List of Vietnamese dynasties

Prior to the abdication of Bảo Đại on 25 August 1945 during the August Revolution, Vietnam was ruled by a series of dynasties of either local or Chinese origin. The following is a list of major dynasties in the history of Vietnam.

Background

=Naming convention=

In Vietnamese historiography, dynasties are generally known to historians by the family name of the monarchs. For example, the Đinh dynasty ({{lang|vi|Nhà Đinh}}; {{vi-nom|}}) is known as such because the ruling clan bore the family name {{lang|vi|Đinh}} ({{vi-nom|丁}}).

Similar to Chinese dynasties, Vietnamese dynasties would adopt a {{lang|vi|quốc hiệu}} ({{vi-nom|}}; "name of the state") upon the establishment of the realm. However, as it was common for several dynasties to share the same official name, referring to regimes by their official name in historiography would be potentially confusing. For instance, the {{lang|vi|quốc hiệu}} "{{lang|vi|Đại Việt|italic=no}}" ({{vi-nom|}}) was used by the Lý dynasty (since the reign of Lý Thánh Tông), the Trần dynasty, the Later Trần dynasty, the Later Lê dynasty, the Mạc dynasty, and the Tây Sơn dynasty.

In the Vietnamese language, the word for "dynasty" may be written as either {{lang|vi|nhà}} ({{vi-nom|}}) or {{lang|vi|triều}} ({{vi-nom|}}) depending on the context. The former is generally used to denote the ruling family whereas the latter refers to the dynastic regime. For instance, the Mạc dynasty can be rendered as "{{lang|vi|Nhà Mạc}}" ({{vi-nom|}}) or "{{lang|vi|Mạc triều}}" ({{vi-nom|}}).

=Origin of dynasties=

Apart from over one millennium of direct Chinese rule, Vietnam was ruled by a series of "local" dynasties, although some of which could have their origins traced to China.

The founder of the legendary Hồng Bàng dynasty, Lộc Tục, was recorded as a descendant of the mythical Chinese ruler Shennong.{{cite book|last1=Vu|first1=Hong Lien|title=Rice and Baguette: A History of Food in Vietnam|year=2016|publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=9781780237046|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UJGEDQAAQBAJ&q=Hồng+Bàng+dynasty+shennong&pg=PT49}}

According to two historical Vietnamese texts, the Complete Annals of Đại Việt and the Imperially-commissioned Annotated Text Reflecting the Complete History of Việt, Thục Phán of the Thục dynasty was from Sichuan, China, which was previously under the rule of the ancient Chinese State of Shu.[https://books.google.com/books?id=rCl_02LnNVIC&dq=an+duong+vuong+shu&pg=PA19 Taylor (1983), p. 19][https://books.google.com/books?id=qB21AAAAIAAJ&q=In+257+B.C.+An+Duong+Vuong+dethroned+the+last+Hung+king,+and+the+kingdom+of+Van+Lang+ceased+to+exist.+Traditional+Vietnamese+historiography+relates+that+An+Duong+Vuong+came+from+Pa+Shu+(usually+thought+to+be+in+modern+Sichuan). Asian Perspectives, Volume 28, Issue 1 (1990), p. 36]

The Triệu dynasty, established by Zhao Tuo from the Chinese Qin dynasty,{{cite book|last1=Wicks|first1=Robert|title=Money, Markets, and Trade in Early Southeast Asia: The Development of Indigenous Monetary Systems to AD 1400|year=2018|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jFpdDwAAQBAJ&q=zhao+tuo+chinese&pg=PA27|page=27|publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=9781501719479}}{{cite book|last1=Walker|first1=Hugh|title=East Asia: A New History|year=2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GBvRs-za0CIC&q=zhao+tuo+chinese&pg=PA107|page=107|publisher=AuthorHouse |isbn=9781477265178}} was considered an orthodox local regime by traditional Vietnamese historiography. However, modern Vietnamese historians generally regard the Triệu dynasty to be a foreign regime that ruled Vietnam.Yoshikai Masato, "Ancient Nam Viet in historical descriptions", [https://books.google.com/books?id=QKgraWbb7yoC Southeast Asia: a historical encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor], Volume 2, ABC-CLIO, 2004, p. 934.

The founder of the Early Lý dynasty, Lý Bôn, was descended from Chinese refugees who fled Wang Mang's seizure of power in the final years of the Western Han in China.[https://books.google.com/books?id=rCl_02LnNVIC&pg=PA135 Taylor (1983), p. 135]Walker (2012), p. 134 {{Google books|GBvRs-za0CIC|East Asia: A New History|page=134}}Catino (2010), p. 142 {{Google books|EL4wX0AFVJEC|The Aggressors: Ho Chi Minh, North Vietnam, and the Communist Bloc|page=142}}Kohn (2006), p. 308 {{Google books|OIzreCGlHxIC|Dictionary of Wars|page=320}}Coedès (1966), pp. 45–46 {{Google books|qgrAFlAC4-QC|The Making of South East Asia|pages=45–46}}Lockhart (2010), p. 221 {{Google books|NYu4JuWyhNcC|The A to Z of Vietnam|page=221}}West (2009), p. 870 {{Google books|pCiNqFj3MQsC|Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania|page=870}}

The first emperor of the Lý dynasty, Lý Công Uẩn, could have his paternal bloodline traced to modern-day Fujian, China.{{cite book|author=Le Minh Khai (Liam Kelley Professor of Vietnam History at University of Hawaii at Manoa)|title=The Stranger Kings of the Lý and Trần Dynasties|url=https://leminhkhai.wordpress.com/2013/09/07/the-stranger-kings-of-the-ly-and-tran-dynasties/|access-date=2019-10-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311063214/https://leminhkhai.wordpress.com/2013/09/07/the-stranger-kings-of-the-ly-and-tran-dynasties/|archive-date=2016-03-11|url-status=dead}}

{{Quotation|Dream Pool Essays volume 25

Classical Chinese

— 夢溪筆談卷25{{Wikisourcelang-inline|zh|夢溪筆談/卷25}}}}{{in lang|zh-hans}} [http://www.fjsen.com/d/2010-10/12/content_3755527.htm 千年前泉州人李公蕴越南当皇帝越南史上重要人物之一]{{in lang|zh-hans}} [http://www.qzwb.com/gb/content/2008-12/18/content_2975986.htm 两安海人曾是安南皇帝有关专家考证李公蕴、陈日煚籍属晋江安海]{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of the Chinese Overseas|pages=228|author=Lynn Pan|year=1998|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=0674252101}} Lý Công Uẩn's father, Lý Thuần An, escaped to Quanzhou from Hebei after Lý Công Uẩn's grandfather, Li Song, was wrongly accused of treason and executed by the Emperor Yin of Later Han.{{in lang|vi}} [https://nghiencuulichsu.com/2017/01/22/ban-ve-than-the-cua-ly-cong-uan/ Origin of Lý Thái Tổ]{{cite web| url=http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2018/05/ethnic-origin-of-kinh-in-vietnam.html | title=Ethnic origin of Kinh in Vietnam }}

The origin of the Trần dynasty was traced to modern Fujian, where the ancestor of the Trần imperial clan, Trần Kính, migrated from in the 11th century CE.{{cite web| url=http://www.baomoi.com/ham-sac-to-trung-tu-tu-hai-minh/c/10426418.epi | title=Ham sắc, Tô Trung Từ tự hại mình | access-date=2017-09-03}}{{cite web| url=http://www.bienkhoi.com/so-26/nha-tran.htm | title=Nhà Trần khởi nghiệp | access-date=2017-09-03}} The Later Trần dynasty was ruled by the same imperial clan as the earlier Trần dynasty.

The Hồ dynasty was ruled by the Hồ family which migrated from present-day Zhejiang, China to Vietnam under the leadership of Hồ Hưng Dật during the 10th century CE. The Hồ dynasty claimed descent from the Duke Hu of Chen, the founder of the ancient Chinese State of Chen.{{cite book|author=K. W. Taylor|title=A History of the Vietnamese|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P2HP31kOSA4C&pg=PA166|date=9 May 2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-87586-8|pages=166–}}{{cite book|author=Kenneth R. Hall|title=Secondary Cities and Urban Networking in the Indian Ocean Realm, C. 1400-1800|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gyPjBevBHxcC&pg=PA161|year=2008|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-0-7391-2835-0|pages=161–}} The Duke Hu of Chen was in turn descended from the legendary Emperor Shun, who was recognized by Hồ Quý Ly as the progenitor of the Hồ imperial family.{{cite book|last1 = Trần|first1 = Xuân Sinh|title = Thuyết Trần|year = 2003|page = 403|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X4JuAAAAMAAJ&q=%22%C4%91%E1%BA%A1i+ngu%22|quote=...Quý Ly claims Hồ's ancestor to be Mãn the Duke Hồ [Man, Duke Hu], founding meritorious general of the Chu dynasty, king Ngu Thuấn's [king Shun of Yu] descendant, created his country's name Đại Ngu...}}{{cite book|last1 = Trần|first1 = Trọng Kim|author-link1=Trần Trọng Kim|title = Việt Nam sử lược | year = 1919 | volume = I | chapter = I.III.XI. | url=http://vi.wikisource.org/wiki/Việt_Nam_sử_lược/Quyển_I/Phần_III/Chương_XI | quote=Quí Ly deposed Thiếu-đế, but respected [the relationship] that he [Thiếu Đế] was his [Quí Ly's] grandson, only demoted him to prince Bảo-ninh {{lang|zh|保寧大王}}, and claimed himself [Quí Ly] the Emperor, changing his surname to Hồ {{lang|zh|胡}}. Originally the surname Hồ [{{lang|zh|胡}} Hu] were descendants of the surname Ngu [{{lang|zh|虞}} Yu] in China, so Quí Ly created a new name for his country Đại-ngu {{lang|zh|大虞}}.}} Accordingly, the Hồ dynasty adopted the official {{lang|vi|quốc hiệu}} "{{lang|vi|Đại Ngu|italic=no}}" ({{vi-nom|}}; "Great Ngu"); "Ngu" was derived from the Emperor Shun's lineage name, Youyu ({{lang|zh-Hant|有虞}}). Rulers of the Tây Sơn dynasty, initially surnamed {{lang|vi|Hồ}}, were descended from the same line as the Hồ dynasty.{{cite book|title=Social Issues in Area Studies Perspectives: Theory and Cases|year=2010|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JFTLOJxfh14C&q=Nguyễn+Nhạc+descendants+of+Hồ+Hưng+Dật|page=112|publisher=Research Center for Regional Resources (PSDR), Indonesian Institute of Sciences |isbn=9789797995447}}

=Familial relations among dynasties=

Several Vietnamese dynasties were related:

Dương Vân Nga was originally an empress consort of Đinh Tiên Hoàng, the founder of the Đinh dynasty; she later became an empress consort of Lê Hoàn, the founder of the Early Lê dynasty
Lê Thị Phất Ngân, the empress consort of Lý Thái Tổ, the founder of the Lý dynasty, was the daughter of Lê Hoàn and thus originally a princess of the Early Lê dynasty
The final monarch of the Lý dynasty, Lý Chiêu Hoàng, was the spouse of Trần Thái Tông, the founder of the Trần dynasty. Later on, he would marry her elder sister, Princess Lý Oánh, the biological mother of Trần Thánh Tông.
Hồ Quý Ly, the founder of the Hồ dynasty, was the maternal grandfather of Trần An, the last emperor of the Trần dynasty
Giản Định Đế, the founder of the Later Trần dynasty, was a son of the ninth Trần monarch, Trần Nghệ Tông; he was also an older brother of the 12th emperor of the Trần dynasty, Trần Thuận Tông
The Primitive Lê dynasty and the Revival Lê dynasty are collectively called the Later Lê dynasty; the founder of the Revival Lê dynasty, Lê Trang Tông, was a son of Lê Chiêu Tông, the 11th Primitive Lê emperor
The ruling house of the Tây Sơn dynasty was descended from the same paternal ancestor as the Hồ dynasty
Gia Long Đế, the founder of the Nguyễn dynasty, was a paternal grandson of Nguyễn Phúc Khoát, the eighth Nguyễn lord

=Champa=

Champa ({{lang|vi|Chăm Pa}}; {{vi-nom|占婆}}) existed as an independent polity until its annexation by the Nguyễn dynasty in 1832 CE, thereby laying the foundation for the territories of the modern Vietnamese state. Most of the rulers of Champa were of Cham descent, an Austronesian ethnic group distinct from the majority Kinh ethnicity of Vietnam.

There were 15 dynasties in the history of Champa. According to Chinese historical sources, Champa officially used the {{lang|vi|quốc hiệu}} "{{lang|vi|Lâm Ấp|italic=no}}" ({{vi-nom|林邑}}) from the 1st to 4th dynasties, "{{lang|vi|Hoàn Vương|italic=no}}" ({{vi-nom|環王}}) during the 5th dynasty, and "{{lang|vi|Chiêm Thành|italic=no}}" ({{vi-nom|占城}}) from the 6th to 15th dynasties.

List of dynasties in Vietnamese history

This list includes the various dynasties in the history of Vietnam, of both local and Chinese origins. Dynasties of China that ruled Vietnam are highlighted in orange. The Triệu dynasty is highlighted in light orange due to its disputed status.

class="wikitable" style="width:1100"
colspan="2"\|Dynasty !colspan="3"\|Period of rule !rowspan="2"\|Status{{efn\|name="Status"\|The status of a dynasty was dependent upon the supreme title bore by its monarch at any given time. For instance, since all monarchs of the Ngô dynasty held the title of king during their reign, the Ngô dynasty was of royal status.}} !colspan="4"\|Rulers
Historiographical name {{small\|(English / Chữ Quốc ngữ / Hán Nôm)}} !Official name{{efn\|name="OfficialName1"\|The official dynastic name, or {{lang\|vi\|quốc hiệu}} (derived from the Chinese equivalent {{transliteration\|zh\|guóhào}}), functioned as the formal name of the state during the respective period.}} {{small\|(Chữ Quốc ngữ / Hán Nôm)}} !From !To !Term !Surname !First to rule{{efn\|name="Founder"\|In the case of Vietnamese dynasties, the monarchs listed were the de facto founders of dynasties. However, it was common for Vietnamese monarchs to posthumously honor earlier members of the family as monarchs. For instance, while the Trần dynasty was officially established by Trần Thái Tông, four earlier members of the ruling house were posthumously accorded imperial titles, the most senior of which was Trần Kinh who was conferred the temple name {{lang\|vi\|Mục Tổ}} ({{vi-nom

class="wikitable" style="width:1100"

colspan="2"|Dynasty

!colspan="3"|Period of rule

!rowspan="2"|Status{{efn|name="Status"|The status of a dynasty was dependent upon the supreme title bore by its monarch at any given time. For instance, since all monarchs of the Ngô dynasty held the title of king during their reign, the Ngô dynasty was of royal status.}}

!colspan="4"|Rulers

Historiographical name
{{small|(English / Chữ Quốc ngữ / Hán Nôm)}}

!Official name{{efn|name="OfficialName1"|The official dynastic name, or {{lang|vi|quốc hiệu}} (derived from the Chinese equivalent {{transliteration|zh|guóhào}}), functioned as the formal name of the state during the respective period.}}
{{small|(Chữ Quốc ngữ / Hán Nôm)}}

!From

!To

!Term

!Surname

!First to rule{{efn|name="Founder"|In the case of Vietnamese dynasties, the monarchs listed were the de facto founders of dynasties. However, it was common for Vietnamese monarchs to posthumously honor earlier members of the family as monarchs. For instance, while the Trần dynasty was officially established by Trần Thái Tông, four earlier members of the ruling house were posthumously accorded imperial titles, the most senior of which was Trần Kinh who was conferred the temple name {{lang|vi|Mục Tổ}} ({{vi-nom

}) and the posthumous name {{lang|vi|Ý Hoàng Đế}} ({{vi-nom|}}).}}{{efn|name="Rule"|In the case of Chinese dynasties that ruled over Vietnam, the first and last monarch to rule Vietnam could be different from the founder and the final monarch of the particular dynasty. For instance, while the first and last monarch of the Ming dynasty to rule over Vietnam was the Yongle Emperor and Xuande Emperor respectively, the actual founder of the Ming dynasty was the Hongwu Emperor and the actual final Ming monarch was the Chongzhen Emperor.}}

!Last to rule{{efn|name="Rule"}}

!List

|{{big|Hồng Bàng dynasty}}
{{lang|vi|Hồng Bàng thị}}
{{vi-nom|}}

|{{small|2879–2524 BCE:}}
{{lang|vi|Xích Quỷ|italic=no}}
{{vi-nom|}}

|2879 BCE

|258 BCE

|2621 years

|Royal

List of Vietnamese dynasties

Background

=Naming convention=

=Origin of dynasties=

=Familial relations among dynasties=

=Champa=

List of dynasties in Vietnamese history

Timeline of dynasties in Vietnamese history

See also

Notes

References