Trinh Sam
Encyclopedia
Trịnh Sâm ruled northern Vietnam
from 1767 to 1782 AD. He ruled with the title "Tinh Do Vuong", and was one of the last of the powerful Trịnh Lords. Trịnh Sâm defeated the ancient enemy of the northern state, the Nguyễn Lords in the south. The Trịnh line was separate from the toyal Lê Dynasty
, and the officially recognized king was Lê Hiển Tông (1740–1786), who continued to occupy the royal throne in Thăng Long
(modern-day Hanoi
), but without real power.
by his father Trịnh Doanh
in 1767. Five years after he took power, the Tây Sơn rebellion started in the south. During his lifetime, the Tây Sơn rebels focused all their efforts against the Nguyễn Lords, specifically against Nguyễn Phuc Thuan who had gained the throne as a young boy. As the Tây Sơn rebellion gained strength, the Trịnh saw the Nguyễn weakening month by month.
(modern-day Huế
) in February 1775. The army continued south capturing more Nguyễn lands and defeating some of the forces of the Tây Sơn. In the summer of 1775, one of the leaders of the Tây Sơn, Nguyễn Nhac, made a formal alliance with Trịnh Sam against the Nguyễn. Trịnh Sam agreed and gave Nguyễn Nhac a formal title as well as "regalia". The Trịnh army then withdrew back to Tonkin
, left a small army in Phú Xuân.
(Nguyễn Ánh), the last surviving member of the Nguyễn Lords, to make repeated attempts to re-take the south. The Tây Sơn brothers were too busy fighting with the Nguyễn loyalists to worry about the Trịnh in the north. In 1782 as Trịnh Sam was dying, he tried to leave control over Vietnam to his son (from his favorite concubine, Đặng Thị Huệ), Trịnh Man, but his rightful heir, Trịnh Khai organized an army and fought against his half-brother. Although he was successful, this civil war fatally divided the Trịnh at a critical time when the Tây Sơn (under Nguyễn Huệ) were gaining control over the south.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
from 1767 to 1782 AD. He ruled with the title "Tinh Do Vuong", and was one of the last of the powerful Trịnh Lords. Trịnh Sâm defeated the ancient enemy of the northern state, the Nguyễn Lords in the south. The Trịnh line was separate from the toyal Lê Dynasty
Lê Dynasty
The Later Lê Dynasty , sometimes referred to as the Lê Dynasty was the longest-ruling dynasty of Vietnam, ruling the country from 1428 to 1788, with a brief interruption....
, and the officially recognized king was Lê Hiển Tông (1740–1786), who continued to occupy the royal throne in Thăng Long
Thang Long
Thang Long can be:*Former name of Hanoi*Thang Long Imperial City...
(modern-day Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
), but without real power.
Early Reign
Trịnh Sam was given rule over northern VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
by his father Trịnh Doanh
Trinh Doanh
Trịnh Doanh ruled northern Vietnam from 1740 to 1767 Trịnh Doanh was a younger son of Trịnh Cương, and belonged to the line of Trịnh Lords who ruled northern Vietnam...
in 1767. Five years after he took power, the Tây Sơn rebellion started in the south. During his lifetime, the Tây Sơn rebels focused all their efforts against the Nguyễn Lords, specifically against Nguyễn Phuc Thuan who had gained the throne as a young boy. As the Tây Sơn rebellion gained strength, the Trịnh saw the Nguyễn weakening month by month.
Trịnh-Nguyễn War
Trịnh Sâm mobilized the Royal (Trịnh) army, and on November 15, 1774, it crossed the river into Nguyễn territory, re-ignoting the Trịnh-Nguyễn War. With the Nguyễn army divided and weak, the Trịnh army captured Phú XuânPhú Xuân
Phú Xuân is an historic place in Huế, Vietnam. It was the capital of the Nguyễn Lords, the Tây Sơn Dynasty, and later became a part of the Nguyễn Dynasty’s capital in Huế....
(modern-day Huế
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
) in February 1775. The army continued south capturing more Nguyễn lands and defeating some of the forces of the Tây Sơn. In the summer of 1775, one of the leaders of the Tây Sơn, Nguyễn Nhac, made a formal alliance with Trịnh Sam against the Nguyễn. Trịnh Sam agreed and gave Nguyễn Nhac a formal title as well as "regalia". The Trịnh army then withdrew back to Tonkin
Tonkin
Tonkin , also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is the northernmost part of Vietnam, south of China's Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces, east of northern Laos, and west of the Gulf of Tonkin. Locally, it is known as Bắc Kỳ, meaning "Northern Region"...
, left a small army in Phú Xuân.
Later life
For the remainder of Trịnh Sam's life, the Trịnh allowed emperor Gia LongGia Long
Emperor Gia Long , born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh , was an emperor of Vietnam...
(Nguyễn Ánh), the last surviving member of the Nguyễn Lords, to make repeated attempts to re-take the south. The Tây Sơn brothers were too busy fighting with the Nguyễn loyalists to worry about the Trịnh in the north. In 1782 as Trịnh Sam was dying, he tried to leave control over Vietnam to his son (from his favorite concubine, Đặng Thị Huệ), Trịnh Man, but his rightful heir, Trịnh Khai organized an army and fought against his half-brother. Although he was successful, this civil war fatally divided the Trịnh at a critical time when the Tây Sơn (under Nguyễn Huệ) were gaining control over the south.
Sources
- Encyclopedia of Asian History, Volume 4. 1988. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.
- Tay Son Rebelion - Chronology
- Annam and it Minor Currency Chapter 16 (downloaded May 2006)
See also
- List of Vietnamese monarchs
- Lê DynastyLê DynastyThe Later Lê Dynasty , sometimes referred to as the Lê Dynasty was the longest-ruling dynasty of Vietnam, ruling the country from 1428 to 1788, with a brief interruption....