Việt Nam sử lược

Việt Nam sử lược (越南史略, Précis d'Histoire du Việt-Nam, lit. "Outline History of Vietnam"), was the first history text published in the Vietnamese language and the Vietnamese alphabet. It was compiled by Vietnamese historian Trần Trọng Kim. It covered the period from Hồng Bàng dynasty to the time of French Indochina. The book was first published in 1920 and reprinted many times. It was the standard history text in South Vietnam.

Hồ Quý Ly has been condemned by modern historians. The leaders of the Tây Sơn Rebellion were heroes to the Communists, but condemned by mainstream historians.

Background
From the late 19th century, Vietnam became a French protectorate, with Vietnamese emperors as mere puppet rulers of the French with little power. The country faced an uncertain future. Trần Trọng Kim believed that if the Vietnamese people knew their own history, they would be patriotic and contribute to national growth.

However, all historical texts were written in classical Chinese. The usage of classical Chinese had died out in Vietnam early in the 20th century. Tran was concerned that since the Vietnamese people could no longer read classical Chinese, Vietnam's history would be lost. He decided to preserve Vietnamese history by writing a history of Vietnam in the Vietnamese language and script.

Contents
Việt Nam sử lược contained five parts:
 * 1) Early historical period: From Hồng Bàng dynasty to Triệu dynasty;
 * 2) Period Belonging to the North: From First Chinese domination to the establishment of Ngô dynasty;
 * 3) Independent period (unified period): Ngô dynasty, Đinh dynasty, Early Lê dynasty, Lý dynasty, Trần dynasty, Lê dynasty;
 * 4) Independent period (Southern-Northern conflict period): From Mạc dynasty to Tây Sơn dynasty;
 * 5) Recent and modern period: From Nguyễn dynasty to early 20th century.

References of this book
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Written in chữ Nho and chữ Quốc Ngữ

 * 1) Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư- Ngô Sĩ Liên
 * 2) Khâm định Việt sử thông giám cương mục
 * 3) Trần triều thế phổ hành trang
 * 4) Bình Nguyên công thần thực lục
 * 5) Hoàng Lê nhất thống chí
 * 6) Lịch triều hiến chương- Phan Huy Chú
 * 7) Đại Nam thực lục tiền biên
 * 8) Đại Nam thực lục chính biên
 * 9) Đại Nam thống chí
 * 10) Đại Nam chính biên liệt truyện
 * 11) Đại Nam điển lễ toát yếu- Đỗ Văn Tâm
 * 12) Minh Mệnh chính yếu
 * 13) Quốc triều sử toát yếu- Cao Xuân Dục
 * 14) Thanh triều sử ký
 * 15) Trung Quốc lịch sử
 * 16) Hạnh Thục ca- Nguyễn Nhược Thị
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Written in French

 * 1) Cours d' Histoire Annamite – Trương Vĩnh Ký
 * 2) Notion d' Histoire d'Annam – Charles Maybon and Henri Russier
 * 3) Pays d' Annam – E. Luro
 * 4) L'Empire d' Annam – Charles Gosselin
 * 5) Abrégé de l'Histoire d'Annam – Alfred Schreiner
 * 6) Histoire de la Cochinchine – P. Cultru
 * 7) Les Origines de la question du Tong-kin, 1896 – Jean Dupuis
 * 8) Le Tonkin de 1872 à 1866 – Jean Dupuis
 * 9) La Vie de Monseigneur Puginier – Louis-Eugène Louvet
 * 10) L'insurrection de Gia Định – Jean Silvestre
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