First Chinese domination of Vietnam

First Bắc thuộc District of the Han Empire ← 111 BC–39 → Government Monarchy History  -  Han–Nam Viet War 111 BC  -  Trưng Sisters' Uprising 39

History of Vietnam

2879–0258 Hồng Bàng Dynasty 2879–1913 • Early Hồng Bàng 1912–1055 • Mid-Hồng Bàng 1054–258 • Late Hồng Bàng 257–207 Thục Dynasty 207–111 Triệu Dynasty 111–40 1st Chinese domination 40–43 Trưng Sisters 43–544 2nd Chinese domination 544–602 Early Lý Dynasty 602–938 3rd Chinese domination 939–967 Ngô Dynasty 968–980 Đinh Dynasty 980–1009 Early Lê Dynasty 1009–1225 Later Lý Dynasty 1225–1400 Trần Dynasty 1400–1407 Hồ Dynasty 1407–1427 4th Chinese domination 1428–1788 Later Lê Dynasty 1527–1592 • Mạc Dynasty 1545–1787 • Trịnh Lords 1558–1777 • Nguyễn Lords 1778–1802 Tây Sơn Dynasty 1802–1945 Nguyễn Dynasty 1858–1945 • French imperialism from 1945 Republic Further subjects Champa Dynasties 192–1832 Historical capitals Prehistoric cultures List of monarchs Country's names Economic history Military history

The First Chinese domination is an early historical period in Vietnamese history, during which the Vietnamese was under Chinese expansion from the north. It is the first of four periods of domination, the first three of which are almost continuous and referred to as the Bắc thuộc ("Northern domination").

In 111 B.C. Han armies conquered Vietnam and incorporated it into the expanding Han Empire. The Vietnamese resisted the Han government's efforts to introduce Chinese literature, arts and agricultural techniques. They not only guarded their national identity but also fought fiercely to preserve it. This finally ended in 39 AD when the most famous of several early Vietnamese revolts was led by the Trưng Sisters, both widows of local aristocrats. Their revolt was successful and the older sister, Trung Trac, became ruler of an independent state for three years.

Administration

In 111 BC, the Han Dynasty armies defeated the successors of Zhao Tuo (Triệu Đà) and incorporated Nam Việt and former Au Lac into the Han empire under the new name of Jiaozhi (Giao Chi), dividing the former kingdom into nine commanderies:

1. Nanhai (南海; Vietnamese: Nam Hải; located in Lingnan, modern central Guangdong)
2. Hepu (合浦; Vietnamese: Hợp Phố; located in Lingnan, modern southern coastal Guangxi)
3. Cangwu (蒼梧; Vietnamese: Thương Ngô; located in Lingnan, modern eastern Guangxi)
4. Yulin (郁林/鬱林; Vietnamese: Uất Lâm; located in Lingnan, probably Guilin, modern northeastern Guangxi)
5. Zhuya (珠崖; Vietnamese: Châu Nhai; located on Hainan)
6. Dan'er (儋耳; Vietnamese: Đạm Nhĩ; located on Hainan),
7. Jiaozhi (交趾; Vietnamese: Giao Chỉ; located in northern Vietnam and part of southern Guangxi)
8. Jiuzhen (九真; Vietnamese: Cửu Chân; probably located in central Vietnam)
9. Rinan (日南; Vietnamese: Nhật Nam; probably located in central Vietnam)

All nine districts were administered from Long Biên, near modern Hanoi; each ruled by a Chinese mandarin while the old system of low er rank rulers of Lac Hau, Lac Tuong were kept unchanged.

Economy

The Vietnamese paid heavy tributes and taxes to the Hans. The Han mandarins tried to occupy large areas of land and changed them into Chinese style farms and brought Chinese peasants to work them. The Chinese attempted to impose Chinese culture, institutions, educational system, politics, language, art, music, architecture and religion on the Vietnamese, and imported Chinese administrators to replace the local nobility. However, implementation of a foreign administrative system and the Sinicization was not easy, frequent uprisings and rebellions were indicative of Vietnamese resistance to these changes.

Under foreign rule, the Vietnamese people had to adopt foreign writing system, but lost much of their spoken language, and their national identity.

The Hans were anxious to extend their control over the fertile Red River Delta, in part to serve as a convenient supply point for Han ships engaged in the growing maritime trade with South and Southeast Asia. During the first century of Chinese rule, Vietnam was governed leniently, and the Lạc lords maintained their feudal offices. In the first century A.D., however, the Han dynasty intensified its efforts to assimilate its new territories by raising taxes and instituting marriage reforms aimed at turning Vietnam into a patriarchal society more amenable to political authority.

History

Historical accounts of the Triệu Dynasty

There is a dispute as to whether the period of the Triệu Dynasty was part of the first Chinese domination of Vietnam. See Triệu Dynasty for details.

Trưng uprising

Main article: Trưng Sisters

In response to increasingly oppressive Han rule, a revolt broke out in Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen (Cửu Chân), and Rinan (Nhật Nam) in 39, led by Trưng Trắc, the wife of a Lạc lord named Thi Sách who had been put to death by Su Ding (Tô Định) governor of Jiaozhi, and her sister Trưng Nhị. The Trưng Sisters incited a victorious armed revolt against Han authorities, took over 65 cities. They were crowned the queens in 40, renaming the country Lĩnh Nam. This marked the end of the first Chinese domination of Vietnam.

Sources

• Taylor, Keith Weller. (1983). The Birth of Vietnam. ISBN 0-520-07417-3

External links

• Vietnam

Preceded by Triệu Dynasty

First Chinese domination of Vietnam 111 BC – 39 AD

Succeeded by Trưng Sisters