Nguyễn Hoàng
Nguyễn Hoàng (Hán tự: 阮潢; 1525 – 1613) ruled the southern provinces of Vietnam from 1558 to 1613.
Nguyễn Hoàng is first of the Nguyễn Lords who ruled south Vietnam from a series of cities: Ai Tu (1558–1570), Tra Bat (1570–1600), and Dinh Cat (modern-day Huế) (1600–1613).
Nguyễn Hoàng was the second son of Nguyễn Kim. When his father was assassinated by a Mạc supporter, his brother-in-law Trịnh Kiểm took command of the Royal (Nguyen-Trịnh) army. Sometime after his older brother (Nguyen Uong) died (believed to have been poisoned), Nguyễn Hoàng asked for, and received permission to rule over the southern-most province of Vietnam. This land was formerly Champa territory which had been conquered by Lê Thánh Tông. Nguyễn Hoàng took over the province in 1558.
In 1573 he was given the title Grand Master (Thai-pho) by Emperor Le The Ton. Later he was given the title Prince Mon (Mon Cong). In 1592, when Hanoi was captured by Trịnh Tùng, Nguyễn Hoàng came north with both money and soldiers. The Nguyen army joined with the Royal (Trịnh) army and helped destroy the remainder of the Mac army.
For reasons that are mysterious, when a new king, Lê Kinh Tông, took the throne in Hanoi, Nguyễn Hoàng refused to recognize the new king and instead took for himself the new title of Good Prince (Huu Vuong) in 1600. Perhaps an explanation is found in that his sister's son Trịnh Tùng had been given a similar title just one year earlier: Peaceful Prince (Binh An Vuong).
Nguyễn Hoàng had many children (10 sons) and was succeeded by his 6th son Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên upon his death in 1613. He had ruled the south for 55 years.
The enmity between the Trịnh and the Nguyen dates from this time. Several stories are told to explain this. One story says that Nguyễn Hoàng's older brother was in fact killed under orders from Trịnh Khiem [1]. Another story says that Nguyễn Hoàng had to pretend to be insane to avoid being murdered [2][unreliable source?]. Neither story explains why Trịnh Khiem appointed Nguyễn Hoàng to rule over the southern province of Vietnam at a time (1558) when the Royal (Trịnh) army was strong and winning the war against the Mạc. Another story says that the Trịnh attacked the Nguyen in 1571 in a short campaign [3]. Left unexplained is why the Nguyễn Hoàng went north with an army in 1592 and helped the Trịnh defeat the Mạc. The reason for the break in relations in 1600 is completely mysterious, revolts in Ninh Binh Province are offered but by itself it means little. The Trịnh–Nguyễn War did finally begin but it was 15 years after Nguyễn Hoàng's death (and five years after Trịnh Tùng's death).
Preceded byNew title Ruler of South Vietnam
1558-1613 Succeeded by
Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên
Sources
- Encyclopedia of Asian History, Volume 3 (Nguyen Lords) 1988. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.
- Genealogy of the Royal Nguyen Family
- Annam and its Minor Currency Chapter 16 (downloaded May 2006)