Trần dynasty

The TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty (Vietnamese: NhÃÂ TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n, chÃ¡Â»Â¯ NÃÂ´m: Ã¨ÂÂ¹Ã©ÂÂ³; Vietnamese: triÃ¡Â»Âu TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n, chÃ¡Â»Â¯ HÃÂ¡n: ) was a Vietnamese dynasty that ruled ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât (ChÃ¡Â»Â¯ HÃÂ¡n: Ã¥Â¤Â§Ã¨Â¶Â) from 1225 to 1400. The dynasty was founded when emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng ascended to the throne after his uncle TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â orchestrated the overthrow of the LÃÂ½ dynasty. The TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty defeated three Mongol invasions, most notably during the decisive Battle of BÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ch ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ±ng River in 1288. During its final decades, several succession crises and invasions from Champa severely weakened the dynasty. In 1398, emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng was forced to cede the throne to his three-year-old son ThiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿, who in turn was forced to abdicate in 1400 in favor of the minister HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly.

The TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n improved Chinese gunpowder, enabling them to expand southward to defeat and vassalize the Champa. They also started using paper money for the first time in Vietnam. The period was considered a golden age in Vietnamese language, arts, and culture. The first pieces of ChÃ¡Â»Â¯ NÃÂ´m literature were written during this period, while the introduction of vernacular Vietnamese into the court was established, alongside Literary Chinese. This laid the foundation for the further development and solidifying of the Vietnamese language and identity.

History

Origin and foundation

The ancestor of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Kinh, (Ã©ÂÂ³Ã¤ÂºÂ¬) migrated from the modern province of Fujian to ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât during the early 12th century. He settled in TÃ¡Â»Â©c MÃ¡ÂºÂ·c village (now MÃ¡Â»Â¹ LÃ¡Â»Âc, Nam ÃÂÃ¡Â»Ânh) and lived by fishing. His grandson TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LÃÂ½ (Ã©ÂÂ³Ã¦ÂÂ; 1151Ã¢ÂÂ1210) became a wealthy landowner in the area. TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LÃÂ½'s grandson, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n CÃ¡ÂºÂ£nh, later established the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty. From TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LÃÂ½ onwards, the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan became related to the LÃÂ½ clan by intermarriages with several members of the imperial LÃÂ½ dynasty.

During the troubled time of many regional rebellions under the reign of emperor LÃÂ½ Cao TÃÂ´ng, the imperial crown prince, LÃÂ½ SÃ¡ÂºÂ£m sought refuge in the territory of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan, headed by TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LÃÂ½. During this time, the crown prince decided to marry TrÃ¡ÂºÂ¥n LÃÂ½'s daughter TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â Dung in 1209. Afterward, it was the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan who helped emperor LÃÂ½ Cao TÃÂ´ng and crown prince LÃÂ½ SÃ¡ÂºÂ£m to restore their power and return to capital ThÃÂng Long. As a result, the emperor appointed several members of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan to key positions in the imperial court, such as TÃÂ´ Trung TÃ¡Â»Â«, who was an uncle of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â Dung, and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n TÃ¡Â»Â± KhÃÂ¡nh and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â«a, who were all TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LÃÂ½'s sons. In 1211 the crown prince LÃÂ½ SÃ¡ÂºÂ£m was enthroned as LÃÂ½ HuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng after the death of LÃÂ½ Cao TÃÂ´ng. By that time the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan's position began to rise within the imperial court.

After a period of political crisis, the Emperor LÃÂ½ HuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng, who had been mentally ill for a long time, ultimately decided to pass the throne of the LÃÂ½ dynasty to crown princess LÃÂ½ ChiÃÂªu HoÃÂ ng in October of the lunar calendar, 1224. Ascending the throne at the age of only six, LÃÂ½ ChiÃÂªu HoÃÂ ng ruled under the dominant influence of the commander of the imperial guard, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â. Even the Empress Regnant's servants were chosen by TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â; one of them was his 7-year-old nephew TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n CÃ¡ÂºÂ£nh.

When TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n CÃ¡ÂºÂ£nh informed TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â that the Empress Regnant seemed to have affection towards him, the leader of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan immediately decided to take this chance to carry out his plot to overthrow the LÃÂ½ dynasty and establish a new dynasty ruled by his own clan. First TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â moved the whole TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan to the imperial palace and arranged a secret marriage between LÃÂ½ ChiÃÂªu HoÃÂ ng and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n CÃ¡ÂºÂ£nh there, without the appearance of any mandarin or member of the LÃÂ½ imperial family. After that, he announced the fait accompli to the imperial court and made LÃÂ½ ChiÃÂªu HoÃÂ ng cede the throne to her new husband on the grounds that she was incapable of holding office. Thus TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n CÃ¡ÂºÂ£nh was chosen as her successor. As a result, the 216-year reign of the LÃÂ½ dynasty was ended, and the new TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty was created on the first day of the twelfth lunar month (Gregorian: December 31) 1225.

Early TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n

After the collapse of the LÃÂ½ Dynasty, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â was still afraid that the newly established TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Dynasty might be overthrown by its political opponents. He therefore continued to eliminate members of the LÃÂ½ imperial family: first the former emperor LÃÂ½ HuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng was coerced into suicide in the tenth lunar month of 1226, then other members of the LÃÂ½ imperial family were massacred by the order of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â in the eighth lunar month of 1232.

TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng was enthroned when he was only eight years old. There were several rebellions in ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât at that time, so TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â had to devote all of his efforts to consolidating the rule of ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng in the imperial court and over the country. Right after the coronation of the Emperor in 1226, NguyÃ¡Â»Ân NÃ¡Â»Ân and ÃÂoÃÂ n ThÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£ng rose in revolt in the mountainous region of BÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c Giang and HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng. By both military and diplomatic measures, such as sending an army and by awarding two leaders of the revolt the title of Prince (), TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â was able to put down these revolts in 1229.

According to ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât sÃ¡Â»Â kÃÂ½ toÃÂ n thÃÂ°, ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng and his wife, the Empress ChiÃÂªu ThÃÂ¡nh, did not have their first son for some time. This situation worried the grand chancellor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â because he had profited from similar circumstances with the Emperor LÃÂ½ HuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng in overthrowing the LÃÂ½ dynasty. Therefore, in 1237 TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â decided to force Prince HoÃÂ i TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LiÃ¡Â»Âu, ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng's elder brother, to give up his wife, Princess ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn ThiÃÂªn, for the Emperor when she had been pregnant with TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n QuÃ¡Â»Âc Khang for three months. After the marriage, ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn ThiÃÂªn was entitled the new empress of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, while ChiÃÂªu ThÃÂ¡nh was downgraded to princess.

Furious at losing his pregnant wife to his brother, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LiÃ¡Â»Âu rose in revolt against the imperial family. Meanwhile, ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng felt remorse about the situation and decided to become a monk at YÃÂªn TÃ¡Â»Â Mountain in QuÃ¡ÂºÂ£ng Ninh in order to avoid the family feud. Finally TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â forcefully yet successfully persuaded ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng to return to the throne, and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LiÃ¡Â»Âu had to surrender after judging that he could not stand with his fragile force. All soldiers who participated in this revolt were killed; TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â even wanted to behead TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LiÃ¡Â»Âu, but was stopped by ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng.

Mongol invasions

In 1257, the first Mongol invasion of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât was launched with the purpose of opening a southern front against the Song dynasty, whom they were fighting for more than two decades. The Mongols had already conquered parts of modern-day Sichuan and the Dali kingdom in modern-day Yunnan in order to besiege the Southern Song from the west. TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng opposed the encroachment of a foreign army across his territory and so dispatched soldiers on elephants to deter the Mongol troops. The elephant-mounted troops were routed by sharpshooters targeting the elephants. In comparison with the previous Ly dynasty, the Tran had strengthened their armed forces and were able to deter the Mongol attacks.

At the beginning of the war, the ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât army suffered several defeats at the hands of an overwhelming force that had already conquered a vast area in Asia. Several high-ranking officials of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty were so fearful that Prince TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NhÃ¡ÂºÂt HiÃ¡Â»Âu, the younger brother of ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng, even suggested to the Emperor that they might escape from ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât to the Song dynasty.

TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng submitted to the Mongols after the loss of a prince and the capital. In 1258, the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n commenced regular diplomatic relations and a tributary relationship with the Mongol court, treating them as equals to the embattled Southern Song dynasty without renouncing their ties to the Song.

Kublai Khan was dissatisfied with the arrangement at the end of the first invasion and requested greater tributary payments, including taxes to the Mongols in both money and labor, "incense, gold, silver, cinnabar, agarwood, sandalwood, ivory, tortoiseshell, pearls, rhinoceros horn, silk floss, and porcelain cups", and direct oversight from a Mongol-appointed darughachi. In 1283, Khubilai Khan sent word to the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n that he intended to send Yuan armies through TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n territory to attack the kingdom of Champa, with demands for provisions and other support to the Yuan army.

In the twelfth lunar month of 1284, the second Yuan invasion of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât was launched under the command of Kublai Khan's prince Toghon. ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât was attacked from two directions, with Toghan himself conducting an infantry invasion from the northern border while the Yuan navy under general Sogetu advanced from the southern border through the territory of Champa.

Initially, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng had to order the army to retreat to avoid the pressure from the Yuan force when Prince ChiÃÂªu Minh TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Quang KhÃ¡ÂºÂ£i commanded his troops to stop Sogetu's fleet in the province of NghÃ¡Â»Â An. Meanwhile, several high-ranking officials and members of the imperial family of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty defected to the Yuan side, including ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng's own brother, Prince ChiÃÂªu QuÃ¡Â»Âc (TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ÃÂch TÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c), and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n KiÃ¡Â»Ân, who was the son of Prince TÃÂ©nh QuÃ¡Â»Âc (TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n QuÃ¡Â»Âc Khang). To ensure the safety of ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng and NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng during their retreat, Princess An TÃÂ° was offered as a present and diversion for Prince Toghan, while Marquis BÃ¡ÂºÂ£o NghÃÂ©a (TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n BÃÂ¬nh TrÃ¡Â»Âng) was captured and later killed in the Battle of ÃÂÃÂ MÃ¡ÂºÂ¡c defending the two emperors. The mass defections were the result of the significant effect that recent Mongol conquest of the Southern Song had on contemporary observers, with a Mongol conquest of Vietnam appearing inevitable to many.

At the southern border, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Quang KhÃ¡ÂºÂ£i also had to retreat under the pressure of Sogetu's navy and the defection of the governor of Nghe An. This critical situation for the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty began to change after the Toghan made the decision to retreat with the forward troops their victory in the fourth lunar month of 1285 at the Battle of HÃÂ m TÃ¡Â»Â, where the troops commanded by TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NhÃ¡ÂºÂt DuÃ¡ÂºÂt, Prince ChiÃÂªu ThÃÂ nh, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n QuÃ¡Â»Âc ToÃ¡ÂºÂ£n, and NguyÃ¡Â»Ân KhoÃÂ¡i were finally able to defeat the fleet of general Sogetu. On the tenth day of the fifth lunar month of 1285, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Quang KhÃ¡ÂºÂ£i fought the decisive battle in the ChÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng, where the Yuan navy was almost destroyed and the balance in the battlefield tilted definitively in favor of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty. Ten days later Sogetu was killed and the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Emperor NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng and Emperor Emeritus ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng returned to the capital, ThÃÂng Long, on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, 1285.

In the third lunar month of 1287, the Yuan dynasty launched their third invasion of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. This time, unlike the second invasion, commander-in-chief Prince HÃÂ°ng ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡o (TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n QuÃ¡Â»Âc TuÃ¡ÂºÂ¥n) assured the Emperor that ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât's army could easily break the Yuan military campaign. After occupying and looting the capital, Toghan decided to retreat with the forward troops. This invasion was indeed ended one year later by a disastrous defeat of the Yuan navy at the Battle of BÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ch ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ±ng on the eighth day of the third lunar month, 1288. Besides TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n QuÃ¡Â»Âc TuÃ¡ÂºÂ¥n, other notable generals of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty during this time were Prince NhÃÂ¢n HuÃ¡Â»Â TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n KhÃÂ¡nh DÃÂ°, who destroyed the logistics convoy of the Yuan navy at the Battle of VÃÂ¢n ÃÂÃ¡Â»Ân, and general PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m NgÃÂ© LÃÂ£o, who took charge of ambushing prince Toghan's retreating troops. After the destruction of the Mongol navy, both the ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât and Champa decided to accept the nominal supremacy of the Yuan dynasty and serve as tributary states in order to avoid further conflicts.

Professor Liam Kelley noted that people from Song dynasty China, such as Zhao Zhong and Xu Zongdao, fled to the Tran dynasty after the Mongol invasion of the Song and helped the Tran fight against the Mongol invasion. Like the Tran dynasty, the Daoist cleric Xu Zongdao originated from Fujian. He recorded the Mongol invasion and referred to the Mongols as "Northern bandits".

NguyÃ¡Â»Ân Trung NgÃ¡ÂºÂ¡n, head of an envoy mission to the Yuan court in 1314, referred to the Yuan dynasty as HÃ¡Â»Â (Ã¨ÂÂ¡), meaning barbarians, in his poem BÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c sÃ¡Â»Â© tÃÂºc KhÃÂ¢u ÃÂn dÃ¡Â»Âch (Ã¥ÂÂÃ¤Â½Â¿Ã¥Â®Â¿Ã¤Â¸ÂÃ¦ÂºÂ«Ã©Â©Â):

<blockquote> Ã¦Â±ÂÃ¥Â±Â±Ã¦ÂÂÃ©ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂÃ¯Â¼Â The land is divided into North and South Ã¨ÂÂ¡Ã¨Â¶ÂÃ¥ÂÂÃ©Â¢Â¨Ã¥ÂÂÃ¥Â¼ÂÃ¥ÂÂÃ£ÂÂ "HÃ¡Â»Â" and Viet are brothers with same customs </blockquote>

Later on, Wu Bozong (b. 1334-d. 1384) was sent as Ming ambassador to Vietnam. Wu wrote in the Rongjinji (Ã¦Â¦Â®Ã©ÂÂ²Ã©ÂÂ) that when he asked the Tran monarch about Annam's affairs, the Tran ruler said that the kingdom still adhered to Tang dynasty and Han dynasty customs.

<blockquote> Ã¦Â¬Â²Ã¥ÂÂÃ¥Â®ÂÃ¥ÂÂÃ¤ÂºÂÃ¯Â¼Â Asking about Annam situation? Ã¥Â®ÂÃ¥ÂÂÃ©Â¢Â¨Ã¤Â¿ÂÃ¦Â·Â³Ã£ÂÂ Annam customs are traditional Ã¨Â¡Â£Ã¥ÂÂ Ã¥ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ¶Ã¥ÂºÂ¦Ã¯Â¼Â Clothing are Tang's standard Ã§Â¦Â®Ã¦Â¨ÂÃ¦Â¼Â¢Ã¥ÂÂÃ¨ÂÂ£ Music and Rites are similar to Han's court </blockquote>

Peace and southward expansion

After the Mongol invasions, king TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng led an attack into modern-day Laos in the winter of 1289Ã¢ÂÂ1290 against the advice of his advisors with the goal of preventing raids from the inhabitants of the highlands. Famines and starvations ravaged the country from 1290 to 1292. There were no records of what caused the crop failures, but possible factors included neglect of the water control system due to the war, the mobilization of men away from the rice fields, and floods or drought.

There was a relatively long period of prosperity and peace during the reigns of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Anh TÃÂ´ng, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Minh TÃÂ´ng, and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n HiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿n TÃÂ´ng. Anh TÃÂ´ng was the first TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n emperor to reign without facing attacks from the Mongol Empire. Despite the deaths of the two most important generals of the early TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Quang KhÃ¡ÂºÂ£i in 1294 and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n QuÃ¡Â»Âc TuÃ¡ÂºÂ¥n in 1300, the Emperor was still served by many efficient mandarins like TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NhÃ¡ÂºÂt DuÃ¡ÂºÂt, ÃÂoÃÂ n NhÃ¡Â»Â¯ HÃÂ i, PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m NgÃÂ© LÃÂ£o, TrÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng HÃÂ¡n SiÃÂªu, MÃ¡ÂºÂ¡c ÃÂÃÂ©nh Chi, and NguyÃ¡Â»Ân Trung NgÃ¡ÂºÂ¡n. Anh TÃÂ´ng was very strict in suppressing gambling and corruption, but he also generously rewarded those who served him well.

In 1306, the king of Champa, ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ MÃÂ¢n, offered Vietnam two Cham prefectures, ÃÂ and LÃÂ½, in exchange for a marriage with the Vietnamese princess HuyÃ¡Â»Ân TrÃÂ¢n. Anh TÃÂ´ng accepted this offer, then took and renamed ÃÂ prefecture and LÃÂ½ prefecture as ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn prefecture and HÃÂ³a prefecture. These two prefectures soon began to be referred to collectively as the ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn HÃÂ³a region. Only one year into the marriage, ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ MÃÂ¢n died and, in line with the royal tradition of Champa, HuyÃ¡Â»Ân TrÃÂ¢n was to be cremated with her husband. Facing this urgent condition, Anh TÃÂ´ng sent his mandarin TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n KhÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c Chung to Champa to save HuyÃ¡Â»Ân TrÃÂ¢n from an imminent death.

Finally HuyÃ¡Â»Ân TrÃÂ¢n was able to return to ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât, but ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ ChÃÂ, the successor of ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ MÃÂ¢n, no longer wished to abide by the peace treaty with ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. After that event, Anh TÃÂ´ng himself, along with the generals TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n QuÃ¡Â»Âc ChÃÂ¢n and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n KhÃÂ¡nh DÃÂ°, commanded three groups of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât military units to attack Champa in 1312. ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ ChÃÂ was defeated and captured in this invasion, and Anh TÃÂ´ng installed a hand-picked successor, but the relations between ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât and Champa remained strained for a long time afterwards.

Champa invasions and decline

After the death of the retired Emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Minh TÃÂ´ng in 1357, the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty began to fall into chaos during the reign of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n DÃ¡Â»Â¥ TÃÂ´ng. While being modest and diligent under the regency of Minh TÃÂ´ng, the reign of Emperor DÃ¡Â»Â¥ TÃÂ´ng saw extravagant spending on the building of several luxurious palaces and other indulgences. DÃ¡Â»Â¥ TÃÂ´ng introduced theatre, which was considered at the time to be a shameful pleasure, into the imperial court. The Emperor died on the 25th day of the fifth lunar month, 1369, at the age of 28, after appointing his brother's son DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng NhÃ¡ÂºÂt LÃ¡Â»Â despite the fact that his appointee was not from the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan.

Like his predecessor DÃ¡Â»Â¥ TÃÂ´ng, NhÃ¡ÂºÂt LÃ¡Â»Â neglected his administrative duties and concentrated only on drinking, theatre, and wandering. He even wanted to change his family name back to DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng. Such activities disappointed everyone in the imperial court. This prompted the Prime Minister TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NguyÃÂªn TrÃÂ¡c and his son TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NguyÃÂªn TiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿t to plot the assassination of NhÃ¡ÂºÂt LÃ¡Â»Â, but their conspiracy was discovered by the Emperor and they were killed afterwards.

In the tenth lunar month of 1370, the Emperor's father-in-law, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n PhÃ¡Â»Â§, after receiving advice from several mandarins and members of the imperial family, decided to raise an army for the purpose of overthrowing NhÃ¡ÂºÂt LÃ¡Â»Â. After one month, his plan succeeded and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n PhÃ¡Â»Â§ became the new emperor of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât, ruling as TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng, while NhÃ¡ÂºÂt LÃ¡Â»Â was downgraded to Duke of HÃÂ´n ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â©c (HÃÂ´n ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â©c CÃÂ´ng) and was killed afterwards by an order of NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng.

After the death of HÃÂ´n ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â©c CÃÂ´ng, his mother fled to Champa and begged King ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ BÃ¡Â»Âng Nga to attack ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. Taking advantage of his neighbour's lack of political stability, ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ BÃ¡Â»Âng Nga commanded troops and directly assaulted ThÃÂng Long, the capital of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. The TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n army could not withstand this attack and the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n imperial court had to escape from ThÃÂng Long, creating an opportunity for ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ BÃ¡Â»Âng Nga to violently loot the capital before withdrawing.

In the twelfth lunar month of 1376 the Emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n DuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng decided to personally command a military campaign against Champa. Eventually, the campaign was ended by a disastrous defeat of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât's army at the Battle of ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â BÃÂ n, when the Emperor himself, along with many high-ranking mandarins and generals of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, were killed by the Cham forces. The successor of DuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿, and the retired Emperor NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng, were unable to drive back any invasion of ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ BÃ¡Â»Âng Nga in ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. As a result, NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng even decided to hide money in LÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ng SÃÂ¡n, fearing that ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ BÃ¡Â»Âng Nga's troops might assault and destroy the imperial palace in ThÃÂng Long. In 1389 general TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n KhÃÂ¡t ChÃÂ¢n was appointed by NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng to take charge of stopping Champa. In the first lunar month of 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 stabilised situation in the southern part of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât.

Downfall

During the reign of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng, HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly, an official who had two aunts entitled as consorts of Minh TÃÂ´ng, was appointed to one of the highest positions in the imperial court. Despite his complicity in the death of the Emperor DuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng, HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly still had NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng's confidence and came to hold more and more power at the imperial court. Facing the unstoppable rise of HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly in the court, the Emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ plotted with minister TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NgÃ¡ÂºÂ¡c to reduce HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly's power, but HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly pre-empted this plot by a defamation campaign against the Emperor which ultimately made NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng decide to replace him by TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng and downgrade PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ to Prince Linh ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â©c in December 1388. TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NghÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng died on the 15th day of the twelfth lunar month, 1394 at the age of 73 leaving the imperial 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 the full moon of the third lunar month, 1398, under pressure from 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 the age of only 20. Only one year after his resignation, ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng was killed on the orders of HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly. HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly also authorised the execution of over 370 persons who opposed his dominance in the imperial court, including several prominent mandarins and the Emperor's relatives together with their families, such as TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n KhÃÂ¡t ChÃÂ¢n, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n HÃÂ£ng, PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m KhÃ¡ÂºÂ£ VÃÂ©nh and LÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng NguyÃÂªn BÃÂ°u. The end of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty came on the 28th day of the second lunar month (Gregorian: March 23) 1400, when HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly decided to overthrow ThiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ and established a new dynasty, the HÃ¡Â»Â dynasty. Being HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly's own grandson, ThiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ was downgraded to Prince BÃ¡ÂºÂ£o Ninh instead of being killed like his father. HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly claimed descent from Duke Hu of Chen (TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n HÃ¡Â»Â cÃÂ´ng, Ã©ÂÂ³Ã¨ÂÂ¡Ã¥ÂÂ¬), whose HÃ¡Â»Â clan originated in State of Chen (modern day Zhejiang, China) around the 940s.

Later TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n

After the Ming dynasty conquered the HÃ¡Â»Â dynasty in 1407, Prince TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NgÃ¡Â»Âi was declared emperor and led the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n loyalists forces against the Chinese. His base was first centered in Ninh BÃÂ¬nh Province. He defeated the Ming forces in 1408 but failed to retake ÃÂÃÂ´ng Quan (Hanoi). Due to internal purges, his offensive eventually failed and he had to retreat to NghÃ¡Â»Â An. A new emperor, TrÃÂ¹ng Quang ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿, was installed by the generals in 1409. The Later TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n held the southern provinces before being defeated by Ming forces in 1413.

Economy and society

To restore the country's economy, which had been heavily damaged during the turbulent time at the end of the LÃÂ½ dynasty, Emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng decided to reform the nation's system of taxation by introducing a new personal tax (thuÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ thÃÂ¢n), which was levied on each person according to the area of cultivated land owned. For example, a farmer who owned one or two mÃ¡ÂºÂ«u, equal to , had to pay one quan per year, while another with up to four mÃ¡ÂºÂ«us had to pay two quan. Besides personal taxes, farmers were obliged to pay a land tax in measures of rice that was calculated by land classification. One historical book reveals that the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty taxed everything from fish and fruits to betel. Taxpayers were divided into three categories: minors (tiÃ¡Â»Âu hoÃÂ ng nam, from 18 to 20), adults (ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i hoÃÂ ng nam, from 20 to 60), and seniors (lÃÂ£o hÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ng, over 60).

Manufactured items such as handicrafts, cotton, silk and brocades saw rapid development in this period. Some of these items were exported to China while silver, gold, tin and lead mining increased jewelry-making. State-minted copper coins were set up by the Tran authorities, so were weapons workshops, court attire workshops and utilities for bronze smelting. Education and literature were largely aided from improvements in the technology of printing and engraved wooden plates.

The shipbuilding industry expanded where large 100-oar junks were produced. Thang Long then became the state's commercial center with numerous markets established. A 13th-century Mongolian ambassador mentioned that markets were held twice a month, with "plenty of goods", and a market was situated every five miles on the state highway. Inns were also established by the state during the period.

During the reign of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng members of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan and imperial family were required by the Emperor to take full advantage of their land grants by hiring the poor to cultivate them. ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât's cultivated land was annually ruined by river floods, so for a more stable agriculture, in 1244 TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng ordered his subordinates to construct a new system of levees along the Red River. Farmers who had to sacrifice their land for the diking were compensated with the value of the land. The Emperor also appointed a separate official to control the system.

Towards the end of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly held absolute power in the imperial court, and he began to carry out his ideas for reforming the economy of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. The most significant change during this time was the replacement of copper coins with paper money in 1396. It was the first time in the history of Vietnam that paper money was used in trading. The Emperor set up trading posts at the coastal town of VÃÂ¢n ÃÂÃ¡Â»Ân, where Chinese merchants from Guangdong and Fujian would move in to engage in commerce. Ethnic Chinese are recorded in Tran and Ly dynasty records of officials.

Culture

Literature

TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n literature is considered superior to LÃÂ½ literature in both quality and quantity. Initially, most members of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan were fishermen without any depth of knowledge. For example, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â, the founder of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, was described in ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât sÃ¡Â»Â kÃÂ½ toÃÂ n thÃÂ° as a man of superficial learning. However, after their usurpation of power from the LÃÂ½ dynasty, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n emperors and other princes and marquises always attached special importance to culture, especially literature.

Two important schools of literature during the reign of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty were patriotic and Buddhist literature. To commemorate the victory of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât against the second Mongol invasion the grand chancellor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Quang KhÃ¡ÂºÂ£i composed a poem, named (Return to the capital), which was considered one of the finest examples of Vietnamese patriotic literature during the dynastic era. Patriotism in TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n literature was also represented by the proclamation HÃ¡Â»Âch tÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Âng sÃÂ© (Call of Soldiers), written by general TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n QuÃ¡Â»Âc TuÃ¡ÂºÂ¥n, which was the most popular work of the hÃ¡Â»Âch (appeal, call) form in Vietnamese literature.Besides members of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan, there were several mandarins and scholars who were well known for patriotic works such as TrÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng HÃÂ¡n SiÃÂªu, an eminent author of the phÃÂº form, or general PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m NgÃÂ© LÃÂ£o with his famous poem . As Buddhism was de facto the national religion of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, there were many works of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n literature that expressed the spirit of Buddhism and Zen, notably the works of the Emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng and other masters of TrÃÂºc LÃÂ¢m School.

`Besides the literature created by the upper classes, folk narratives of myths, legends, and ghost stories were also collected in ViÃ¡Â»Ât ÃÂiÃ¡Â»Ân U Linh TÃ¡ÂºÂp by LÃÂ½ TÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ XuyÃÂªn and LÃÂ©nh Nam chÃÂch quÃÂ¡i by TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ PhÃÂ¡p. These two collections held great value not only for folk culture but also for the early history of Vietnam.

TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n literature had a special role in the history of Vietnamese literature for its introduction and development of the Vietnamese language (QuÃ¡Â»Âc ngÃ¡Â»Â¯) written in chÃ¡Â»Â¯ nÃÂ´m. Before the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, Vietnamese was only used in oral history or proverbs. Under the rule of the Emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng, it was used for the first time as the second language in official scripts of the imperial court, besides Chinese.

It was HÃÂ n ThuyÃÂªn, an official of NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng, who began to compose his literary works in the Vietnamese language, with the earliest recorded poem written in chÃ¡Â»Â¯ NÃÂ´m in 1282. He was considered the pioneer who introduced chÃ¡Â»Â¯ nÃÂ´m in literature. After HÃÂ n ThuyÃÂªn, chÃ¡Â»Â¯ NÃÂ´m was progressively used by TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n scholars in composing Vietnamese literature, such as Chu VÃÂn An with the collection QuÃ¡Â»Âc ngÃ¡Â»Â¯ thi tÃ¡ÂºÂp (Collection of national language poems) or HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly who wrote QuÃ¡Â»Âc ngÃ¡Â»Â¯ thi nghÃÂ©a to explain Shi Jing in the Vietnamese language. The achievement of Vietnamese language literature during the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n era was the essential basis for the development of this language and the subsequent literature of Vietnam.

Performing arts

The TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty was considered a golden age for music and culture. Although it was still seen as a shameful pleasure at that time, theatre rapidly developed towards the end of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty with the role of LÃÂ½ NguyÃÂªn CÃÂ¡t (Li Yuan Ki), a captured Chinese soldier who was granted a pardon for his talent in theatre. LÃÂ½ NguyÃÂªn CÃÂ¡t imported many features of Chinese theatre (also see Ã¨Â¯ÂÃ¥ÂÂ§) in the performing arts of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât such as stories, costumes, roles, and acrobatics. For that reason, LÃÂ½ NguyÃÂªn CÃÂ¡t was traditionally considered the founder of the art of hÃÂ¡t tuÃ¡Â»Âng in Vietnam. However this is nowadays a challenged hypothesis because hÃÂ¡t tuÃ¡Â»Âng and Beijing opera differed in the way of using painted faces, costumes, or theatrical conventions. The art of theatre was introduced to the imperial court by TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n DÃ¡Â»Â¥ TÃÂ´ng and eventually the emperor even decided to cede the throne to DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng NhÃ¡ÂºÂt LÃ¡Â»Â, who was born to a couple of hÃÂ¡t tuÃ¡Â»Âng performers.

To celebrate the victory over the 1288 Mongol invasion, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Quang KhÃ¡ÂºÂ£i and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NhÃ¡ÂºÂt DuÃ¡ÂºÂt created the MÃÂºa bÃÂ i bÃÂ´ng (dance of flowers) for a major three-day festival in ThÃÂng Long. This dance has been handed down to the present and is still performed at local festivals in the northern region.

Education and imperial examination system

Although Buddhism was considered the national religion of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, Confucianist education began to spread across the country. The principal curricula during this time were the Four Books and Five Classics, and Northern history, which were at the beginning taught only at Buddhist pagodas and gradually brought to pupils in private classes organized by retired officials or Confucian scholars.

The most famous teacher of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty was probably Chu VÃÂn An, an official in the imperial court from the reign of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Minh TÃÂ´ng to the reign of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n DÃ¡Â»Â¥ TÃÂ´ng, who also served as imperial professor of Crown Prince TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n VÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£ng. During the reign of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng, the emperor also permitted his brother TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ÃÂch TÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c, a prince who was well known for his intelligence and knowledge, to open his own school at the prince's palace. Several prominent mandarins of the future imperial court such as MÃ¡ÂºÂ¡c ÃÂÃÂ©nh Chi and BÃÂ¹i PhÃÂ³ng were trained at this school.

The official school of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, QuÃ¡Â»Âc hÃ¡Â»Âc viÃ¡Â»Ân, was established in June 1253 to teach the Four Books and Five Classics to imperial students (thÃÂ¡i hÃ¡Â»Âc sinh). The military school, GiÃ¡ÂºÂ£ng vÃÂµ ÃÂÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Âng, which focused on teaching about war and military manoeuvre, was opened in August of the same year. Together with this military school, the first Temple of Military Men (VÃÂµ miÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u) was built in ThÃÂng Long to worship Jiang Ziya and other famous generals.

Seven years after the establishment of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, the Emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng ordered the first imperial examination, in the second lunar month of 1232, for imperial students with the purpose of choosing the best scholars in ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât for numerous high-ranking positions in the imperial court. Two of the top candidates in this examination were TrÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng Hanh and LÃÂ°u DiÃ¡Â»Âm. After another imperial examination in 1239, the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n emperor began to establish the system of seven-year periodic examinations in order to select imperial students from all over the country.

The most prestigious title of this examination was tam khÃÂ´i (three first laureates), which was composed of three candidates who ranked first, second, and third in the examination with the names respectively of trÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ng nguyÃÂªn ( , exemplar of the state), bÃ¡ÂºÂ£ng nhÃÂ£n ( , eyes positioned alongside) and thÃÂ¡m hoa ( , selective talent). The first tam khÃÂ´i of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty were trÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ng nguyÃÂªn NguyÃ¡Â»Ân HiÃ¡Â»Ân, who was only 12 at that time, bÃ¡ÂºÂ£ng nhÃÂ£n LÃÂª VÃÂn HÃÂ°u who later became an imperial historian of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, and thÃÂ¡m hoa ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ·ng Ma La. In the 1256 examination, the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty divided the title trÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ng nguyÃÂªn into two categories, kinh trÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ng nguyÃÂªn for candidates from northern provinces and trÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i trÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ng nguyÃÂªn for those from two southern provinces: Thanh HÃÂ³a and NghÃ¡Â»Â An, so that students from those remote regions could have the motivation for the imperial examination. This separation was abolished in 1275 when the ruler decided that it was no longer necessary.

In 1304, the Emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Anh TÃÂ´ng decided to standardize the examination by four different rounds in which candidates were eliminated step by step through tests of classical texts, Confucianist classics, imperial document redaction, and finally argument and planning. This examining process was abandoned in 1396 by the Emperor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn TÃÂ´ng under pressure from HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly, who replaced the traditional examination with the new version as a part of his radical reforms of the social and administrative system.

HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly regulated the imperial examination by a prefectural examination (thi hÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng) and a metropolitan examination (thi hÃ¡Â»Âi) following in the next year. The second-degree examination included four rounds: literary dissertation, literary composition, imperial document redaction, and eventually an essay which was personally evaluated by the Emperor. For the lower-ranking officials, the emperor had another examination which tested writing and calculating, such as the examination in the sixth lunar month of 1261 during the reign of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng.

During its 175 years of existence, the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty carried out fourteen imperial examinations including ten official and four auxiliary contests. Many laureates from these examinations later became prominent officials in the imperial court or well-known scholars such as LÃÂª VÃÂn HÃÂ°u, author of the historical accounts ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât sÃ¡Â»Â kÃÂ½, MÃ¡ÂºÂ¡c ÃÂÃÂ©nh Chi, renowned envoy of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty to the Yuan dynasty, or NguyÃ¡Â»Ân Trung NgÃ¡ÂºÂ¡n, one of the most powerful officials during the reign of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Minh TÃÂ´ng. Below is the complete list of examinations with the candidates who ranked first in each examination:

Science and technology

There is evidence for the use of feng shui by TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty officials, such as in 1248 when TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â ordered several feng shui masters to block many spots over the country for the purpose of protecting the newly founded TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty from its opponents. Achievements in science during the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty were not detailed in historical accounts, though a notable scientist named ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ·ng LÃ¡Â»Â was mentioned several times in ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât sÃ¡Â»Â kÃÂ toÃÂ n thÃÂ°. It was said that ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ·ng LÃ¡Â»Â was appointed by Retired Emperor Minh TÃÂ´ng to the position of national inspector (liÃÂªm phÃÂ³ng sÃ¡Â»Â©) but he was noted for his invention called lung linh nghi, which was a type of armillary sphere for astronomic measurement. From the result in observation, ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ·ng LÃ¡Â»Â successfully persuaded the emperor to modify the calendar in 1339 for a better fit with the agricultural seasons in ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. Marquis TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n NguyÃÂªn ÃÂÃÂ¡n, a superior of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ·ng LÃ¡Â»Â in the imperial court, was also an expert in calendar calculation.

Gunpowder

Near the end of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty the technology of gunpowder appeared in the historical records of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. It was responsible for the death of the King of Champa, ChÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ BÃ¡Â»Âng Nga (Po Binasuor), after general TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n KhÃÂ¡t ChÃÂ¢n fired a cannon from his battleship in January 1390. According to the NUS researcher Sun Laichen, the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty acquired gunpowder technology from China and effectively used it to change the balance of power between ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât and Champa in favour of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. As a result of this Sun reasoned that the need for copper for manufacturing firearms was probably another reason for the order of HÃ¡Â»Â QuÃÂ½ Ly to change from copper coins to paper money in 1396.

The people of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty and the later HÃ¡Â»Â dynasty continued to improve their firearms using gunpowder. This resulted in weapons of superior quality to their Chinese counterparts. These were acquired by the Ming dynasty in their invasion of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât.

Medicine

During the rule of the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty, medicine had a better chance to develop because of a more significant role of Confucianism in society. In 1261, the emperor issued an order to establish the Institute of Imperial Physicians (ThÃÂ¡i y viÃ¡Â»Ân) which managed medicine in ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât, carrying out the examination for new physicians and treating people during disease epidemics. In 1265 the institute distributed a pill named HÃ¡Â»Âng ngÃ¡Â»Âc sÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng to the poor, which they considered able to cure many diseases. Besides the traditional Northern herbs (thuÃ¡Â»Âc BÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c), TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n physicians also began to cultivate and gather various regional medicinal herbs (thuÃ¡Â»Âc Nam) for treating both civilians and soldiers. During the reign of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n Minh TÃÂ´ng the head of the Institute of Imperial Physicians PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m CÃÂ´ng BÃÂ¢n was widely known for his medical ethics, treating patients regardless of their descent with his own medicine made from regional herbs; it was said that PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m CÃÂ´ng BÃÂ¢n gathered his remedies in a medical book named ThÃÂ¡i y dÃ¡Â»Âch bÃ¡Â»Ânh (Diseases by the Imperial Physician).

The monk PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m CÃÂ´ng BÃÂ¢n, also known as TuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ©nh, who was a famous physician in Vietnamese history, was called the "Father of the Southern Medicine" for creating the basis of Vietnamese traditional medicine with his works HÃ¡Â»Âng nghÃÂ©a giÃÂ¡c tÃÂ° y thÃÂ° and Nam dÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£c thÃ¡ÂºÂ§n hiÃ¡Â»Âu. Nam dÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£c thÃ¡ÂºÂ§n hiÃ¡Â»Âu was a collection of 499 manuscripts about local herbs and ten branches of treatment with 3932 prescriptions to cure 184 type of diseases while HÃ¡Â»Âng nghÃÂ©a giÃÂ¡c tÃÂ° y thÃÂ° provided people with many simple, easy-to-prepare medicines that produced effective results.

Gallery

Family tree

Notes

References

Sources

External links

https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/13117/Wolters_TranVietnam.pdf?sequence=1