Nguyễn Hoàng

Nguyễn Hoàng , born in 1558 and died in 1613, also known under the name of the lord Tien , Vietnamese dignitary and family member of the Nguyễn.

Youth

He is the son junior by Nguyễn Kim. According to the genealogical register of the dynasty of Nguyễn, it comes in the world the tenth day the sixth month the year from the Cock (1525). The Annales of Vietnam ( Dai Nam Thuc Luc ) mention “shoulders of unicorn, back of tiger, eyes of phoenix, face of dragon” as many attributes which obviously impress its contemporaries and give them the feeling which they were in the presence of an extraordinary man. Annals depict it like an energetic, intelligent, serious child in its work and, supreme quality, never not letting see the reality of its feelings.

At the time of the coup d'etat of the Mạc and departure of his/her father for the Laos, Nguyễn Hoàng is entrusted to his/her uncle and remained with Thanh Ba to perfect its education there. Once its completed studies, Hoang chooses the military career and joined his/her father in Laos. It behaves there with bravery and easy way, leaving the image of a man of talent and great will.

To died from his/her father in 1545, the capacity of the resistance of the the falls into the hands from his/her brother-in-law Trịnh Kiểm. Prototype of the Mandarin, Trịnh Kiểm prefers the mysteries of the palates, the plots and the turnings of the life of court to military operations. He devotes his energy to reinforce his position near the king rather Trang Tong than to restore It in their capacity. In fact, he sees in wire of prestigious Nguyễn Kim of serious competitors and seeks to get rid some. He makes assassinate Nguyễn Uông, the oldest son of Nguyễn Kim then commander military of the infantry as of.

Trịnh Kiểm then feels free to push its advantage near the king. In warned policy, it makes place its men at the civil stations and the soldiers most prestigious and becomes soon the first character of the kingdom. The so fast rise of Trịnh Kiểm, the schemes, and especially the assassination of Nguyễn Uông worry naturally Nguyễn, Nguyễn Hoàng from now on only male descendant to complete the work of his/her father and especially Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Bảo, girl of Nguyễn Kim and wife of Trịnh Kiểm. In the person of Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Bảo is then opposed the filial devotion to the duty of matrimonial obedience. Her husband, after having made assassinate his older brother, threatens from now on his younger brother. It intervenes with her husband to obtain his leniency and especially warns Nguyễn Hoàng.

Informed by his/her sister of the details of the intrigue which was woven against him, Nguyễn Hoàng, still young, will consult Nguyễn Ư Kỷ, his/her uncle. As a warned man, and judging well the power struggle between very powerful Trinh Kim and the Hoàng young person, Nguyễn Ư Kỷ recommends with its nephew to leave the kingdom as of to escape the dangerous influence from Trinh Kim. It recommends to him to ask the administration of the most isolated area, poorest, most dangerous which is with the steps of the empire as of in order to preparing its return there. Trinh Kim made suspicieux by the increase in its capacity and less malignant by the speed in its successes accepts the request for Nguyễn Hoàng. He agree to ask the king to entrust to Hoàng the conquest and the administration of the area of Thuan Hoa, then occupied by Mạc. Cash on the insulation of this area, and more still on the army of Mac, he is delighted by this combination by which he thinks of making kill his last competitor of the hand of their common enemies and thus to withdraw itself from the comments.

First stay with Thuan Hoa

Indeed, the company of Nguyễn Hoàng is at the very least risky. It leaves, equipped with its only heredity, with a troop reduced to its faithful last, to manage an isolated region and which more is occupied by Mạc. Learning her departure, his/her sister cries her brother whom she sees already dead. Nguyễn Hoàng itself, is undoubtedly not of doubt and torment. He consults Nguyên Binh Khiem a close relation, known under the name of Doctor Trinh for his art to detect the secrecies of last and the future. Hiding to him anything of its situation, the true motivations of its project and the risks that it encourre, Nguyễn Hoàng, moves Doctor Trinh. This one gives to him, according to the usual form of the divination annamite, a parchment on which was written some characters: Word day harmed Hoành Its Co the dung thân muon DOI (“the assembly line Hoành Its could protect during thousand years”). The oracle of Doctor Trinh fills up joy the heart of Nguyễn Hoàng and strengthens its resolution.

Three years were passed since the death of his/her father when Nguyễn Hoàng leaves the grounds of accompanied by his/her children and the their confidants. The voyage towards the South is particularly difficult. Pressed by the fear that Trinh Kim finally does not decide to make it assassinate, tired by an exhausting walk, the troop of Nguyên Hoang advances painfully. After a few weeks it arrived at Have You, current province of the Quang Tri (district of Trieu Phong). On its arrival, the inhabitants, undoubtedly moved by the poor state by its company, offer to Nguyễn Hoàng seven limpid water earthenware jars to refresh it. His/her uncle, the duke Nguyễn Ư Kỷ sees good omen in the gesture of the villagers and “It says to him is a good omen. You have just arrived and one offers water to you, surely you will conquer the nation”. Indeed, in Vietnamese, “water” and “nation” result from the same root, nuoc . The pun of the uncle likes undoubtedly Nguyễn Hoàng which settled with Have You.

Then begin the political work of Nguyễn Hoàng. He undertakes a political work of restoration, of economic development, marked in particular by freedoms from tax. On the administrative level, it enacts serious payments, selects and recruits men of talents to occupy the civil stations. This development campaign gives the regard and soon the support to him of the inhabitants of the area. Soon Have You becomes a center administrative and military important and develops like a true agglomeration. The work of development lasts 13 years.

Against Mac

In 1570, the king Trang Tong, admitting in Nguyễn Hoàng to have pacified and have developed the area, names it Grand Marshal in load of the provinces Thuan and Quang. Reinforced by this mark of regard of the king, Nguyễn Hoàng, from now on called the Tien lord, starts to consolidate its forces on the military level. It transfers its residence to the village from Tra Bat, not far from Have You by building more solid buildings and more forts that the precedents. It makes install guardrooms at the strategic points, develops the communication network in the province. It reorganizes the army by recruiting new soldiers and in their providing a serious training. To increase its resources, it launches a clearing campaign of the grounds and to the rehabilitation of the abandoned grounds. Taking again a formula several times crowned with success in the long story of Vietnam, it subsidizes the peasants who settle in these new hamlets and exempts them taxes. Its economic reforms function. Many hamlets are created, agricultural surface increases harvests just like increasing the richness and prestige Nguyễn Hoàng.

The geographical insulation of Nguyễn Hoàng, its strategic withdrawal of the political matters of the administration as of, have it for a time withdrawn from the conflict of Mạc and It. But its success in the development of Thuan Hoa, does not leave indifferent the enemies of Nguyễn Hoàng. They are Mạc the first which intervene and do not intend to leave with their enemies It, whose Nguyễn Hoàng remains a framework of foreground, a decisive advantage in the development of their power. In 1572, year of the Monkey, king Mạc sent sixty men-of-war equipped well under the direction with the general Lập Bạo, to attack Thuan Hoa.

Having the advantage of the surprise, Lập Bạo is quickly several successes. It enters the Viêt estuary, passes by the river Vinh Linh and occên Hoang remained in withdrawal. The troops of this last, fewer than those of Lập Bạo, have evil to contain the attack of Mac but do not yield a ground. The offensive of Mạc seems to be blown but the battle continues without none the camps obtaining an advantage on the other. Of a fast war of invasion, the countryside of Lập Bạo is transformed into war of position. Each camp is cut off behind a network from fortifications and the attacks of great scale leave room to a war of skirmish where each one counts on the weakening of the other.

Here, the historical documents leave room to the legend. Nguyễn Hoàng, logically worried by its situation, anxious to see its project of return, destroyed by a defeat, makes a dream. During an inspection of its troops on Long the Vinh river, he hears cries come from the sky and a mooing left the floods. He kneels and called upon the spirit of the waters so that he helps it to carry out his work. He then saw a goddess with the beautiful face like a flower, with the brilliant eyes like stars. “I am the genius of the river says it. Touched by your sincerity I come to your assistance. If you want to overcome Lập Bạo, you have only to use the operation of the female beauty”.

Nguyễn Hoàng does not learn any more and awakes, not including/understanding the remarks of the genius. Asking for the opinion of its advisers, one of them confirmed leaning it of Lập Bạo for the beautiful women, according to the testimony of its spies. Nguyên Hoang and its advisers deliberate on the means of finding a woman sufficiently beautiful to trap the general of Mạc, in the middle of a barracks in a zone of combat. A maidservant enters then to offer the meal. She is immediately recognized of a beauty incomparable and chosen as that which should operate against Lap Bao. This one, trustful in its forces and envisaging a victory, then forsakes its duties of general for the pleasures lascifs of the rejoicings. He is not wary when Nguyễn Hoàng proposing a reconciliation, sent a troop of servants overflowing of present. It is of course the beautiful maidservant who is charged to bring to Lập Bạo the offerings of Nguyễn Hoàng. The beautiful cheek so well its role, that Lập Bạo falls taken under its charm. When the delegation of Nguyễn Hoàng left the camp of Mạc, Lập Bạo wants to prolong its conversation with the beautiful one, undoubtedly hoping to keep it close to him. For more intimacy, it drives out its escort and moves away, without realizing it, of its fortress. At a sufficient distance, the soldiers of Nguyên Hoang tent to seize the general of Mạc. To escape, it plunges in the river, from where its lifeless body arises a few minutes later. The death of Lập Bạo plunges its troops in confusion and its partisans then seek to go or desert.

This first victory of Nguyễn Hoàng reinforces its prestige at the court as of. It is named by Thế Tông, successor of Trang Tong, second dignitary of the court ( Tai Pho ). In recognition for the goddess of Long the Vinh river, it made build a pagodon along the river, which bears the name of pagodon of the Lady.

As an advised and careful chief, Nguyễn Hoàng knows that its prestige will attract other conflicts to him. It makes increase its residence of Tra Bat, to increase its fortifications and surrounds it by thick ramparts. During ten years additional, the area continues its development, the insecurity moves back, the trade and agriculture develops so much so that the Western missionaries describe a great agglomeration. Years after its departure of the capital as of, Nguyên Hoang, haloed of its success in Thuan Hoa, turned over to Long Thang, capital history as of taken again recently in Mac in rout.

In North, the things changed little on the bottom. The influence and the territory of Mạc are practically reduced to nothing. The army as of succeeded in occupying its historical capital again. If Trinh Kiem died, his/her son Trinh Tung continuous to reign on the royal palace with same greed as his/her father. It concentrates between its hands the essence of the civil and military capacity. With its death in 1599, the king Thế Tông, if it found the capital of his father, does not have practically any more any capacity. His/her son Kinh Tong, conscious of the imbalance of the capacities in his government, names Nguyên Hoang first dignitary of the court ( Huu Thua Tuong ). Nguyen Honang should not feel very at ease in this atmosphere of palate, under the entirety controls henchmen and spies of Trinh Tung. He lives in the anxiety of a plot against his person and seeks to turn over in Thuan Hoa. But Trinh Tung, having included/understood the error of his/her father, refuses “to release the tiger in the forest” for supervising best.

Return to Thuan Hoa

But the destiny of Nguyễn Hoàng is not to finish its days captive of a gilded palate. One year after its return and that of to Long Thang, of the revolts burst in the South. It obtains from Trinh Tung the authorization to leave the capital to pacify the South. In pledge in good faith, it left, or must leave, his son Nguyên Hai and his small son Nguyên Hac like hostages. Scalded by its semi-captivity, Nguyễn Hoàng takes the resolution to leave definitively. It gathers all its partisans bound for Thuan Hoa and starts its walk towards the South.

Following the example its first departure and in spite of the considerable improvement of its position, the return to Thuan Hoa is as difficult as its first voyage. As of its arrival, he undertakes the pacification of the area which proceeds quickly. Of return to the head of the province, Nguyễn Hoàng continues its work of development. It makes draw up charts, develop the defense of the points strategic and continued its policy of clearing of the waste lands. Its project to be detached from North to create an independent kingdom matures very quickly during this period.

Surveying the area inlassablement to supervise the projections of its policy, and seeking a favourable place to be established definitively, Nguyên Hoang arrived one day at the village of Year Khe (currently Hué, current province of Thua Thien). It is seized by the beauty of the place. A hill extended to far, which resembled the head of a dragon turned backwards and a river with clear water ran in front of a wide lake. Informed by the inhabitants, the lord learns that an old woman with the grey hair, vêtue of a red dress and blue pants, occupies this area and announces the arrival of a lord. The landscape was bathed of a strange perfume of flower, without nobody including/understanding why.

Nguyễn Hoàng was impressed by these signs and makes build a splendid Pagode which it calls 1601 the pagoda Thiên Mu (Celestial Lady) in . It reigns for twelve years more and conquers the province of Phu Yen in the South. Feeling its nearest death, at 88 years the very advanced age, Nguyễn Hoàng convened its sixth wire, Nguyên Phuc then in function with the administration of Quang Nam. He says to him:

“Any child should be pious, any subject should be honest, the brothers should like, if you remember all that, I can close the eyes without anything to regret. Thuan Quang is a crowned ground, with the talented men, limited to north by the mountain Hoanh and the Linh river in the south by the mountains Hai Van and Thach Bi, very stable. An immense sea extends towards the east. The mountains abound in invaluable wild animals, the sea out of fish and shellfish it is really a ground favourable with the men of good will. If you want to undertake a philosopher's stone which would make honor with the ancestors, you must educate and to love the people, to look after and form the subjects, in this way you will be able to deal with Trinh to build a durable work. If your forces are not powerful enough, you should be resigned while waiting for the favorable occasion. Remember my councils well”.

Nguyễn Hoàng dies the third day of the sixth month of the year of the Buffalo ( 1613) after a long illness. Known under the name of the Tien lord, he is regarded as the father of the dynasty of Nguyễn.

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