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Vietnam – Nguyen Lords (1558-1778)
Zinc Tuong Phu Nguyen Bao Cash Token 24mm, Struck 1558-1778
Reference: B 87.7
Chinese Symbols.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity.
 The Nguyễn lords (Vietnamese: Chúa Nguyễn, 主阮; 1558–1802), also known as the Nguyễn clan, were rulers of Đàng Trong (Inner Realm) in Central and Southern Vietnam, as opposed to Đàng Ngoài or Outer Realm, ruled by the Trịnh lords.
While they recognized and claimed to be loyal subjects of the Later Lê dynasty, they were de facto rulers of Cochinchina. Meanwhile, the Trịnh lords ruled northern Vietnam, where the Lê Emperor remained a puppet figure. They fought a long, bitter war that lasted 45 years that separated Vietnam into two polities for nearly two centuries. After the Tây Sơn wars, their descendants would finally rule over the whole of Vietnam as the Nguyễn dynasty and posthumously elevated their titles to emperors. Their rule consolidated earlier southward expansion into Champa and push into Cambodia.
The Nguyễn lords traced their descent from a powerful clan originally based in Thanh Hóa Province. The clan supported Lê Lợi in his successful war of independence against the Ming dynasty. From that point on, the Nguyễn were one of the major noble families in Vietnam. Perhaps the most famous Nguyễn from this time was Nguyễn Thị Anh, the queen-consort for nearly 20 years (1442–1459).
 In 1527, Mạc Đăng Dung replaced the last Lê emperor Lê Cung Hoàng and established a new dynasty (Mạc dynasty). The Trịnh and Nguyễn lords returned to Thanh Hóa province and refused to accept the rule of the Mạc. All of the region south of the Red River was under their control, but they were unable to conquer Đông Đô for many years. During this time, the Nguyễn–Trịnh alliance was led by Nguyễn Kim; his daughter Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Bảo was married to the Trịnh clan leader, Trịnh Kiểm.
After restoring Lê dynasty in 1533, Nguyễn Kim become the head of the government while emperor Lê Trang Tông was used as the figurehead of the state. Dương Chấp Nhất, the former Mạc dynasty’s mandarin that was governing Tây Đô fortress in Thanh Hoa province decided to surrender to Lê dynasty when Nguyễn Kim recaptured this province in 1543.
After seizing Tây Đô citadel and onward marching to attack Ninh Bình. In 20/5/1545, Dương Chấp Nhất invited Kim to visit his military camp. In the hot temperature of summer, Dương Chấp Nhất treated Kim with watermelon. After the party, Kim felt ill after return home and died in same day. Dương Chấp Nhất later returned to Mạc dynasty.
After the death of Kim, The government starts to turn into chaos. The successor of the head of government was intentionally inherited by Kim’s eldest son, Nguyễn Uông, however , Uông was secretly assassinated by his brother-in -law (Trịnh Kiểm) and Trịnh Kiểm later took control of the government.
According to the records of Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, Đại Nam thực lục both suggested that Dương Chấp Nhất tried to assassinate the emperor Lê Trang Tông by pretending to surrender. However the plot was unsuccessful, then he changed the target to Nguyễn Kim, who was in charge of power and military.
In 1592, Đông Đô (Hanoi) was recaptured by the Trịnh – Nguyễn army under Trịnh Tùng and the Mạc Emperor was executed. The remnant Mạc clan fled to Cao Bằng to reinstall their own regime until defeated in 1677. The next year, Nguyễn Hoàng came north with an army and money to help defeat the remainder of the Mạc clan.
In 1600, a new Lê emperor took the throne, Lê Kính Tông. Just like the previous Lê emperors, was a powerless figurehead under the control of Trịnh Tùng. Besides that, a revolt broke out in Ninh Bình Province, “possibly instigated by the Trịnh”. As a consequence of these events, Nguyễn Hoàng formally broke off relations with the Court, rightly arguing that it was the Trịnh who ruled, not the Lê emperor. This uneasy state of affairs continued for the next 13 years until Nguyễn Hoàng died in 1613. He had ruled the southern provinces for 55 years.
His successor, Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên, continued Nguyễn Hoàng’s policy of essential independence from the Court in Hanoi. He initiated friendly relations with the Europeans who were now sailing into the area. A Portuguese trading post was set up in Hội An. By 1615 the Nguyễn were producing their own bronze cannons with the aid of Portuguese engineers. In 1620 the emperor was removed from power and executed by Trịnh Tùng. Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên formally announced that he would not be sending any tax to the central government nor did he acknowledge the new Emperor as the Emperor of the country. Tensions rose over the next seven years till open warfare broke out in 1627 with the next successor of the Trịnh, Trịnh Tráng.
The war lasted until 1673 when peace was declared. The Nguyễn was not only fought off the Trịnh attacks but also continued their expansion southwards along the coast, though the war slowed this expansion. Around 1620, Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên’s daughter married Chey Chettha II, a Khmer king. Three years later, 1623, the Nguyễn formally gained permission for Vietnamese to settle in Prei Nokor, which was later reborn as the city of Saigon.
When the war with the Trịnh ended, the Nguyễn were able to put more resources into pushing suppression of the Champa kingdoms and conquest of lands which used to belong to the Khmer Empire.
The Dutch brought Vietnamese slaves they captured from Nguyễn lord territories in Quảng Nam Province to their colony in Taiwan.
The Nguyen lord Nguyen Phuc Chu had referred to Vietnamese as “Han people” 漢人 (Hán nhân) in 1712 when differentiating between Vietnamese and Chams. The Nguyen Lords established đồn điền after 1790. It was said “Hán di hữu hạn” 漢夷有限 (“the Vietnamese and the barbarians must have clear borders“) by the Gia Long Emperor (Nguyễn Phúc Ánh) when differentiating between Khmer and Vietnamese.
Trousers and tunics on the Chinese pattern in 1774 were ordered by the Vo Vuong Emperor to replace the sarong type Vietnamese clothing. The Chinese Ming dynasty, Tang dynasty, and Han dynasty clothing was ordered to be adopted by Vietnamese military and bureaucrats by the Nguyen Lord Nguyễn Phúc Khoát (Nguyen The Tong). Pants were mandated by the Nguyen in 1744 and the Cheongsam Chinese clothing inspired the Ao Dai. Chinese clothing started having an impact on Vietnamese dress in the Ly dynasty. The current Ao Dai was introduced by the Nguyen Lords. Cham provinces were seized by the Nguyen Lords. Provinces and districts originally belonging to Cambodia were taken by Vo Vuong.
In 1714, Nguyễn sent an army into Cambodia to support Keo Fa’s claim to the throne against Prea Srey Thomea (see also, Dark ages of Cambodia). Siam joined in siding with the Prea Srey Thomea against the Vietnamese claimant. At Bantea Meas, the Vietnamese routed the Siamese armies, but by 1717 the Siamese had gained the upper hand. The war ended with a negotiated settlement, whereby Keo Fa was allowed to take the Cambodia crown in exchange for his allegiance to Siam. For their part, the Nguyễn lords wrested more territory from the weakened Cambodian kingdom.
Two decades later, in 1739, the Cambodians attempted to reclaim the lost coastal land. The fighting lasted some ten years, but the Vietnamese fended off the Cambodian raids and secured their hold on the rich Mekong Delta.
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