NGUYEN DYNASTY (1802-1945)
The Nguyen Dynasty was the last monarchy in Vietnamese history. This dynasty was established after Nguyen Anh (Gia Long) ascended the throne in 1802 and ended when Bao Dai abdicated in 1945, lasting a total of 143 years.
THE NGUYEN DYNASTY IS DIVIDED INTO TWO BASIC PERIODS:
Autonomous period (1802 – 1884):
From 1802 to 1884, the Nguyen kings held full autonomy to govern the country, through 4 kings: Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri and Tu Duc.
Since the 1850s, some Vietnamese intellectuals realized the country’s stagnation and backwardness 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. Although King Tu Duc was determined to implement it, the hesitation lasted and it was too late. Dai Nam gradually became stagnant and backward in all aspects compared to Western countries, most notably poor, few, and outdated weapons, making it easy for European colonialists to invade. 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). ORGANIZATION OF THE APPARATUS
The official system and central government organization
Under 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 First Rank and the establishment of ranks and positions is clear. “Dai Nam Thuc Luc” (Institute of History) – volume 7. “Kham Dinh Dai Nam Hoi Dien Su Le” (Institute of History) – volume 137.
Six ministries, each headed by a Minister, are responsible for directing the general affairs of the State. The six ministries include: Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Military, Ministry of Justice and 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 Bureaus and Bureaus.
Army: The regular army has 140,000 people, stationed in the capital and key locations. The army was organized into four branches: infantry, elephants, navy and artillery.
National name: Gia Long Dynasty – the national name of Vietnam – Gia Long in 1813 changed to Dai Viet. Minh Mang Dynasty – the national name of Dai Nam. Bao Dai Dynasty changed back to Viet Nam.
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 and in 1815 it was promulgated by the king under the name Hoang Viet Luat Le or also known as Gia Long Law. The Gia Long Code consisted of 398 articles divided into 7 chapters and recorded in a book.
Diplomacy: Like previous dynasties, the first country that Gia Long conducted diplomacy with was China. In addition, the Nguyen Dynasty also communicated with Siam (Thailand), Ai Lao (Laos), Cao Mien (Cambodia) and the West.
Handicraft: The Nguyen Dynasty focused on building a system of state-owned handicraft workshops. The Nguyen Dynasty also established Ti to oversee the handicrafts, including the Military Warehouse Manufacturing Ti, which managed many different handicrafts, including 57 bureaus: earthworks, casting, gold and silver making, painting, tile making, crystal making, engraving, gun casting, axle making, bronze smelting, etc. The Thuyen Ti was responsible for all kinds of public and warships, including 235 departments nationwide.
EDUCATION CULTURE:
Education: The Nguyen Dynasty highly valued Confucianism and established Temples of Literature in the camps. The court held the Huong examination every three years to select bachelors and bachelors. The following year, the Hoi examination was held in the capital. The most outstanding candidates in the Hoi examination would continue to take the Dinh examination at the royal palace to obtain the Doctorate degrees.
Architecture: The Nguyen Dynasty is a dynasty that has made many contributions to the history of Vietnam with its own distinct architectural style, especially a massive architectural treasure, typically the Hue Citadel complex and many other military structures.
Heritage: 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.
Nguyen Dynasty Kings: Gia Long (1802-1820) – Minh Mang (1820-1841) – Thieu Tri (1841-1847) – Tu Duc (1847-1883) – Duc Duc (1883) – Hiep Hoa (1883) – Kien Phuc (1883-1884) – Ham Nghi (1884-1885) – Dong Khanh (1885-1889) – Thanh Thai (1889-1907) – Duy Tan (1907-1916) – Khai Dinh (1916-1925) – Bao Dai (1925-1945). 2 OVERVIEW OF THE NGUYEN DYNASTY Floor 9 (1802-1945)
