THE NGUYEN DYNASTY
The Nguyen Dynasty was the last monarchy in Vietnamese history. It was founded after Nguyen Anh (Gia _ong) ascended the throne in 1802 and ended when Bao Dai abdicated in 1945, lasting a total of 143 years. The Nguyen Dynasty marked a turbulent period in Vietnam’s history, especially the French invasion in the mid-19th century.
1/ THE YUAN DYNASTY IS DIVIDED INTO TWO BASIC PHASES:
1/Autonomy period (1802 – 1884):
From 1802 to 1884, the Nguyen kings held full autonomy to manage the country, through 4 kings:
Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri and Tu Duc. From the 1850s, some Vietnamese intellectuals realized the stagnation and backwardness of the country and demanded to learn from the West to develop industry, trade, military reform and diplomacy. However, they were only a minority, while the majority of Nguyen Dynasty officials and scholars were not aware of the importance of reforming and opening up the country. Therefore, Tu Duc was not determined to implement these proposals. Dai Nam gradually became stagnant, backward and faced
the risk of being invaded by European colonialists. 2/ The period of occupation (1884 – 1945):
From 1884 to 1945, Dai Nam was invaded and occupied by France, starting when the French army attacked Da Nang port (1858).
II/ ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:
The official system and organization of the central government:
Below the king are the Four Pillars of the Court (4 Grand Scholars) and the institutes and bureaus. Officials are divided into 9 ranks, the highest being the first rank, and the ranks and positions are clearly defined.
Six ministries, each headed by a Minister, are responsible for directing the general affairs of the State. The six ministries include: the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Public Works. In addition to the 6 ministries, there is also the Censorate (also known as the Censorate, consisting of 6 departments) along with a number of other offices and bureaus.”
III/ MILITARY:
The regular army had 140,000 men, stationed in the capital and key locations. The army was organized into four branches: infantry, elephants, naval forces, and artillery.
IV/ LAW:
In 1811, under the order of King Gia Long, the governor of Bac Thanh, Nguyen Van Thanh, presided over the compilation of a new code of law, which was promulgated by the king in 1815 under the name Hoang Viet Luat Le, also known as Gia Long Law. The Gia Long Code consisted of 398 articles divided into 7 chapters and recorded in a book.
V/ DIPLOMATIC:
With neighboring countries: Like previous dynasties, the first country that Gia Long engaged in diplomacy with was China. In addition to China, the Nguyễn dynasty also interacted with Siam (Thailand), Laos, Cambodia, and Western nations.
VII/ INDUSTRY:
The Nguyen Dynasty focused on building a system of state-owned craft workshops. They established departments to oversee the craft industries, including the Military Arsenal Manufacturing Department, which managed many different craft industries including 57 departments: earthworks, casting, gold and silver casting, painting, etc. The Boat Department was responsible for all types of public and warships, including 235 departments nationwide.
VIII/ EDUCATIONAL CULTURE:
1/ Education:
King Gia Long highly valued Confucianism and established Temples of Literature in the camps. The court held the provincial examinations every three years to select bachelors and bachelors. The following year, the national examinations were held in the capital. The most outstanding candidates in the national examinations would continue to take the royal examinations at the royal palace to obtain the titles of doctor.
2/ Inheritance:
The Nguyen Dynasty left many cultural heritages for the Vietnamese people, some of which have been recognized by UNESCO as world cultural heritages such as the Complex of Hue Monuments, intangible cultural heritages such as Hue Royal Court Music and World Documentary Heritage such as Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks.
