History is…
…a collective diary recording a
nation’s important events
…a mirror reflecting on our
ancestors
…a light shining upon our
grandparents, those bold forefathers and mothers who secured a place under the
sun for us, their grandchildren.
Let’s explore the history of the
Lạc Việt people to find our roots and know ourselves.
A river flowing for more than 4,000 years
The Vietnamese people proudly claim that theirs is a civilization going back 4,000 years. Indeed, literature suggests that Vietnam’s first ruler, King Hùng, came to power around the year 2879 B.C. Not yet known as Vietnam, the nation was referred to as Văn Lang some time after Hùng reigned, certainly by 258 B.C.
It is unfortunate that China dominated the country for thousands of years: in the process, the invader destroyed countless historical relics (a pattern of action China continues today). Therefore much of Vietnam’s ancient history remains shrouded in obscurity.
A story written in blood, sweat,
and tears
The Vietnamese trace their
origins to the Lạc Việt of the Red River Delta. Emerging from a group of tribes
called the Bách Việt, the Lạc Việt and subsequently the Vietnamese nation
suffered under the domination of its giant
neighbor China for 1,030 years. Yet step by step, Vietnam gained independence
and even succeeded in expanding its territory.
Rebellions, documented as far
back as 40 A.D., tended to be poorly organized or merely symbolic. The two Trưng
sisters reigned as queens for only three years. Bà Triệu, the Vietnamese “Joan
of Arc,” resisted Chinese occupation for six months before her death in 248. Lý
Nam Đế founded the Tiền Lý dynasty, which
lasted fifty-eight years (544-602). Following this were the unsuccessful
revolts of Mai Hắc Đế (722) and Bố Cái Đại
Vương (791). Khúc Thừa Dụ achieved self-governance for seventeen years
(906-923), Dương Đình Nghệ for six (931-937).
In 938, Ngô Quyền defeated the
Chinese army at the battle of the Bạch Đằng River, beginning a significant era
of self-rule.
Of course, Đại Việt (as Vietnam was called at the time) still had to pay tribute to the Chinese emperor and
often had to fight back Chinese incursions:
- Trần Hưng Đạo twice chased the Nguyên/Mongolian army under Kublai Khan out of the country, the second time also at the Bạch Đằng River;
- Lê Lợi fought for ten years after Hồ Quí Ly left the country in the hands of the Ming dynasty;
- Quang Trung (Nguyễn Huệ) overcame the Thanh army and entered the city of Thăng Long for Tết in 1789. After this, China did not “dare” invade Vietnam again until 1979.
- Trần Hưng Đạo twice chased the Nguyên/Mongolian army under Kublai Khan out of the country, the second time also at the Bạch Đằng River;
- Lê Lợi fought for ten years after Hồ Quí Ly left the country in the hands of the Ming dynasty;
- Quang Trung (Nguyễn Huệ) overcame the Thanh army and entered the city of Thăng Long for Tết in 1789. After this, China did not “dare” invade Vietnam again until 1979.
One hundred years of French colonization
From
the mid 18th century and a hundred years onward, Western
Europe and North America experienced the Industrial Revolution, an era of booming
development. Vietnam, in contrast, remained
conservative, trapped in Confucianism, its society divided into four classes:
Sĩ, Nông, Công, and Thương (Scholar, Peasant, Artisan and Merchant). By forbidding foreigners to trade and choosing to
persecute Christian missionaries, Vietnam gave France a convenient excuse to
intervene militarily... and Vietnam, by limiting its people’s knowledge,
weakened its own chances for resistance.
In 1858 the French navy landed in Đà Nẵng and
started an era of French colonial rule that lasted until 1954.
Three hundred years of civil war
During periods without foreign invasions,
the country often endured the torment of civil wars.
Twelve Warlord’s War (966-968) Twelve powerful warlords battled,
keeping the country divided until one warlord’s adopted son, Đinh Tiên Hoàng,
unified the factions and declared himself emperor.
North South Civil War (1528-1802)
meant 274 years of misery for the Vietnamese people.
- North Court-South Court (1528-1592): one country, two kings: Mạc of the
North Court and Lê of the South Court
- North-South (1627-1775): one king (Lê), two lords (Trịnh in the North and Nguyễn
in the South).
- Tay Son Uprising (1771-1778) Nguyễn Huệ eventually defeated both Trịnh and
Nguyễn and ascended the throne
(1778-1802). He, in turn, was toppled by Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (Gia Long).
War of Ideology: The Democratic
Republic of Vietnam – The Republic of Việtnam (1955-1975)
In 1954 the French went down to defeat at Dien Bien Phu. A ceasefire was declared, and three parties met to sign the Geneva Treaty: the French, the north (the Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and the south (temporarily called the State of Vietnam). Vietnam was divided into two countries at the 17th parallel. The Social Republic of Vietnam was led by Ho Chi Minh, the south by Nationalists. After two years and a complete withdrawal of French troops, both regions were to hold elections to unify the country. During the withdrawal, nearly one million Northerners fled to the South.
In 1955, Ngô Đình Diệm won the referendum allowing him to become first Head of State, then President of the First Republic of Vietnam. War exploded between the two ideals: Freedom versus Communism. The South was supported by the US and Allied forces, the Communist North by China and the Soviet Union.
In 1954 the French went down to defeat at Dien Bien Phu. A ceasefire was declared, and three parties met to sign the Geneva Treaty: the French, the north (the Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and the south (temporarily called the State of Vietnam). Vietnam was divided into two countries at the 17th parallel. The Social Republic of Vietnam was led by Ho Chi Minh, the south by Nationalists. After two years and a complete withdrawal of French troops, both regions were to hold elections to unify the country. During the withdrawal, nearly one million Northerners fled to the South.
In 1955, Ngô Đình Diệm won the referendum allowing him to become first Head of State, then President of the First Republic of Vietnam. War exploded between the two ideals: Freedom versus Communism. The South was supported by the US and Allied forces, the Communist North by China and the Soviet Union.
Following the
1973 Paris agreement, US troops withdrew from Vietnam.
On April 30,
1975, Saigon fell. President Dương Văn Minh announced his unconditional
surrender.
For the four
million Vietnamese exiles, the history of Vietnam ends there.
The March South
Around the year 1000, the
territory of Đại Việt included the Red River Delta and deltas of the north
central coast. The Gianh River marked the
country’s southernmost boundary. Expansion was blocked eastward by the sea,
westward by the Trường Sơn Mountains (also known
as the Annamite Range), and northward by China’s military might. However,
a growing population demanded more land—specifically flat, well-irrigated fields
suitable for rice farming.
The most part of expansion happened during the civil war when the south based Nguyễn lords had to expand their territories.
The most part of expansion happened during the civil war when the south based Nguyễn lords had to expand their territories.
The Vietnamese gradually moved south
along the narrow coastal plains, conquering or assimilating other peoples along
the way. The Đại Việt people assimilated Champa (a collection of polities
extending along Vietnam’s current central and southern coasts), invaded Chân Lạp
(part of Cambodia) and put the Central Highland territory on the national map.
By approximately 1760, Vietnam had achieved its present-day borders.
By approximately 1760, Vietnam had achieved its present-day borders.
Vietnamese
Dynasties
|
Official
Country Name |
Hồng Bàng (2879-258 B.C.) dynasty - King
Hùng
|
Văn Lang
|
Thục (An Dương Vương) (258-207 B.C.)
|
Âu Lạc
|
Triệu (207-111 B.C.)
|
Nam Việt
|
Trưng Vương (40-43 A.D.)
|
|
Lý Nam Đế (Lý Bí or Lý Bôn) - Tiền Lý dynasty (544-602)
|
Vạn Xuân
|
Ngô Quyền – Ngô dynasty (939-965)
|
|
Đinh Tiên Hoàng – Đinh dynasty
(968-980)
|
Đại Cồ Việt
|
Lê Đại Hành - Tiền Lê dynasty
(980-1009)
|
|
Lý Thái Tổ - Lý dynasty (1010-1225)
|
Đại Việt
|
Trần Thái Tông - Trần dynasty
(1225-1400)
|
|
Hồ Quí Ly and son (1400-1407)
|
Đại Ngu
|
Hậu Trần dynasty (1407-1413)
|
|
Lê
Thái Tổ (Lê Lợi) - Hậu Lê dynasty (1385-1527)
|
Đại Việt
|
Mạc Đăng Dung - Mạc dynasty
(1527-1592)
|
|
Lê dynasty restored
(1533-1788)
|
|
Nguyễn
Nhạc - Tây Sơn dynasty (1778-1802)
|
|
Nguyễn dynasty (1802-1945) :
|
|
-
Gia Long (Nguyễn Phúc Ánh) (1804-1839)
|
Việt-Nam
|
-
Minh Mạng (1839-1983)
|
Đại Nam
|
-
Bảo Đại
(last
emperor)
|
Vietnam
|
A heroic history
Originating in southern China, our
ancestors, the Lạc Việt, slowly grew into a strong people who fought off foreign
invaders and expanded their territory. Vietnam is an undaunted nation that caused
countries as big as China to falter and
as powerful as France to retreat.
The Vietnamese people have
endured more than a thousand years of domination without being assimilated. The influence of China is not
small, but we retain unique characteristics of language, culture and the arts.
Let us wish our people will always
keep the pride of being "the sons and daughters of the dragon and the fairy”
from the legendary time of Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ.
Read also:
- The Nation and the People of Vietnam
http://phu-tran.blogspot.com/2017/04/quoc-gia-viet-nam-va-dan-toc-viet.html
- All about Vietnamese names
http://phu-tran.blogspot.com/2017/03/all-about-vietnamese-names.html
- The Nation and the People of Vietnam
http://phu-tran.blogspot.com/2017/04/quoc-gia-viet-nam-va-dan-toc-viet.html
- All about Vietnamese names
http://phu-tran.blogspot.com/2017/03/all-about-vietnamese-names.html
- Let’s celebrate Vietnamese Tet
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