Far East Kingdoms

Nam Viet Kingdom (Second Restoration) (Vietnam)
AD 939 - 1533

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The modern-day nation state of Vietnam emerged out of prehistory's Early Vietnam. Various early (and partially legendary) kingdoms followed, leading to the earliest Nam Viet state which was created by an errant Qin general by the name of Zhao Tuo. Nam Viet enjoyed nearly a century of independence until the Chinese returned under the Han to conquer the kingdom's capital of Panyu.

The southern Cham states and Funan remained outside of Chinese control, but northern Vietnam endured a sequence of occupations and independence which began with the 'First Chinese Domination of Vietnam', between 111 BC and AD 40. Domination was generally peaceful, only really fading when the 'Sixteen Kingdoms of the Five Barbarians' civil war period between AD 317-439 was extended into the 'Northern & Southern Dynasties' civil war period of AD 439-589. A Viet revolt broke out which established the Early Li dynasty of a renewed Nam Viet kingdom in AD 544.

Thanks to a Sui intrusion from the north, the 'Third Chinese Domination of Vietnam' saw Nam Viet divided into the provinces of Giao (Chinese Chiao), Phong (Chinese Fêng), Lc (Chinese Lu), and Hoan (Chinese Huan). The Viet aristocracy retained Chinese political and cultural forms but grew increasingly independent of Chinese controls during this period and afterwards. A series of revolts in the eighth century helped to feed the growing Viet sense of national consciousness.

In AD 938, Ngo Quyen won a glorious victory against occupying Southern Han forces along the banks of the River Bach Dang. The victory put an end to a thousand years of near-continuous Chinese domination, replacing it with the beginning of a long period of national independence and sovereignty, starting with the Ngo dynasty. The Chinese-created province of Annam was incorporated into this new regime, but the 'Anarchy of the Twelve Warlords' ensured that the dynasty never had full control. It was left to the second, the Dinh, to suppress the warlords.

Successive Viet dynasties continuously constructed and reinforced the country's independence and sovereignty, while building the state into a strong, powerful, and unified nation. Territorial integrity was preserved and a national culture was developed. A rich heritage survived from this period, both tangible and intangible, ranging from the north to the south. Its heritage was formed from the work and creative abilities of Vietnamese ethnic communities, as well as by outstanding cultural figures who represented this new nation's heart and mind.

Translations of Vietnamese names vary, sometimes wildly. Early twentieth-century translations have since been revised (often more than once), with the result that those early translations can be very different from the most recent attempts. Where possible, early forms of each name are show first, and then the more modern version.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from Vietnam: A New History, Christopher Goscha, from Early Mainland Southeast Asia, C Higham (River Books Co, 2014), from Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopaedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor, Keat Gin Ooi (ABC-Clio, 2004), and from External Links: Encyclopaedia Britannica, and Vietnam (Countrystudies), and Vietnam from the 1st to the 10th centuries AD (Vietnam National Museum of History), and Vietnam from the 10th century AD to the mid-20th century AD (Vietnam National Museum of History).)