ADOPTION OF CHINESE IMPERIAL IDEAL TROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF VIETNAMESE MONARCHY

Sobolewski Leszek, Master, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Oriental Studies

The purpose of the paper is to show patterns according to which Vietnamse monarchs adopted Chinese Confucian model of monarchy in different periods of Vietnamese history. In the first part I give a very short description of what this Confucian model was. Then I introduce some basic information about Southeast Asian style of kingship, as well as argue that it is possible to perceive some elements of it in Vietnamese legends and historiographical narratives concerning the ancient period of Vietnamese history. In the part that follows I describe the Vietnamese monarchy during the first centuries of independence (the period of Ly and Tran dynasties). Although the monarchs of that time used the Chinese title of emperor as well as adopted several Chinese attributes of imperial power, their sources of legitimacy had a strong local flavour and their concept of power seems to have many important differences in comparison to . However, troughout the 14th century Neoconfucian philosophy was gaining prominence among the Vietnamese elites, which led to the establishment of the Ho dynasty- the first which had as its official . This trend became even stronger after the short-lived conquest of by the Ming troops in early 15th century. After the country became independent again, the new Le dynasty established a bureaucratic Confucian regime and Vietnamese monarchs adopted the way of govern of Chinese emperors. However, the new system proved unstable and collapsed in 16th century. The Le kept the throne (although they were detronized for a short period by another dynasty, the Mac), but their political position waned inexorably. All the real power in the state fell in the hands of a powerful family of Trinh, whereas the emperors were reduced to a position of mere figurants, which was a blatant violation of Confucian ideal. At the same time, in the Southern part of the country another powerful family- the Nguyen- carved for themselves a separate domain, which they ruled as a de facto independent kingdom whith its own sources of legitimacy and peculiar, localized concepts of monarchical power. This division of Viet territories into two states lasted for almost two centuries, but finally came to an end when a rebellion led by Tay Son brothers destroyed all Vietnamse ruling houses- Le, Trinh and Nguyen. The Tay Son period is especially interesting from the point of view of the conception of imperial power- for a few years two Tay Son brothers used the title of emperor at the same time, which was a clear contradiction to Confucian concept of universal monarchy. The Tay Son regime didn't last long and eventually was destroyed by the only survivor of the Nguyen family, Nguyen Anh, who established a new- and the last one- dynasty of Vietnamese emperors. Nguyen Anh, and especially his son Minh Mang, adopted Chinese model of kingship and administration as a tool to enhance their power. The process of creating a centralized bureaucratic Viet state with an omnipotent emperor at its top was neither short nor easy, but eventually successful. By 1840 Vietnamese emperors kept a firm grip on all the issues of the state. However, they proved unable to defend their country against the menace of French colonial conquest. After having conquered Vietnam, the French decided not to abolish the Vietnamese monarchy, but stripped the emperors of all their power. Thus, although the dynasty was to last until 1945, the French conquest meant the real end of Vietnamese Confucian monarchy.

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