Nguyễn lords
The Nguyễn lords (Vietnamese: Chúa Nguyễn, 主阮; 1558–1777, 1780–1802), also known as the Nguyễn clan (阮氏, Nguyễn thị), were the rulers of southern Đại Việt during the Revival Lê dynasty and ancestors of Nguyễn dynasty's emperors. The territory they ruled was known contemporarily as Đàng Trong (Inner Realm) and by Europeans as Cochinchina, in opposition to the Trịnh lords ruling northern Đại Việt, known then as Đàng Ngoài (Outer Realm). Both Nguyễn and Trịnh lords were de jure subordinates of the Lê dynasty.
Nguyễn lords 主阮 Chúa Nguyễn | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1558–1777 1780–1802 | |||||||||
Heirloom seal
(from 1709) | |||||||||
Map shows the division of Vietnam territory among Nguyễn lords (yellow), Lê – Trịnh lords (purple), Mạc dynasty domain (pink), Bầu lords (orange), and Champa (green) in the Lê–Mạc War. | |||||||||
| Status | Subordinates of Trịnh lords (1558–1627) and lordship within Lê dynasty of Đại Việt (1558–1777, 1780–1789) De facto independent state (1789–1802) | ||||||||
| Capital | Ái Tử (1558–1570) Trà Bát (1570-1600) Dinh Cát (1600-1626) Phước Yên (1626-1636) Kim Long (1636-1687) Phú Xuân (1687–1712),(1738-1775) Bác Vọng (1712-1738) Hội An (1775–1777) Gia Định (1777, 1780–1783, 1788–1802) | ||||||||
| Capital-in-exile | Bangkok (1783–1788) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Vietnamese | ||||||||
| Religion | Neo-Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Vietnamese folk religion, Catholicism | ||||||||
| Government | Feudal dynastic hereditary military dictatorship (1558–1777) Government in exile (1783–1788) Absolute Monarchy (1780–1802) | ||||||||
| Lords | |||||||||
• 1558–1613 | Nguyễn Hoàng (first) | ||||||||
• 1765–1777 | Nguyễn Phúc Thuần | ||||||||
• 1780–1802 | Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (last) | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 1558 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1777 1780–1802 | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 1800 | 1,770,000 | ||||||||
| Currency | Copper-alloy and zinc cash coins | ||||||||
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| History of Vietnam |
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| Timeline |
| Vietnam portal |
The Nguyễn lords were members of the House of Nguyễn Phúc. While they recognized the authority of and claimed to be loyal subjects of the revival Lê dynasty, they were de facto rulers of southern Đại Việt. Meanwhile, the Trịnh lords ruled northern Đại Việt in the name of the Lê emperor, who was in reality a puppet ruler. They fought a series of long and bitter wars that pitted the two halves of Vietnam against each other. The Nguyễn were finally overthrown in the Tây Sơn wars, but one of their descendants would eventually come to unite all of Vietnam. Their rule consolidated earlier southward expansion into Champa and pushed southwest into Cambodia.