservation of land, wa ters, roads." Thus, for them, waterworks were a matter of public wility, nat a feature of Asiatic production. Indeed, some lands were allocated, with or without hereditary privileges, to members of the royal family, various dignitaries, and the Buddhist chureh. Later, under the Tran, the concept ofusufruct was formally inroduced, and Le Thanh Tong adopted a wage system consisting of payment both in kind and in cash. In the sixteenth century, King Le The Tong himself became salaried atthe service of his prime minister, Lord Trinh Tung. ‘Traditionally the frst dynasties were not considered leptimate because either they did not have the moral qualifications to receive the mandate of heaven, they had not inherited such a mandate from royal ancestors, or they did not last long enough to deserve historical classificationaa A HISTORY OF VIETNAM, "THE NGO DYNASTY [Ngo Quyen (939-965) “The era of dynastic kingdoms began with Ngo Quyen. Ngo Quyen came from ‘Son Tay Province. He was Duong Dien Nghe's son-in-law and chief of Thanh Hoa Province. To avenge Duong Dien Nghe's murder, Ngo Quyen attacked Kieu Cong Tien, who asked the Nam Han to come to his rescue. A Yunnanese expedition under Hoang Thao eame dawn the Bach Dang River to meet Ngo Quyen. The Viet general, who was an outstanding strategist installed a bed of ion stakes atthe bottom of the river and chose to stat fighting at high tide. ‘When the tide went down, all the Nam Han junks were impaled on the iron stakes, Hoang Thao was taken prisoner and executed. Although Ngo Quyea's action was initiated as a family affair, his victory hod far reaching political implications. It established a monarchic regime that was the first manifestation ‘of Vietnam's national identity. 1m 939, Ngo Quyen proclaimed himsel” King Ngo Vuong and chose the an- cient Co Loa as his capital, He began to set up dynastic rule, administrative ‘structures, and courts, Unfortunatly, like the Chinese, the Viet kings had suc~ cession problems. Binh Vuong (945-950) ‘When Ngo Quyen died in 944, his brother-in-law Duong Tam Kha could not resist the temptation of shoving aside Ngo Quyen’s son and heir, Neo Xuong [Ngap, and seizing the power as Binh Vuong (King Pacificator (45-950). Ngo ‘Xuong Neap fled to the mountains. His young brother Ngo Xuong Van was ‘then adopted by Binh Vuong. One day, Binh Vuong sent Ngo Xuong Van to crush a revolt in Son Tay Province, But after going halfway there, Ngo Xuong ‘Van came back and forced Binh Vuong down tothe rank of duke. Hau Ngo Vuong (950-965) [Ngo Xuong Van was a good, prudent man. To secure his position, he first established himself as King Nam Tan Vuong. Then he sent for his elder brother [Ngo Xuong Ngap with whom he offered to share the throne. Ngo Xuong Nesp could only concede. He took the ttle of Thien Sach Vuong. Both became known ‘a the Hau Ngo Vuong (later Neo kings) (050-968). In 954, Thien Sach Vuong ied amid numerous revolts leaving to his young sibling the ask of dealing with them alone. Ngo Xuong Xi (965-967) In 965, Nam Tan Vuong was killed in combat. At that time, Vietnam was sinking into total anarchy. Twelve self-appointed governors were fighting among \yrETNAM'S DYNASTIES a themselves, and the Ngo successor, Ngo Xuong Xi (965-967), was unable to jmpose peace. With him, the Ngo dynasty faded away. (CHINA’S NORTHERN SUNG DYNASTY In China, power had passed into the hands ofthe Later Chou. In 960, the last, emperor of the Later Chou named his youngest son a heit, under his mother's regency, but the military disagreed. Hence the senior officers staged a coup {Fetat. They awoke their commander in chief, Chao Kuan Yin, at dawn and, by ‘acclamation, compelled him to don the imperial yellow gowa. Chao Kuan Yin, ‘who came from a distinguished northern family, had served the T'ang faithfully land then the Chou, He refused to do his officers’ bidding unless all of them {ook a vow of absolute obedience 1o him, which they did without realizing they had fallen into his trap. Only when he was on the throne did he unveil his rare ‘wisdom. To prevent any other disturbances, he decided to send into permanent fetirement those who had engineered the coup. During a eolebration party, he ‘complained that he could not sleep at night because his genrals were coveting his throne. Of course, the generals emphatically denied ever having had any such intent, and some even offered to resign to show their god faith. He agreed that life was short and that they should enjoy it with all the wealth he was going tobestow on them. ‘Be happy." he further threatened. They took the hint, and the following day all tendered ther resignations for reasons of health ‘As Emperor Tai Tsu, Chao Kuan Yin inaugurated his eign with clemency foward the deposed dynasty. In the domestic realm, he rlied all conflicting parties. Inthe area of foreign policy, independent states were subdued without ‘much bloodshed. For instance, in 970, the news of an impending invasion of [Nam Han served as @ warning for Dinh Tien Hoang, who hastily declared his ‘hedience to the Chinese Emperor. Tai Tsu generously corfirmed him with the tile of king of Chiao Chi, and his son Nam Viet Vuong was named protector ff Annam, T’ai Tsu (960-976) was the founder of the Sung dynasty. His idea fof unifying China did not derive from any expansionist view, but rather from a sincere desire to have “only one empire under heaven.” His conviction was 0 eeply rooted that to one warlord who begged for independence, he showed {genuine surprise by asking him what his people had done wrong co be excluded {rom the empire. In 976, T'ai Tsu abdicated in favor of his brother, who became Emperor T'ai Tsung. ‘THE DINH DYNASTY Dinh Tien Hoang (968-979) At the end of the Ngo dynasty, among the twelve self-appointed governors ling chaotic Annam, Tran Minh Cong of Thai Binh 2rovince was lucky ough to have secured the services of Dinh Bo Linh. Dinh Bo Linh was an A HISTORY OF VIETNAM distinguished officer whose military prestige dated far back to his childhood, when he repeatedly won tournaments against neighboring youths. After Tran Minh Chau’s death, Dinh Bo Linh moved to the district of Hoa Lu, where he proceeded to recruit troops for his own account, Later, after his victories over the Hau Ngo king, all the governors agreed to enthrone him as King Van Thang ‘Vuong (King of Ten Thousand Victories) Th 968, Dinh Bo Linh took the title of Emperor Tien Hoang De and estab- lished his capital at Hoa Lu. He renamed the country Dai Co Viet. He built many palaces and had five empresses. He appointed his relatives to key posts and made his son, Dinh Lieu, King Nam Viet Vuong. Dinh Tien Hoang parallels China's Shih Huang Ti He not only unified the ‘country but also resorted to barbaric methods to hold it together. In front of his palace, he had huge woks fll of boiling oil in which he made minor lawhteakers swim. Tn his gardens, he kept starving tigers forthe more serious offenders. He boasted having reorganized his army into ten divisions of 100,000 men each. If this seems fr eomoved from the realty of the time, it was a sulicent deterrent for any ambitious contender. Nevertheless, even though his reign was relatively peaceful, when the end came, he did not die in peace. His succession problems were probably the worst in Vietnam’ history, probably because he was the only ‘Viet monarch who practiced polygyny. Each of his five wives was a full-fledged empress. When he nominated as heir his youngest son, Hang Lang, he met with ‘opposition. In addition to the remaining four empresses, his eldest son, King [Nam Viet Vuong, who had been instrumental in helping his father’s career, fle 0 cruelly betrayed that he had his young brother put to death at once. Dinh Ve Vuong (979-980) In 979, a minor palace officer named Do Thich dreamed one night that he had swallowed a mighty dragon, which, according to his fortune-ller, was a revelation of his imperial destiny. Taking his imperil destiny for granted, the foolhardy man killed both Dinh Tien Hoang and Nam Viet Vuong, the emperor and the king. But he was caught by the palace guards, like a petty thief, and ‘was prompily executed. Another one of Dinh Tien Hoang's sons, Dinh Tue, sueeeeded him as Dinh Ve Vuong. ‘THE EARLY LE DYNASTY ‘When he acceded the throne, Dinh Ve Vuong was only six years old and the ‘commander in chief, Le Hoan, a man from the province of Ha Nam, assumed the regency. Besides his military attributes, Le Hoan was also the empress dow= ager’s lover. That incited two loyal dignitaries, Dinh Dien and Nguyen Bac, t0 revolt, Both were killed, In China, Emperor T’ai Tsung decided to take advan- tage of this confusion to resume Chinese domination. That news prompted the ‘Viet generals to enthrone Le Hoan, in order to have a military leader conduct {VIETNAM'S DYNASTIES B the war. OF course, the empress dowager was more than happy to give her consent. So her son, King Dinh Ve Vuong, was demoted and was thereafter talled Phe De (Dethroned King) Le Dai Hanh (980-1005) In 980, Le Hoan became Emperor Le Dai Hanh. The Sung emperor opposed his promotion. The Chinese were aware of his liaison with the empress dowager, and to embarrass both, they demanded that she and her son the young Dinh “Tue, come 10 the Chinese court to pay homage. Even if Le Hoan was ready 10 get rd of the young king, he was in no way willing to lose the boy’s gorgeous ‘mother. So he refused to comply and instead prepared for war. In 981, a com- bined Chinese sea and land force arived in the Red River delta. At that time, the Sung maintained maritime supremacy in the Eastern weld. Le Hoan lost a ‘naval batle on the Bach Dang River, but somehow managed to kidnap and kil the Chinese commander in chief, How Yen Pao (Hau Nhor Bao), thus causing the retreat of the entire Chinese force. Since he had taken two senior generals prisoner, Le Hoan offered to return them in exchange for formal recognition. “The Sung emperor, preoccupied with the Hsiung Nu who vere again atacking the north, had to agree. He granted Le Hoan the tile of governor. In the fol- Towing years, he promoted him to duke and finaly named him Nam Binh ‘Yuong, king of Chiao Chih. Then, asthe Sung waned, Le Koan displayed more and more signs of his independence. Le Dai Hanh was a good ruler, He wiped out the recalcitrant Muong tribes in Thanh Hoa Province and put down other revolts inthe kingdom. He improved oa conditions and transportation. He replaced Chinese currency with Vietnam- ese money. He invaded Champa, razed its capital of Indrapura, and took theit ‘yal ballet troop to Vietnam. Although they did no learn the Cham dance style, the Viet did, at least, share many characteristics of their music. Champa was duced to the state of being a Viet vassal. It had to pay an annual tribute 10 Vieinam, which had become a big power. As such Vietnam would later show its imperialistic nature by carrying out the total extermination of Champa Le Trung Tong (1005) Le Dai Hanh died in 1005, leaving the throne to his third son Long Viet, ‘who took the ttle of Le Trung Tong after a few months of fighting with his siblings. But three days after his coronation, he was muriered by his young brother Le Long Dinh. Le Long Dinh (1005-1009) Le Long Dinh was to be a perfect copy of the infamous Chou Sin of China's ‘Shang dynasty. He was equally ingenious in his choice of vicious amusements™ A HISTORY OF VIETNAM, According to some historians, Le Long Dinh used to wrap people with oiled straw, to which he set fire, or he Sent people to the tops of giant trees which he then felled. He also put them in cages which he immersed in the sea. But what he enjoyed most was cutting sugarcane with a sharp, heavy knife, using the shaved head of a monk as a chopping block. The worst was when he missed, ‘and fe missed more often than not. As for the court, Le Long Dinh had his batfons mock the ministers during cabinet meetings. Finally his sexual excess kept him in bed for the est of his life. His death marked the end of the Early Le dynasty. ‘THE EARLY LY DYNASTY Ly Thai To (1010-1028) With the help of an influential monk, Van Hanh, a senior official named Ly ‘Cong Uan succeeded Le Long Dinh. Ly Cong Uan was from the province of Bac Ninh and had strong Buddhist support since he was the adopted son of ‘another influential monk named Ly Khanh Van, After his enthronement as Em= ‘peror Ly Thai To in 1010, he moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long. (Hanoi). Ly Thai To built pagodas and provided state help to the Buddhist ‘church, He imported copies of the Buddhist book Tepitaka from China. He also ‘changed Le law, reorganized territorial administration, built dykes, and con- structed the canals of Dav Nai and Lam. He improved the economy to such an ‘extent that he could impose taxes on agricultural produets, mulbery trees, mi ‘eral resources, precious woods, rhinoceros horns, elephant tusks, and salt. He ‘engaged close relatives to monitor 1ax collection. In foreign politics, he won recognition from the Sung, asserted his suzeraimty over Champa, and success- fully kept turbulent Cambodia at bay. Ly Thai Tong (1028-1054) ‘When Ly Thai To died in 1028, hs sons started fighting for the crown. Prince Phat Tu came out victorious and became Emperor Ly Thai Tong. Although he pardoned his brothers, he seta new rule to force all officials to come to Thang Long every year to renow their allegiance tothe throne. Those who failed to attend the ceremony were subjected to fifty strokes of the cane. It must have ‘been lethal punishment, for history does not record any absenteeism. Ly Thai ‘Tong appears to have been a good wartir-king. He spent his time repress ‘many revolts, Power was decentralized and cach region was under a local chieta situation that invited nothing but troubles, mostly among the barbarian ‘Muong and Nung tibes who dwelt in the mountainous areas. Champa and Laos also maintained pressure on Vietnam. In 1038, the chief of the Nung tribe, Nung Ton Phuc, called himself Emperor ‘Chieu Thanh Hoang De, his wife Queen Ninh Duc Hoang Hau, and their region _ VIETNAM'S DYNASTIES B the kingdom of Trang Sinh Quoc. The following year, he was put to death by Ly Thai Tong. But one of his sons, Nung Tri Cao, escaped with his mother. In 041, Nung Tri Cao came back to'seize a district in Quang Nguyen Province. +e then proclaimed it the state of Dai Lich. He was captured, but was pardoned because he was the only survivor ofa family that had been exterminated by the Viet. Feeling somewhat guilty, Ly Thai Tong decided to preserve his lineage by appointing him prince of Quang Nguyen Province. In 1048, the recalcitrant ‘Nang Tri Cao revolted again, this time calling himself Emperor Nhan Hue of ai Nam, Having petitioned in vain for recognition from te Sung, he set out swith a vengeance to invade China and succeeded in seizing eight districts. Un- able to dislodge him, the Sung emperor was prepared to as Vietnam for help, but was dissuaded from doing so by his general, Dich Tharh, who, as a mater ‘of national pride, preferred to sendin his own tops. Nung"Tri Cao was finally Gefeated, and took refuge in Ta Li (Yunnan), where he was murdered by the tatives, Actually, the action of the Nung was nota claim to independence but ‘claim to the throne, They believed they shared a commen ancestor with the Vietnamese and therefore Vietnam also belonged to them. 'As for Champa, not only had it ceased to pay annual tribute but also it had ‘resumed its murderous raids. Ly Thai Tong retaliated with a sweeping operation, taking 5,000 men prisoner and capturing thiny elephants, The Champa com= ‘mander surrendered by offering the head of his king. But the Viet repression was so brutal that Ly Thai Tong himself had to stop it by proclaiming martial law. The Viet had stormed the Cham capital of Phat Te in Thua Thien Province and captured the Champa royal consort Mi E, On the way tack to Vietnam, Mi crowned herself inthe river, refusing to serve another man. Besides winning ‘wars, Ly Thai Tong is also credited for having created the postal service. He fave tax breaks 10 veterans and the poor. He forbade the sale of minor slaves ‘and humanized the penal code by regulating arrest and inertogation procedures Penalties had to match the nature and magnitude of the crimes committed. And although oriental monarchs had harems, he limited the nunber of concubines land consorts to thirteen, attendants to eighteen, and musicians and dancers 10 fone hundred. Furthermore, 1o make sure the ladies had no time to devote to palace intrigues, he ordered them w keep busy practicing the art of silk weaving. He died peacefully in 1054, having given Vietnam a period of ri ity. Thanks to his military skll,he succeeded in gaining the respect ofthe Sung emperor. All in all, Ly Thai Tong was a good king. Ly Thanh Tong (1054-1072) Prince Nhat Ton succeeded Ly Thai Tong as Ly Thanh Tong, and Vietnam ‘was renamed Dai Viet. Ly Thai Tong was venerated for his benevolence and his culture, In winter, he made sure that prisoners had enough to eat and to keep warm, One day, during a court audience, he pointed to his daughter and said “Tlove my people as I love my daughter, Because they are not educated, they16 A HISTORY OF VIETN have committed offenses against the Law. From now on, please do not be t harsh on them." He was a superior scholar and was credited for having bui the famous Confucian Temple of Literature. In addition, he was responsible f the reorganization of the amy. He equipped special units with catapults. I 1069, he subdued the raucous Champa and this time captured their king, (Cu. For his ransom, Che Cu had to give away the three Chaus of Dia Ly, Be CChinh, and Ma Linh, which are now the provinces of Quang Binh and Quan ‘Tri (Map 11). This was the frst time Dai Viet had annexed a Cham territory, and marked the beginning of the March to the South. Ly Nhan Tong (1072-1127) Ly Thanh Tong died in 1072. Can Duc, the seven-year-old son of his favoi lady, ¥ Lan, was named to succeed him and was be assisted by a relative the high counselor Ly Dao Thanh. Fearing the empress dowager's inf lover the young emperor, Lady Y Lan advised Can Duc to suppress the empr together with seventy-two of her attendants. This mass murder triggered a uo- ‘mendous reaction from the court. Only the prestige of Ly Dao Thanh could prevent further catastrophe. Can Duc took the tte of Ly Nhan Tong. Thanks {o the loyalty of his high counselor, Ly Nhan Tong was able to rule his cou successfully. His contribution to national education was exceptional. In 1075, he created the first mandarin examination. The next year, he founded the Na tional Institute for the Recruitment of Superior Teachers. In 1086, he open the National Academy with a national examination. The entire administration \was then staffed with scholars who had graduated from thse institutions or with the laureates of government-run competitive examinations In the field of public works, Ly Nhan Tong began construction of the famous Co Xa Dike to protect the capital against flooding. Inthe military fel, those subject to the draft could pay for deferments and allow the government to hire peasants as their replace= ‘ments. This led to the development of peasant-soldiers in villages and districts, Ly Nhan Tong’s economic policy was inspired by the Wang Mang reforms of the end of the early Han. Ly Nhan Tong reorganized finances by promoting the concept of government loans with interes, The government lent to peasant ‘who would pay back their loans with their rice at harvest time. For merchant hhe had a special office inthe capital which not only lent them money but also bought back unsaleable products. These protectionist measures hurt the Chinese ‘merchants, and in protest, they stopped all ade with Vietnam. In retaliation, and for the ist time in history, a Viet army invaded China under the pretense fof protecting the Chinese from their own emperor. In 1075, the Viet general "Thuong Kiet attacked Kwangung, where he killed more than 8,000 people. Another general, Ton Dan, assailed the district of Ung Chau whose chief, T ‘Dam, committed suicide after having forced thirty-six members of his family kill themselves. The entire citadel refused to surrender to the Viet army. ACs 1ETNAMS DYNASTIES 7 ‘cording t0 some reports, the Viet troops massacred some 108,000 Chinese, tiuding the Kwangsi governor, Truong Thu Tiet (CHINA'S SOUTHERN SUNG DYNASTY ‘the Sung emperor's response was unequivocal. In 1076, forthe first time, a ‘sino-Charn-Lao coalition invaded Annam, but it was stopped by Marshall Ly ‘Thuong Kiet. In that protracted campaign, the Chinese ost 400,000 men. Thus when the Viet offered a cease-fire, the Sung emperor readily accepted, leaving ‘only a few troops as garrison in the provinces of Cao Bang and Langson, He enounced the occupation two years lar, when he had to face the Kin invasion. The loss of North China to the Kin barbarians marked the decline of the [Northern Sung, and in 1126 they moved their capital from K’aifeng to Hang chou. This was the beginning of the Southern Sung dynasty. Massive migration fo the south propelled China into a second Golden Age. It wis during the South- fm Sung dynasty that many discoveries occurred, including the application of ‘gun powder to warfare, printing with movable type, which helped proiuce books for the education of the illiterate masses, the improvement of porcelain tech- ‘nology, the development of water power from the spoon and tt hammer, the ‘ater clock for time keeping, and the sundial. In the maritime sector, the pro Iiferton of seagoing junks under the Chinese flag was made possible by the invention of the magnetic compass, new boat-uilding technology, and the in- Iroduction of mule masts, the sculling oar, and treadmill wheels for propul- sion, These marine inventions also allowed the Southern Sung to maintain the ‘mest sophisticated war fleet, armed with catapults and explosive bombs and Capable of carying hundreds of sailors. Unfortunately, Emperor Kao Tsung never followed his generals’ advice to cross the Yangtze and expel the Kins rom North China. (On the cultural side, the Southern Sung dynasty was an age of poetry and Jandscape painting. Women's fashion included foot bindirg, which was sup- posed t0 indicate an aristocratic lineage’ Confucianism was at its zenith. The Social order that had been severely impeded by earlier upteavals in the north ‘vas reestablished. Taoism, wit its cosmology and esoteric alchemy, also played fn important role as did the Wu-Hsing, or five elements, theory of transforma- tion (wood, fire, earth, meta, and water) and the concept of Chi (vital energy). By that ime, the I Ching was the “livre de chevet" of every fortune teller, and the philosophy of li (principle) became the major subject of Chu Hsi's teaching Back in Annam, the ruling dynasty was not free of troubles with Champa. It hhad become a pattern for Annam to periodically enforce authority over that impossible neighbor, and in 1075, Nhan Tong decided to colonize the three Provinces once yielded by Che Cu. But later, helped by a ermer renegade Viet, the Cham again revolted and took back the provinces. In 1104, seventy-year- (ld Marshall Ly Thuong Kiet was sent to crush the Champa King Che Ma Na. Uns he died in 1127, Ly Nhan Tong enjoyed peace, having secured his positionn A HISTORY OF VIETNAM 1 the overlord of the south without any opposition from the Northern Sung, ‘who were still preoccupied withthe invasion of the northern barbarians. Ly Than Tong (1128-1138) Ly Nhan Tong had no male heir and was followed by his nephew Ly Than ‘Tong, who was forunate enough to inherit a quiet succession, He had excellent advisors, But aside from declaring a general amnesty and restituting land to those who had been unjustly deprived, he was not credited with any outstanding achievements. The sia-month rotation for soldiers was certainly a good idea sine it released manpower for farming, but it failed to have a major impact on the economy. Ly Than Tong died atthe age of twenty-thre. His short life put an early end to his ambitions if he ever had any. Ly Anh Tong (1138-1175) Ly Than Tong's three-year-old son Thien To took the ile of Ly Anh Tong. In 1140, 2 man named Than Loi, who claimed to be the natural son of Ly Nnan ‘Tong, claimed the throne. With a retinue of 1000, he managed to seize a few districts and proclaim himself king. But in 1164, the Southern Sung recognized Ly Anh Tong as king of Annam. Aided by his army chief, To Hien Thanh, Ly ‘Anh Tong reorganized the army. Under Ly Anh Tong the frst map of Annam ‘was drawn, He also built a Confucian temple in the capital, Thang Long. Ly Cao Tong (1176-1210) Ly Anh Tong died in 1175, leaving a three-year-old heir, Long Can, under ‘To Hien Thanh's regency. The queen dowager, Chieu Linh, prefered to have her eldest son in power, but failed to obtain the concurence of To Hien Thanh. [Long Can acceded the throne as Ly Cao Tong (1176-1210). His rule was the prelude 10 the end of the dynasty. Leaving the administration of the kingdom this mother's relatives, he spent time in wivial pleasures, building palaces and ‘going hunting. Under false accusations, he executed his chief palace guard, Pham Binh Di. That prompted Quach Boc, one of Pham Binh Di’s lieutenants, to storm the palace, forcing the king and his heir, Prince Sam, to take refuge [Nam Dinh Province. There Prince Sam married the daughter of Tran Ly, arc fisherman who succeeded in helping Ly Cao Tong regain the throne. When, ‘year later, in 1210, Ly Cao Tong died, Prince Sam sueceeded him as King Ly Hue Tong. Ly Hue Tong (1211-1225) Ly Hue Tong named his wife, Tran Thi, fist consort and her brother, Tat ‘Tw Khanh, duke. Later, suspecting Tran Tu Khanh of treason, Ly Hue Tong {VIETNAM'S DYNASTIES n demoted Tran Thi to the rank of royal maid. The queen dowager would have liked t0 have seen her daughter-in-law dead, but she met with the resistance of Ly Hue Tong, who was sill fond of his wife. To protect her against a possible poisoning, he shared with her his personal meals. Finally, nab to endure the fyveen mother's pressure, Ly Hue Tong and ‘Tran Thi sought protection from ran Tu Khanh, ‘Afler Tran Tu Khanh had overpowered the opposition, Ly Hue Tong rees- tablished Tran Thi and Tran Tu Khanh in their positions. Later, at Tran Tu Khanh’s death, Ly Hue Tong appointed Tran Tu Khanh’s cousin Tran Thu Do to replace him. Ly Hue Tong's succession was a serious problem, for he had fo male boi. He did have two daughters, the eldest of whom was married to ‘Tran Liew who was Ly Hue Tong's brother. Ly Chieu Hoang (1224-1225) In 1224, Ly Hue Tong who had become mentally il, named his younger daughter, the seven-year-old Princess Chieu Than, his heir, before retiring t0 fa nearby pagoda as a Buddhist monk. The court would have been opposed t0 the enthronement of a woman if it had not been for Tran Thu Do's idea. He shad probably dictated the king's decision. According to French historians, Tran ‘Thu Do was the Mazarin of the Tran regime. Although of humble origins and without much education, he was able to place Annam on frm ground econom- igally and militarily, allowing it to resist the Mongol invasion later on, Princess Chiew Thanh succeeded her father as Ly Chiew Hoang (‘*King"” (Chieu Hoang). By then, Tan Thu Do had become the lover of the queen mother, ‘Tran Thi, Since he was also her cousin, Tran Thu Do found himself in total conicol. He placed all the ‘Tran family in key positions and in a turn of his ‘Machiavellian mind, assigned his nephew Tran Canh as the Ly Chieu Hoang’ ‘eseort, Six months later, ashe had planned, the king-princess maried Tran Canh, to whom she yielded the throne. So ended the Ly dynasty, ater 215 years of rule. ‘THE EARLY TRAN DYNASTY ‘Tean Thai Tong (1225-1258) ‘Tran Canh was only eight years old owhen he became the first king of the ‘Tran dynasty and took the title of Tran Thai Tong. Acwally, by tradition the litle of Thai To designates the founder ofa dynasty, and the fact that Tran Canh ‘yas assigned the second rank, Thai Tong, implies that Tran Thu Do was the Tounder of the Tran dynasty. Anyway, Tran Thu Do wasted no time in appoint- ing himself grand chancellor with full civil and military powers. Tran Thu Do as shreved and cruel. He had no scruples about eliminating whomever he sus- ected of being a threat to the Tran house. Ly Hue Tong, although now retired80 A HISTORY OF VIETNAM as a harmless monk, was sil considered a serious menace, So Tran Thu Do decided to get rid of him atthe ist opportunity. He went to his pagoda residenge and found him busy weeding his garden. He ssid: “When one removes bad frass, one must also remove all the roots!” Ly Hue Tong took the hint and “T know what you mean!” Then he went into his house and hanged himself, After Ly Hue Tong's suicide, Tran Thu Do demoted his widow, Queen ‘Tran Thi, to the rank of princess so that he could metry her. 'As for Queen Chieu Tong, since she bore no child to Tran That Tong, she ‘was, by Tran Thu Do's order, lowered to the rank of princess and forced 1g ‘marry the king's brother Tran Lieu. As for Tran Lieu’s wife, who was Chieu Tong's sister, she was given to the king, her brother-in-law. Sinee she was pregnant, by the double swap, the succession problem was resolved. But by ‘moral standards, the swap was considered double incest. So the two brothers reacted, Prince Tran Liew rebelled, and King. Tran Thai Tong ran away the palace. A stalemate ensued which Tran Thu Do tuted into a peaceful a rangement between all paties. Prince Tran Lieu was the father of Marshall Tea Hung Dao by his fist wife, Nguyet, and although he had to accept that dishor rable arrangement, he deeply resented it. In his last moment, he asked Tra Hung Dao to avenge his honor. 'As for Tran Thu Do, he remained obsessed by the idea of having the Ly iynasty suppressed, As a consequence, he had the Ly dynastic temple erected ‘vera large pil. When the entre Ly house came to pay their annual respects 0 their ancestors, the building collapsed and all sttendants were buried alive. Those ‘who survived went into hiding and changed their name from Ly to Nguyen. Despite the familial strifes, Tran Thai Tong was wise enough to finally ac cept Tran Thu Do's political dictates. After the turbulent Muong and other mi notity tribes were subdued, Vietnam was reorganized into twelve provine ‘each with their own administration. All kinds of txes were introduced inclu ing a new personal tax. Those who owned up to two hectares of land cultivated with rice would have to pay one quan (ligature) annually, those who owned up to four hectares two quans, and those with over five hectares three quans. addition tothe personal tax, rice farmers had to pay a land tax based on land ‘were paid with government coins. Taxpayers were divided into thee categories by age, Minors were from eighteen to twenty years old; adults were from twenty to sixty years old; and seniors were over sity. Everything was taxed, including areca nuts, betel leaves, and edibles, The penal code was reinforced petty thieves had theie hands cut off; tougher criminals were crushed by el Dhants. “The numerous taxes helped the government offset expenses for public works such as the Red River dikes, and create a special administration in charge of dikes. The armed forees were built up through a draft, and royal relatives wed allowed to raise their own troops. The administration was organized into se arate civil and military bodies, Promotions every ten and fifteen years wet JETNAM'S DYNASTIES mt instituted, respectively, for mandarins and officers. Regarding education, the fist ‘doctoral degree examination took place in 1232. In 1247, doctoral degrees were set in three ranks and covered studies ofthe three religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism. In 1253, the National Institue and the Military Academy ere created for civilians and the military. All the innovations paid off, for fesides having very few troubles, the country was in relaive peace and was gle to resist the Mongol invasion later on. Like all his predecessors, Tran Thai Tong had peremsial problems with “Champa. In 1252, he invaded the southern kingdom and took thousands of prisoners, including the royal concubine. ‘At tha time, the Southern Sung dynasty was bending ander the Mongol, yno had extended their control over all of North China. After the death of “Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan took over at the founder of the Yuan dynasty. In 1257, after the conquest of Yunnan, Kublai Khan sent an envoy to force Tran ‘Thai Tong’s allegiance. The Annam king reacted strongly. Not only did he put ‘the Yuan envoy in jai, but he also dispatched the illustious Marshall Tran ng Dao to defend the northem border. Despite his military ability, Tran Hung Dao was submerged under the Mongol wave and had to take refuge in Son Tay Province. The Mongol commander Wu Leango Tai pushed doven to the capital, Thang Long, prompting Tran Thai Tong to flee to the province of Hung Yen “To the desperate king, Tran Thu Do said “As long as my head has not fallen ‘down, please do not worry.” Fortunately the Mongols, who were used to the {cold northern steppes, could not endure the tropical climate and had to withdraw. ‘ran Thu Do succeeded in having the Mongols accept a Viet triennial tribute 1258, Tran Thai Tong abdicated in favor of his son Tran Hoang. The Court levated him as Thai Thuong Hoang (Highest King) to co-ule with Tran Thai Tong. It would become the custom of Vietnamese rulers to abdicate in favor of “heir designated hers. Such a policy had two purposes. First, the abdicated rulers job traning, and second, their presence was ‘a deterent to any attempt by their othe children to seize power. ‘Tran Thanh Tong (1258-1278) Prince Tran Hoang was enthroned as King Tran Thanh Tong. He was credited carrying out social reform. All the royal family members were ordered 10 te the poor to cultivate theit lands, This set a good example for the rich bourgeoisie as well. Tran Thanh Tong did not face internal roubles, but he did Hhave problems with the Yuan, the Mongol dynasty ruling China. First, he was (0 pay the triennial tribute and to provide, among other things, the. Yuan th best scholars, fortune-tellers, craftsmen, and culinary experts, Tran Thanh, Tong also had to accept the presence of a high censor who did not rule Annam,2 AHISTORY OF VIETN ‘Tran Ich Tac, an outstanding scholar, the privilege of opening new acedemies, ‘one of which was tun by the famous poet Mac Dinh Chi.” Atthe same time, national examination winner, Le Van Huu, completed the first history of Vieto ‘nam, from the Chao dynasty through the last of the Ly. The work was com ‘missioned in 1247 and took twenty-five years to complete Despite his apparent submission, Tran Thanh Tong never faithfully carried ‘oat his tribute to the Yuan. Finally, in 1266 he asked that no more scholars, fortune-telers, ane craftsmen be included inthe tribute, Kublai Khan accepted ‘under the condition that Tran Thanh Tong consent to come and show respect in Peking, send his brother or son as hostage, provide a census of the Viet population, pay taxes, and submit to Chinese military service. Purthermore, the high consor was to be maintained. In response, Tran Thanh Tong used a dilatory approach, claiming that his physical condition prohibited a long trip to Peking. Kublai Khan reacted by asking for the delivery ofthe infamous Ma Yuan col ‘umn. The Chinese envoy came back with the word thatthe monument had been lost. Finally, in 1275, Tran Thanh Tong let the Yuan know that he would na longer accept a “High Censor" because Vietnam was not a barbarian state and therefore needed no supervisor. He wanted the title changed to “High Advisor” ‘Tran ‘Thanh Tong was ready for armed confrontation since his request ‘amounted toa rejection of Chinese authority. Kublai Khan threatened to prepare for an offensive against Vietnam. The Viet king replied by reinforcing his do fense, In 1277, the Highest King Tran Thai Tong died, prompting the monarch ‘Tran Thanh Tong to abdicate in favor of his son Prince Tran Kham, Tran Thanh ‘Tong became the Highest King, and, as was now the tradition, continued to share government responsibilty. ‘Tran Nhan Tong (1279-1293) ‘Tran Kham began his rule as King Tran Nhan Tong in 1279. He inherited @ Jificult situation, Tensions with the Yuan, who were now in complete control ‘of China, resulted in a new series of diplomatic and politcal skirmishes. First the new Chinese ambassador Sai Thong scolded him for assuming the throne ‘without the Yuan emperor's approval. Against court etiquette, Sai Thong boy cotted all hanquets arranged in the ambassador's honor and insisted that Tran [han Tong come with him to Peking. Tran Naan Tong replied that he wi raised in Vietnam and was not accustomed 10 the Chinese climate. In 1282, ‘another Mongol envoy raised the tribute issue. Tran Nhan Tong agreed to send his uncle, Prince Tran Di Ai, to pay homage in his place. The angry Yuan ‘emperor, ia an attempt to topple Tran Nhan Tong, sent Tran Di Ai back ‘Thang Long with the ile of king of Annam. He was escorted by Sai Thong: ‘Tran Nan Tong's troops were waiting for them at the Nam Quan frontier. After fa short clash, Tran Di Ai was captured and Sai Thong fled back to China with 1 Viet arrow in his eye. It was more humiliation than any commoner, let a VIETNAM'S DYNASTIES = the Mongolian emperor, could tolerate. War broke out between the Viets and the Mongols. t was to last for four long years—from 1284 through 1288, ‘Tran Hung Dao and the Mongols In 1284, under the command of a son of Kublai Khan, Toghan (That Hoang), who was assisted by two senior generals, Sogetu (Toa Do) and Omar (O Ma INhi), 500,000 troops arrived at Nam Quan. They asked for passage through Annam, on the pretense of attacking Champa. In response to Tran Nhan Tong's refusal, Sogetu set out for Champa by sea, planning to atuck Annam from the south. Tran Nhan Tong appointed Tran Hung Dao commander in chief of his forces, but he had only 200,000 troops at his command. Because of the ominous imbalance of forces, Tran Nuan Tong wanted to negotiate but it was t00 Tate. He then sought popular consensus and held a referendum at Dien Hong Palace. There, the determination of the elders con- vinced him to accept the Mongol challenge. ‘When the request for passage was denied, Toghan threw off his mask and stormed Langson, forcing Tran Hung Dao to reteat to Chi Lang and Van Kiep. Ac that moment, Tran Nhan Tong suggested surrendering, but Tran Hung Dao {refused and instead issued a Tong proclamation in which be enreated his atmy to follow the example of past Chinese heroes, going back to the time of the Hsia? Aroused by this appeal, all Viet soldiers had the words ‘Death to the Mongols" tattooed on their arms. When the Viet lost Van Kiep, Toghan, at the Sight of those tatoos, retaliated with a general massacre, On their advance to the Red River delta, the Mongols used artillery 10 sweep away the Viels and entered Thang Long without resistance. Tran Nhan Tong, Tran Thanh Tong, and Tran Hung Dao had already left for the region of Tranh Hoa, Inside the pital, the Mongols massacred the entire population, [At his end, Sogetu failed to subdue Champa and moved to join his forces with Toghan’s. Under thei combined pressure, the governor of Nehe Aa, Tran Kien, surrendered, causing the retreat of General Tran Quing Khai. Tran Kien Iheaded for China asa defector, but he was murdered on the way by some unruly Irbes. His relative Le Tae succeeded in escaping and spert the est of his life in China, where he wrote the famous Anam Chi Luve, te history of Annam. ‘The Viet general Tran Binh Trong was captured inthe province of Hung Yen. To Toghan, who hal tried to tempt him by offering hen North Annam, he replied: “I prefer to be a demon in the South than a King in the North” He was consequently beheaded. The situation was desperate. Many prominent dig- nitaries, such as the king's brother Prince Tran Ich Tac, oined the Mongols. But Tran Hung Dao was unshakable. Finally the tide tures. General Tran Nhat Dust, withthe help of a remnant Sung forces, routed the Mongols at Ham Ty, ‘Then two other generals—Tran Quang Khai and Pham Ngu Lao—dislodged Toghan from Chuong Duong and forced him to retreat Bac Ninh, The capital, Thang Long, was liberated. Then Tran Hung Dao encircled Toghan, isolatingAHISTORY OF VIETNAM o fee ese concaeon call ee eee oa Cottier Be a bl cto a poe cee cpa an ‘were preparing for a Se tae eles erotics oe eo eae ee ee ray eens nce Se een Se eee eee eee ee Saeco er ie cree cea ee cae VIETNAM'S DYNASTIES as ‘enterprises, they should be credited for their resistance tothe Mongolian dream ‘of universal domination. In that period, Tran Hung Dao emerged as a legendary figure, comparable to the immortal Kuan Wu of the Three Kingdoms era, Both had given the highest example of loyalty to their king. Tran Hung Dao had resisted the temptation to avenge his father’s honor even though he had the ‘opportunity to do so by seizing the throne. More than his military achievements, his fidelity saved the independence of Vietnam. ‘Tran Anh Tong (1298-1314) In 1200, the Highest King Tran Thanh Tong died. In 1293, Tran Nhan Tong ‘went into semiretrement leaving the throne to his son Tran huyen, who hecame King Tran Anh Tong. Tran Anh Tong's rule was almost free of troubles, for besides Marshall Tran Hung Dao, who was now a living deity, he also had at his service General Tran Quang Khai, the victor of the Chuong Duong battle After the passing of both, he started to experience problems with Laos, king. ddom to the northwest (Map 12) whose people had killed Ly Bon when he relied ‘on their hospitality. The Laos frequently organized raids against Thanh Hoa and Nghe An. They fled when Viet troops appeared and came back when the tops Jeit. Tran Anh Tong finally succeeded in keeping them at bay. Huyen Tran Princess In contrat, relations with Champa had improved to such an extent that Tran [han Tong, the Highest King, was able to do some sightseeing there. He was 0 pleased with the Cham king, Che Man, that he promised to give him in Iarriage his daughter, the exquisite Princess Huyen Tran. When he returned to “Anam, he forgot. Che Man sent an emissary to arrange the wedding, but after ethnocentric considerations the court refused, For the Viets the Chars were a barbarian people. Consequently, they wanted to protect ther princess, whom they compared poctically toa “cinnamon tee, in the middle of the forest. on Which any Man or Muong could climb." ‘To iron out these problems, Che Man had to offer as ational gifts the two Aistriets of © and Ly, an offer Tran Anh Tong could not resist. He promptly ave away his glamorous sister. But she was out of luck, fora year later Che Man died and she had to follow him on the pyre in order “0 comply with the Cham-indian tradition, At this news, Tran Anh Tong expedited a commando Under Tran Khac Chung to take his sister back to Annam. to happened that ‘Tran Khae Chung was her former lover. Princess Huyen Tran boarded his junk, and it took a full year for the journey back home, trip that usually took not ‘more than three months"! Left alone, the Charms were not very happy. The reaction of Che Chi, Che Man's suecessor, was quite understandable. He retook the tw9 districts of O and Ly. So Anh Tong invaded Champa, took Che Chi prisoner and recovered ©oe [AHISTORY OF VIETNAM Map 12 ‘Anam with the Tran, e.1306 ee | VIETNAM'S DYNASTIES a ‘The O and Ly Districts c. 1812 ‘court to his own residence. Awakened, Tran Anh Tong hurried out and on his ‘way ran into a minor scholar named Doan Nhu Hai whom he forced to write a Jong request for pardon. Then he went to his father's residence and kowtowed. ‘The old king read the petition, gave a long sermon, and then pardoned his son Back at his palace, Tran Anh Tong promoted Doan Nhu Hii to a mandarin rank And kept im at his side as his personal advisor, But the beauty was that from then on, Tran Anh Tong ceased to drink and obeyed his faher’s orders, except fon one occasion, when he was instructed to tattoo his thighs with a dragon symbol in accordance with royal tradition. Obviously his aversion for tattoos ‘Was stronger than his love for paintings. He was also a man with an unalterable Sense of humor. When he was terminally ill, his wife sent fora fortune-tllr. Hee brushed her away, paraphrasing Confucius: Since this fortune-tlle is not ‘ead, what does he know about death? Tran Anh Tong's reign was a period of peace and prosperity for Annam. Sted to Neujen Hoang Thuan Hou became the cradle ofthe Ngsyen y= tau Tran Ath Ton gave te Cantons t Che C's bro and ook Ce Chto Anam where despite god testmet fom Tran Ath Tong, he ded of CThaken ear. Although Tran Anh Tong ordered royal funeral for him i Sint enough to ung he hated the Chan harbored ova the Vit "At he sing of he Highest King Tan Nhan Tong in 1304, Tran Aa rong rlingished he throne (0 his Re, Pine Man and rook te tie Fighest King He dict in 130. "Tran ‘Anh Tong ‘was not a flamboyant ruler. He was erudite and trustworthy: re wax mostly man of his word—when i sted Kim, AL he onset of ‘Menten the Highest King Tran Nhan Tong pei a ws his pal, Cau court as present pay homage, but Tan An Tong wa in is oo Sleping off his wine, The Highest King wes 0 fended that he summoned= AHISTORY OF VIETNAM ‘Tran Minh Tong (1314-1329) Prince Manh took the tile of Tran Minh Tong. He was « man of good intent bout had no vision, At the beginning of his reiga, there were sil prominent leaders, such as Pham Ngu Lao, Doan Nhu Hai, Mac Dinh Chi, and Chu Van ‘An. But they were unable to cope with the perennial palace intrigues. Tran Mink ‘Tong had his father-in-law, the famous general Tran Quoe Chan, command his expeditions against Champa. Sinee the queen had not yet bore a son, the court Split into two eamps. One demanded that Prince Vuong, a concubine's son, be named heir the other wished to wait forthe queen to bear a son. Prince Vuong’s party launched a defamation campaign against General Tran Quoc Chan, the father of the queen, accusing him of ploting a coup. As a consequence, General ‘Tran Quoe Chan, the vietor of many campaigns, was thrown in jail and denied food and water. He was so thirsty that his daughter the queen took a shower ‘with her garments on and later extracted water from the cloth for her father to drink, Afterwards, he died, Later Tran Minh Tong was told of his mistake, but there was nothing he could do. In 1329, he tuned the throne aver to Prince ‘Vuong and took the ttle of Highest King. ‘Toan Hien Tong (1329-1341) Prince Vuong was given the name of Tran Hien Tong. He was only ten years ‘ld, so power remained in the hands of his grandfather, Tran Minh Tong, the new Highest King and a cohort of bad advisors. Besides a few skinmishes with ome minority tribes in which his troops were besten more often than not and ‘with Laos in which he lost one of his generals, Tran Minh Tong could secure only temporary periods of peace. Nevertheless, he had a huge commemorative plaque engraved on a rock mountain facing toward Laos stating that while e, the highest king ofthe Tran sixth generation, was on his pacification tour, all Ieaders ofthe Qui, Cam, Xa, and Lac ties ll oyal heirs of Champa, Cambodia, snd ‘Thilo had come and competed to pay homage al excep the shor-sighied Bong, King ‘of Laos, who feared punishment and ad not appeared yet. Inthe winter the Highest ‘King had ordered his generals and ether barbarian warirs to invade enemy triton, and Bong led away with the wind.” “Tran Minh Tong was credited with the abolition of body tattoos, which had in the past gained the Viets the reputation of being barbarians. ‘Tran Du Tong (1341-1369) ‘Tran Hien Tong died in 1341 leaving no heir. The Highest King Tran Minh ‘Tong therefore enthroned his own young brother Hao as Tran Du Tong. As long as the Highest King Tran Minh Tong was alive, Tran Du Tong retained only a VIETNAM'S DYNASTIES ie ‘nominal power. After Tran Minh Tong passed away, many competent ministers ied. The last one, Chu Van An, resigned because Tran Du Tong refused to Jpehead all seven of his opponents. On his own Tran Du Tong did not make good use of his royal power. He began to build palaces lakes, and hills for enjoyment. His palace became a casino where rich bourgeois came to challenge the king a raucous gambling parties, an infamous saloon where wealthy drunk- ards staged drinking tournaments, and a chaotic theater forthe turbulent fans of| base Peking opera produced and played by shameless members of the royal family. Peking opera, called “Hat Bo” by the Viet, had teen introduced by the Chinese singer Ly Nguyen Cat who came to Vietnam with the Mongols. Ly Nguyen Cat stayed after the Mongols left. He founded many schools, and soon “Hat Bo” became a national recreation, Besides theatrical performances, the princes and princesses indulged in such trivial tasks as the cultivation of vegetables on the banks ofthe Lich River, in direct competition with the peasants. They even had ther servants involved in the sale of folding paper fans on the market. As forthe mandarin members of the government, they got their promotions through drinking contests under the king's supervision. The king himself gave performances of his own. During official audiences, when he fel happy, he just got off his throne and danced with his ministers, ‘And since it was so easy to be king, everybody tried. Ngo Be revolted in Hai Duong. At Luong Giang, an adventurer named Nguyen Thanh proclaimed him- self King Linh Duc Vuong, In Nong Cong another, Newyen Ki, called himself ‘King Lo Vuong. The monk Pham Su On and his forces from the district of {Quoc Oai occupied the capital in three days and forced the court to fle to Bac Giang. All these events marked the end of the Tran, Abroad, problems with Champa arose afer the death of their king, Che ‘Acnan, Two factions disputed the throne, and while Bo De took power, his ‘opponent, Che Mo, fled to Annam for help. In 1353, Tra Du Tong sent Che ‘Mo back to Champa with a strong military escort, ‘They were beaten off in ‘Quang Ngai. In 1367, a strong expedition under generals Tran The Hung and Do Tu Binh fell into a Cham ambush. Tran The Hung was capture. In 1369, Tran Du Tong died without a son, But he had named as his heir Duong Nhat Le. Duong Nhat Le was the son of a couple of Hat Bo actors. During an opera performance, Tran Du Tong, had been so attracted by a gor- _geous actress that he had made her his concubine, although she was two months Pregnant. The court, citing illegitimacy, decided to name ‘Tran Du Tong's brother Cung Dinh Vuong to succced him. But the queen mother upheld the late king’s decision, supporting Duong Nhat Le against her own son. After two years of debauchery, Duong Nhat Le killed both the queen mother and Cung, Dinh Vuong, triggering a rebellion from Prince Kinh, As for Prince Cung Tin ‘Vuong Phu, he ran for his life tothe Da Giang region, refusing to join the coup Finally, aking the advice of Ngo Lang, Duong Nhat Le consented to step own. Prince Cung Tinh Vuong Phu, who had declined power, was forcefully%0 AHISTORY OF VIE} ‘enthroned, When Duong Nhat Le came to pay him homage, Prince Cung Tinh Vuong Phu embraced him, wept, and said he never thought things would end tp tike this. The scene was so shocking that Prince Kinh swung his sword Yelling a the new king: “Why at this time do you sill behave a a child?” Then Prince Kinh threw Duong Nhat Le in jail. There, Duong Nhat Le claimed he had been duped by Ngo Lang and so he killed him. Only then did Prince. Gang Tink Vuong Phu agree to the execution of Duong Nhat Le and his son Liew." ‘Tran Nghe Tong (1370-1372) CCung Tinh Vuong Phu became ‘Tran Nghe Tong, a king Vietnam had no need for. After Duong Nhat Le’s execution, his mother fled to Champa, where she tisked for Che Bong Nea's help. King Che Bong Nga was a superb warrior and ft bright politician, In 1368, he demanded the return of the three counties, Dia Ly, Bo Chih, and Ma Linh. Annam's refusal provided him with the pretext for Tmunching incessant raids to which the decadent Viets offered no resistance ‘Under him, Champa had become a redoutable state. in Anna, power wa in the hands of Ho Qui Ly, a royal rel Ly was of Chinese origins. His ancestor, Ho Hung Dat, had come to Annan daring the period of the Five Dynasties. Later, the family moved to Thanh Hoa: He was adopted by Le Huan and became a Le. Ho Qui Ly's father hd two ‘ster, both of whom were married to King Tran Minh Tong. One was d nother of Tran Nghe Tong; the other was the mother of Prince Kin. In 1 ‘Tran Nehe Tong transferred power to his younger brother Prince Kinh a retired as the Highest King.” q ‘Tran Due Tong (1372-1377) Prince Kin became Tran Due Tong. He was married to Queen Le Qui Ly"s cousin. The Cham were sill raiding Annam at heir leisure, and a though Tran Due Tong was more resolute than ‘Tran Nghe Tong, all the po tvas still in the hands of the latter. In 1376, the king of Champa, Che Bo Nes. sent as tribute fiften trays of gold, but Do"Tu Binh, who was then mili governor of Hoa Chav, kept it for himself and reported that Champa had refi {o pay homage. Tran Due Tong decided to retaliate, but the court oppose hi for fear of losing to Che Bong Nga. Tran Due Tong then succeeded in forsit the Highest King Tran Nghe Tong to approve his plan. Then he enrolled th population of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An in hs army and made Do Tw Binh hil Of staff, Before the campaign bogan, Tran Due Tong had Tran Nghe Tong review his troops at Bacl-Hac, Then he moved by sea to reach the mou Nhat Le River in Dong Hoi. There, he paused for more training. n 1377 fs larived in Qui Nhon, and after having seized the two Foresses of Thach Kies tnd Ky Mang, he aliacked Do Ban, the capital of Champa. He perished on th {VIETNAM'S DYNASTIES ai eld and lost seventy percent of his troops. Do Tu Binh and bi nh and his assistant Le ni Ly fed back to Thang Long. where Bo Tu Binh was demoted tothe : 10 Tu Binh was demoted to the ran of private. : ‘Atte news of her husband's death, Queen Le Thi shaved her head and retired 454 mun. Contrary tothe Trans, who were descended from uneducated fisher- ‘nen, Le Qui Ly’s family was more cultured, a¢ was exemplified by the queen ‘Tran Phe De (1377-1388) 1157 te Highest ig Ten Nhe Tong ned Tn Ee Tons Hen ster uci hoi et Ten Poe Dav As alpc beorpecan Tea Se iessiseanpn sone nee I cirri erp lcoacapeneniion ne to Rg Ne ih ag fran se mu ros SE cyte Gmc neve mama ee snes other Cherie @eapanieaytas tateraes ae Bt neal ic Geena sepcNceN gens ae eee eden ee eee Bane tinh eu ie oi siete ec re Fetal th cope of Annas Tran Npbe Tong nog o top forcign gression and ater, when be had trouble withthe Ming was even sane cael alert eons ee es Goma ae Bett tm ofr On sear covrton sad hans ok ea ee cccreannpsepe st tespornipeon ate forces against future atacks. The only thing he did was to go and bury hit tin by mamas op eet ah he Vi ge a pertain terete ‘4 Buddhist monk, Dai Tang Thien Su, and his followers. v END OF THE MONGOLS Bu dynastic decafene had als reached he omnipotent Yan in China. Oi ily, they were a somatic ike whoce sale pecccupation was waging Wa. fist rue, the ferocious Genghis Khan secowded in unifying fl the eg ies ee anaaing te feign asics in tre Lin Hand te Cn They ee etn ee sd ng Beery. nly iodine sts cul este eve ces hrs desiction at hie hands Genghis Khan sed fo sy, "Te geet 5 o conquer one's ences, seize thei property ott aes a2 AMISTORY OF VIETN, tears to ride their horses and to possess their daughters and wives.""” The mere appearance of the disheveled Mongol warriors suliced to sow panic, for by tradition the “Mongols were forbidden to wash or bathe from the cradle to the rave, and also forbidden to wash anything in running water." "The concept of permanent settlements was completely alien to the Mongols, For them, capitals and cities constituted an intolerable infringement on theit nomadic culture. When they first seized a Chinese province, they decided ta exterminate the entire Chinese population and turn the land into pasture to fed their dwarf horses. But to prevent 2 holocaust, Genghis Khan's advisor, a Kitan named Yelu Chu T'sai, suggested making a profit by levying a tx on the Chinese. Genghis Khan readily agreed. The capacity to leam and to adapt was the determining factor in the Yuan's political success. After their conquests in central and western Asia were completed, they turned to South China, wh they overtheew the Southern Sung. But they were not insensitive to the spe ‘of China’s second Golden Age and easly adapted to Chinese sedentary culture 'As a matter of fact, Chinese remained theofficial language forthe affairs of the empire Genghis Khan died in 1227, and Ogodei Khan (1229-1241) was selected by, the Mongols to succeed him. Contact with the West proved to be fatal to tht ‘otherwise good man, Soon he indulged in drinking, but instead of the traditional kumy,! he directed his preference toward grape wine, probably from France, {As a resull, power fll into the hands of his shrewd wife, who actually encour faged him in the dangerous pursuit of personal happiness. Ogodei Khan evens tually died, probably ofa cirhosis. ‘Kublai Khan succeeded him and, in 1257, annexed Yunnan and Burma wih ‘out major problems. He was enthroned in 1260 as the fist emperor of the Yuan dynasty of China, He was a wise ruler and had an extraordinary gift for ier national diplomacy. After having given free rein to both Confucianism and Ta ‘sm, he welcomed Buddhism as the third leg of the religious tripod which ‘used to secure the stability of his empire. He also opened the doors to foreigners. ‘Among them, Marco Polo was the most trusted—he served in Kublai Khan's civil sorvice from 1271 through 1297 Because many of his military campaigns did not reach pos Kublai Khan did not reach Genghis Khan's stature. His aggression against Ja jn 1281 turmed out o be a total disaster. His eet was half destroyed by a storm, ‘and the troops that succeeded in reaching the coast were hacked to the last hardy samurai, He was no luckier three years later in Java. Prom 1283 to I Kubiai Khan's expeditions against Champa were mere frustration, and as have seen, in 1287 he finally got kicked out by Annam, "Nevertheless, the Mongols had conquered enough land to experience admins istrative problems, Decentralization had to be caried out, which ultim ‘weakened the eentzal authority. Expansion to the west under the ‘T'ang had China in ditect contact with Islam, In 756, more than 4.000 Arab mercenat Joined the Chinese against the Turkish rebel An Lu Shan, Alter the war, {VIETNAM'S DYNASTIES % emained in western China to found Islamic communities. Yunnan not only converted to the new religion, but rejected allegiance to the Yuan because they ‘were Buddhist. That Yunnan secession completed the patter of decay that led to the end of the Yuan dynasty in China Underneath, there was also the silent opposition of the shih, the class of scholars who had been kept away from administrative posts and now found themselves in the midst of popular unrest. In spite of a late decision allowing them to take part in national examinations for public servic, the will of heaven had changed andthe shi rallied the malcontents. The last Yuan emperor, Togan Timur, thought nothing would be better than a total holocaust for his Chinese subjects. The Chinese reached the same conclusion about their rulers. Secret societies mushroomed. Most were of Taoist inspiration, suchas the White Lotus. (Other independent groups also emerged, some made famous by the world re- owned author Kim Dung in his 1960s novels "The peasants, led by Chu Yuan Chung, revolted. In 1368, on the occasion of the mid-Autumn festival, tracts reading “*Death to the Mongols” were inserted ito the traditional eakes which were cut in every house at te time ofthe rising ‘noon. When the papers were discovered, each Chinese fail slew its Mongol guess. Throughout China there was immense carnage, to which the last Yuan ‘emperor responded by fleeing back to Karakorum, his ancestal home. The Mon- gol adventure in China had lasted 108 years UNDER THE MING DYNASTY ‘Chu Yuan Chung proclaimed himself Emperor Hung Wu and began the Ming

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