Trần Thuận Tông

TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng (1378 – April 1399), given name TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Ngung, was the eleventh emperor of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty who reigned in ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât from 1388 to 1398. He was chosen to succeed to this position by his father, the Retired Emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng, after NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng decided to dethrone and force TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ to commit suicide. Although holding the position emperor for ten years and retired emperor for one more year, ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng's reign was totally under the control of NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng and HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly. It was HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly who obliged ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng to change the capital from ThÃÂng Long to Thanh HÃÂ³a, HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly was also responsible for the resignation of ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng as emperor and his death afterward. Only one year after ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng's death, the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty collapsed while HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly established his own dynasty, the HÃ¡Â»Â dynasty.

Background

ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng was born in 1378 as TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Ngung, the youngest son of the Retired Emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng, and his wife, the Queen ThÃ¡Â»Â¥c ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â©c. After the dethronement and forced suicide of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ in December 1387, Prince ChiÃÂªm ÃÂÃ¡Â»Ânh TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Ngung, only ten at that time, was chosen by his father for the position of successor as TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng. The new era name under ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng's reign was Quang ThÃÂ¡i (Ã¥ÂÂÃ¦Â³Â°, 1388Ã¢ÂÂ1398).

As emperor

Although being the Emperor of Vietnam (ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât), PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ only reigned in name because it was NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng and HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly who held the real power. In January 1389, ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng married the eldest daughter of HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly as Queen ThÃÂ¡nh NgÃÂ¢u.

Less than one year from ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng's coronation, ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ BÃ¡Â»Âng Nga continued to attack ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât in October 1389. Under the command of HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly, ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât's army suffered a heavy defeat in Thanh HÃÂ³a which made HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly fled from the battle and left the position for his subordinate. After this rout, HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly resigned from the military leader and general TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n KhÃÂ¡t ChÃÂ¢n was appointed by NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng to take charge of stopping Champa. In January 1390, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n KhÃÂ¡t ChÃÂ¢n had a decisive victory over Champa which resulted in the death of ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ BÃ¡Â»Âng Nga and thus the stable situation in southern border of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. At home, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n's dynasty also had to face with several revolts ignited by famine and ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ BÃ¡Â»Âng Nga's stimulation. In December 1389, the revolt led by monk PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m SÃÂ° ÃÂn even attacked ThÃÂng Long and forced NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng and ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng flee to BÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c Giang before general PhÃ¡Â»Â¥ ThÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ brought his troops from the front line with Champa back to pacify the revolt and kill PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m SÃÂ° ÃÂn.

During the reign of ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng, HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly gradually eliminated all opponents in the royal court such as NguyÃ¡Â»Ân ÃÂa PhÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng, who was forced to commit suicide in 1389, Prince Trang ÃÂÃ¡Â»Ânh TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NgÃ¡ÂºÂ¡c, who was killed by order of QuÃÂ½ Ly in 1391 or TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NhÃ¡ÂºÂt ChÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng who was killed after NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng's decision in 1392. TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng deceased on December 15 of Lunar calendar, 1394 at the age of 73 and left the royal court in the total control of HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly. He began to reform the administrative and examination systems of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty and eventually obliged ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng to change the capital from ThÃÂng Long to Thanh HÃÂ³a in January 1397.

On March 15 of Lunar calendar, 1398, under pressure of HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly, ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng, had to cede the throne to his three-year-old son TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n An, now TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿, and held the title Retired Emperor at age 20. According to the ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât sÃ¡Â»Â kÃÂ toÃÂ n thÃÂ°, actually HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly wanted to overthrow ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng but before his death, NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng made QuÃÂ½ Ly promise him supporting the Emperor therefore HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly decided to force ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng resign before taking over the throne from the new emperor.

Finally, HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly ordered a general to kill ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng in 1399 and buried the Retired Emperor in YÃÂªn Sinh LÃÂng. Two powerful figures in the royal courtÃ¢ÂÂTrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n KhÃÂ¡t ChÃÂ¢n and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n HÃÂ£ngÃ¢ÂÂwere also killed not long after the death of ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng and the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty collapsed in 1400 when HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly established his own dynasty, the HÃ¡Â»Â dynasty.

Family

TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng had one wife, Queen ThÃÂ¡nh NgÃÂ¢u who was HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly's daughter and one son, Crown Prince TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n An who became the emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿, the last emperor of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty.

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