User:Kauffner/Nam Viet

Nam Việt was a kingdom ruled by the Triệu Dynasty which consisted of parts of southern China as well as northern Vietnam. It's capital was Pānyú, modern Guǎngzhōu. Triệu Đà, the founder of the dynasty, was a military governor for the Qín Empire who asserted his independence in 207 BC when the Qín collapsed. The ruling elite included both ethnic Chinese and native Yuè, with intermarriage and assimilation encouraged. Triệu Đà conquered the Âu Lạc of the northern Vietnam and led a coalition of Yuè states in a war against the Hàn Empire. Subsequent rulers were less successful in asserting their independence and the Hàn conquered the kingdom in 111 BC. In Vietnamese historiography, this dynasty was a government of the Vietnamese nation and its end marks the beginning of the First Chinese Domination (111 BC–39 AD). However, Chinese-oriented historians tend to regard the Triệu as a Chinese dynasty and thus consider this a period of Chinese rule over Vietnam.

The word "Việt" is shortened from Bách Việt, a term used in anceint times to describe the native peoples of southern China. "Nam" means "south." The modern name "Vietnam" is adapted from "Nam Việt".

Historiography
Huang Zuo of Guǎngzhōu produced the first detailed history of Nam Việt in the fifteenth century. Cantonese historians have generally denounced the Triệu as separatists, but have also praised them as a civilizing force. A particularly strident denunciation was produced by poet Qū Dàjūn in 1696. Qū used the authoritarian Qín Shĭ Huáng as a model of how to uphold the purity of Chinese culture by dealing with barbarians in a strong and uncompromising manner. A more positive view of Triệu multiculturalism was presented by Liáng Tíngnán in Nányuè Wŭ Wáng Chuán (History of the Five Kings of Nányuè) in 1833. The Cantonese traditionally reject or minimize their Yuè ancestry with implausible stories that assert pure northern Chinese ancestry. Despite this, the Cantonese still refer to themselves asYuht, the Cantonese pronunciation of Yuè/Việt.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese historians have struggled with the issue of whether to regard the Triệu heroically as founders of Vietnam, or to denounce them as foreign invaders. For centuries afterward, Triệu Đà was a folk hero among the Viets, and was remembered for standing up to the Han Empire. AfterLý Bí drove the Chinese out of northern Vietnam, he proclaimed himself "emperor of Nam Việt" (Nam Việt đế) in 544, thus identifying his state as a revival of the Triệu, despite obvious differences in terms of location and ethnic makeup. In the thirteenth century, Lê Văn Hưu wrote a history of Vietnam that used the Triệu as it's starting point, with Triệu Đà receiving glowing praise as Vietnam's first emperor. In the 18th century, Ngô Thì Sĩ reevaluated Triệu Đà as a foreign invader. Under the Nguyễn Dynasty, Triệu Đà continued to receive high praise, although it was acknowledged that the original Nam Việt was not in fact a Vietnamese state. The current Communist government portrays Triệu Đà negatively as a foreign invader who vanquished Vietnam's heroic King An Dương. Modern Vietnamese are directly descended from the ancient Yuè of northern Vietnam and western Guangdong.

Triệu Đà or Zhào Tuō
Triệu Đà (r. 204-136 BC), the founder of the dynasty, was an ethnic Chinese born in the Kingdom of Zhào, now Héběi province. He became military governor of Nánhăi (now Guăngdōng) upon the death of Governor Rèn Xiāo in 208 BC, just as the Qín Empire was collapsing. He asserted Nánhăi's independence declared himself the king of Nam Việt in 204 BC, established in the area of Lĭngnán, the modern provinces of comprises Guăngdōng, Guăngxī, south Húnán, south Jiāngxī and other nearby areas. He ruled Nam Việt and committed acts of defiance against Emperor Gāozŭ of Hàn and he severed all ties with China, killed many Chinese employees appointed by the central government and favored local customs. Being a talented general and cunning diplomat, he sought a peaceful relationship with China, both with the Qín Empire and the succeeding Hàn Empire.

In 196 BC, Gāozŭ sent the outstanding scholar Lǔ Jiā to the court of Triệu Đà. On this occasion, Triệu Đà squatted and wore his hair in a bun, in the Yuè manner. "You are a Chinese and your forefathers and kin lie buried in Zhending in the land of Zhao," Lǔ told the king. "Yet now you turn against that nature which heaven has given you at birth, cast aside the dress of your native land and, with this tiny, far-off land of Yue, think to set yourself up as a rival to the Son of Heaven and an enemy state....It is proper under such circumstances that you should advance as far as the suburbs to greet me and bow to the north and refer to yourself as a 'subject'." After Lǔ threatened a Hàn military attack on Nam Việt, Triệu Đà stood up and apologized. Lǔ stayed at Pānyú for several months and Triệu Đà delighted in his company. "There is no one in all Yue worth talking to," said the king, "Now that you have come, everyday I hear something I have never heard before!" Lǔ recognized Triệu Đà as "king of Yue." An agreement was reached that allowed legal trade between the Hàn Empire and Nam Việt, as the people of Nam Việt were anxious to purchase iron vessels from China. When Lǔ returned to Cháng'ān, Gāozŭ was much pleased by this result.

Lǚ Zhì, the Han dowager empress, banned trade with Nam Việt in 185 BC. "Emperor Gaozu set me up as a feudal lord and sent his envoy giving me permission to carry on trade," said Triệu Đà. "But now Empress Lu...[is] treating me like one of the barbarians and breaking off our trade in iron vessels and goods." Triệu Đà responded by declaring himself an emperor and by attacking some border towns. His imperial status was recognized by the Mǐnyuè, Western Ou, and the Luolou. The army sent against Nam Việt by Empress Lǚ was ravaged by a cholera epidemic. When Triệu Đà was reconciled with the Hàn Empire in 180 BC, he sent a message to Emperor Wǔ of Hàn in which he described himself as, "Your aged subject Tuo, a barbarian chief". Triệu Đà agreed to recognize the Hàn ruler as the only emperor.

Peace meant that Nam Việt lost its imperial authority over the other Yuè states. Its earlier empire had not been based on supremacy, but was instead a framework for a wartime military alliance opposed to the Hàn. The army Triệu Đà had created to oppose the Hàn was now available to deploy against the Âu Lạc kingdom in northern Vietnam. This kingdom was conquered in 179-180 BC. Triệu Đà divided his kingdom into two regions: Cửu Chân and Giao Chỉ. Giao Chỉ now encompasses most of northern Vietnam. He allowed each region to have representatives to the central government, thus his administration was quite relaxed and had a feeling of being decentralized. However, he remained in control. By the time Triệu Đà died in 136 BC, he had ruled for more than 70 years and outlived his sons.

In modern Vietnam, Triệu Đà is best remembered as a character in the "Legend of the Magic Crossbow". According to this legend, Triệu Đà's son Trọng Thủy married Mỵ Châu, the daughter of King An Dương of Âu Lạc, and used her love to steal the secret of An Dương's magic crossbow.

Triệu Văn or Zhào Mò
Triệu Đà died in 136 BC and was succeeded by his grandson,, who took the temple name Triệu Văn. Triệu Văn was the son of Trọng Thủy and Mỵ Châu, according the Legend of the Magic Crossbow. He was 71 years old at the time. In 135 BC, theMǐnyuè attacked and Triệu Văn requested the assistance of the Hàn Empire. Emperor Wǔ offered to "help" by sending his army, ostensibly to suppress the assist Nam Việt, but with an eye of seizing the country should an occasion arise. Crown Prince Triệu Anh Tề was sent to live and study in the Hàn court. The king took this as a gesture of goodwill by the emperor, whom he viewed as a brother, to strengthen the relationship between Hàn and Nam Việt. Triệu Văn died in 124 BC. His mausoleum was found in Guǎngzhōu in 1983.

Triệu Minh Vương or Zhao Ming Di
Triệu Anh Te (r. 124-112 BC) was the crown prince when his father, Triệu Vǎn Vương, died. Triệu Anh Te's appointment to the position of Triệu Minh Vương (Emperor Zhao Ming) was a conciliatory measure to the Emperor in Chang'an as a sign of respect. This crowned prince, Triệu Anh Te, lived most of his life in China. In China he had fathered a son by a ethnic Chinese woman name Cu Thi; In one popular theory, she was Emperor Wu's own daughter. He named the son Triệu Hưng. Only when his father, Triệu Văn Vương, died did Triệu Anh Te receive permission to go home for his father's funeral. This happened in 124 BC. Triệu Anh Te ascended the throne as Triệu Minh Vương. Not much is known about Triệu Minh Vương's reign, probably because it is a short one and he was subservient to the Hán emperor. Even so, it was recorded that was quite a lady's man and were sought after by many Royal Hán princesses. His Chinese-born son, Triệu Hưng, was only about 6 years old when Trieu Minh Vương died. Owing to Triệu Hưng's extreme youth, his mother Cu Thi, became the Empress Dowager.

Trieu Minh Vương's death precipitated the events that would lead to the seizure and domination of Nam Việt by the Hán forces.

Triệu Ai Vương or Zhao Ai Di
Triệu Hưng (r. 113-112 BC), just 6 years old, ascended the throne and adopted the temple name Triệu Ai Vương. Soon thereafter, Emperor Wu of Han summoned him and his mother, Cu Thi, to an audience to pay homage in the Hán court. The Hán held Cu Thi and Triệu Ai under the pretext that the young emperor needed their protection. By acquiescing to this gesture, both the empress dowager and the young emperor gave the public the impression that they were just puppets in the hands of the Hán court. With Triệu Ai in their hands and the empress dowager beheaded, the Chinese prepared their army for an invasion. In 112 BC, the emperor sent two of his commanders, Lộ Bác Đức and Dương Bộc, along with 5,000 of his best soldiers to invade Nam Việt.

Triệu Dương Vương or Zhao Yang Di
Nam Việt's senior prime minister, Quan Thái-phó, Lữ Gia (Lü Jia) sent out the army to meet the Hán at the border to repel the invasion. The army was strong, but smaller in number. Meanwhile, inside the country, The word has spread that Triệu Dương Vương is in the hand of the Han emperor. The Việt feared that if they resist, their Emperor would be harm by the hands of the Hán Emperor. The country is now in a state of chaos. When the Han kept sending more and more reinforcements for his army at the border, the Nam Việt's army was unable to hold their position. Lữ Gia saw that Nam Việt must have a new king in order to calm its people and to stir up Nam Việt patriotism to fight. Triệu Kiến Ðức, Triệu Minh Vương's eldest son from one of his concubines, took the burden of leading his people to war. Triệu Kiến Ðức took the title of Triệu Dương Vương (Emperor Zhao Yang) (r. 111 BC).

With its king being too young and inexperienced; leading an untrained, however brave army. Nam Việt was only able to keep their strong-hold for a while. Hán crushed the Nam Việt army along with Lữ Gia (Lü Jia) and his King (Trieu Duong Vuong), both resisted until the end. Nam Việt as the prefecture of Giao Chỉ (Jiaozhi) of the Hán Empire, was divided into nine districts. China would dominate Nam Việt until the revolt of the Trưng Sisters.