Lingua e cultura Vietnamita

LECTURE QUESTIONS

What was the context prior to the Lý dynasty? What was happening in Vietnam?

What was culturally and politically distinctive about the Lý dynasty? What were its contributions to the history of Vietnam?

1. What was the context prior to the Lý dynasty?

King Ngô Quyền defeats the Chinese invasion and founds the "Greater Viet" in 939 C.E. After the king dies in 944 C.E., however, between 960 CE until 1009 CE, the "Viet Kings" ruled the area near the city of Hoa Lư (near present day Ninh Bình). Local conflicts led to a chaotic period called the Anarchy of the 12 Lords (circa 966 C.E.) Đinh Bộ Lĩnh (924–979) defeats the 12 rebellious warlords and unifies the region briefly (he is also known as Đinh Tiên Hoàng. From 960 to 1009, the Việt Kings contributed in different ways: they first asserted their authority over all the localities inhabited by the Viết and then gained Chinese recognition of

The period of the Việt kings was characterized by threats of violence and wars of royal succession, which limited its duration.

The Lý dynasty was culturally and politically distinctive in several ways:

• Buddhism was established as the standard for civilized behavior for both kings and subjects, bringing about a period of relative peace.
• A pantheon of indigenous Vietnamese spirits was recognized as protectors of royal power, providing legitimacy and a cultural basis for authority.
• A Vietnamized version of Chinese political theory was developed, asserting that Thăng-long (present-day Hà Nội) was the seat of the "southern emperor" who ruled the "southern kingdom" by heavenly mandate, ensuring continuity and a succession of Lý kings.

These factors laid the institutional foundation that allowed the Lý dynasty to exert its authority.

Lý dynasty to last longer than its predecessor and for more than a century. Buddhism was the intermediary between the Sino-Vietnamese aristocracy and the populace thanks to the monks. The monks made themselves as they were learned experts to the Viet kings, experts capable of dealing with China and as mobilizers of labour, wealth and popular opinion, since Buddhist temples and monasteries were numerous. Monks perceived that the kind of authority at Hoa Lư, the warlord mentality, was incapable of achieving enduring political organization and cultural development, so they introduced their protégés into positions of influence and authority, shaping public opinion. The plan succeeded in a peaceful transfer of power to the Lý clan.

Lý Thái Tổ (李太祖) He is the first Lý emperor: he was raised and educated by monks as a temple orphan, which means that he grew up as a devout Buddhist, advised by his patron, the monk Vạn Hạnh and the entire

Buddhist establishment. He founded the imperial capital "Thang Long" which is also today known as "Hanoi" (moving the location of the Việt kings away from the city of Hoa lư). The emperor Lý Thái Tổ dreamed of a dragon rising out of the ground and ascending into heaven: this dream inspired him to move the capital to where he dreamt the dragon first rising out from the ground, in the city of Thăng Long, which was later renamed "Hanoi". This is also why Viet Nam is sometimes called the "Land of the Rising Dragon". The Trần Dynasty (陳朝) LECTURE QUESTIONS What was the context prior to the Trần Dynasty? o What cultural practices endured during the Trần Dynasty o What is unique about the Trần Dynasty? What was its contributions to Vietnamese history? o 1. What was the context prior to the Trần Dynasty? The Lý dynasty collapses: in the end, the last Ly king did not have a successor, which caused rivalry among

1. The Trần Dynasty was one of the dynasties that ruled over Dai Viet (ancient Vietnam) from the 13th to the 14th century. It was founded by the Trần clan, who were able to subdue their enemies and rise to power during a period of chronic civil war.

2. During the Trần Dynasty, Buddhism was the dominant religion and Buddhist institutions continued to thrive. However, with the rise of Confucianism during the Lê Dynasty, Buddhism's influence started to decline. The belief in local spirits and deities protecting and legitimizing the throne remained prevalent throughout the Tran Dynasty.

3. What sets the Trần Dynasty apart from the previous Lý Dynasty is their origin. The Trần clan hailed from the coastal regions of Vietnam, and their proficiency in seaborne skills and naval power played a crucial role in their military success. This advantage would prove valuable when they later faced the Mongols.

4. The Trần Dynasty also implemented a system of successors, ensuring a smooth transition of power. This was done to address the issue of succession and prevent power struggles within the ruling family.

the Trần dynasty sought to maintain stability and prevent internal conflicts. They implemented a system where the throne was passed down to chosen adult heirs, known as "senior kings," upon the death of the previous ruler. This practice helped avoid the dangers of a royal minority or succession disputes. To further consolidate power and prevent interference from maternal clans, the Trần kings married their cousins. This ensured that queens were only chosen from within the Tran clan. For four generations, the Tran kings continued this practice, with queens being selected from their cousins or, in one instance, a half-sister. In the 1230s, the Tran Dynasty introduced a civil service examination system. This marked the emergence of a small but educated class of literati. These individuals were drawn from the growing class of wealthy landowners and were known for their learning, loyalty, and competence. They received a classical Confucian education, which further enhanced their image. Overall, the Trần dynasty concentrated power within their clan, aiming to maintain stability and prevent internal conflicts.

it was able to break the power of regional clans by assigning Tran clan members at strategic areas in the Red River delta, giving the Tran control of a higher percentage of the rice surplus than had been available in the Ly.

Finally, they showed resistance against the Mongul-Yuan forces: Kublai Khan conquered the Southern Sung in the late 1270s and sent an envoy demanding submission, but the Tran Dynasty refused and resisted: "Möngke dispatched Nassir-Aldin to Đại Việt to explain the Mongol position: 'I am treating you with favour by sending another envoy to ask you to submit, if you accept, then your ruler must come to pay me respect'" (Vietnamese Annals, Vol. 2, p. 261, note 69).

In 1284, the Mongol-Yuan forces flooded Dai Viet from four directions. In this period, the Tran Dynasty was led by a group of princes, the most notable of which was Trần Quốc Tuấn, also known as general Trần Hưng Đạo. General Trần Hưng Đạo defeated the Mongols using a Fabian

strategy: the strategy was named after Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, Roman statesman and general who was charged with the task to fight Hannibal during the Second Punic War (218-201 BC). The Fabian strategy is a military strategy where major battles are avoided in favor of wearing down an opponent through a war of attrition and loss of morale.

The Mongols were neither accustomed nor skilled at long-sea voyages, and the trip to Champa took a month: Sodu, his troops and his horses took a month at the beach to rest and recover before attacking Champa.

The Mongols were not accustomed to the climate in Vietnam, where the jungles were infested with mosquitos, which caused the deaths of many Mongols of malaria and other tropical diseases.

Finally, many of their horses needed specific types of grasses and food, but much of the food was scarce or unavailable in Vietnam's tropical climate: Mongols had to send supply ships by sea, so the Trần generals cut off the supply by attacking the

1. What is the status of women in pre-modern Vietnam?
1. "What is the status of women during Phase I?"

Vietnamese women had more relative agency and freedom, or at least relative to what we know about Han Chinese gender norms. Han dynasty is when Confucianism was established as basis for the Chinese State which brought to sexism in Confucian and Neo-Confucian beliefs:

Ex: "One hundred women are not worth a single testicle" --Confucius

Ex: "A husband can marry twice, but his wife must never remarry" --Neo-Confucian saying

Ex: "The five worst infirmities that afflict the female are indocility, discontent,

slander, jealousy, and silliness…Such is the stupidity of woman's character, that it is incumbent upon her, in every particular, to distrust herself and to obey her husband."--The Confucian Marriage Manual The Vietnamese lacked conformity to Chinese patriarchal rule in the Ancient period (Phase 1): - Evidence 1: Observations by Han officials Even though Han officials made "everyone [the Vietnamese] follow proper marriage ceremonies with designated matchmakers, public notification of officials, and parental invitations to formal betrothals", Hsueh Tsung noticed that, "according to records, civilizing activities have been going on for over four hundred years, but, according to what I myself have seen during many years of travel since my arrival here [in Vietnam], the actual situation is something else." - Evidence 2: Levirate Custom The "Levirate" is the practice whereby a widow marries her deceased husband's younger brother. Scholars

believethis practice implies the lingering influence of a polyandrous, matrilineal society: here’s the observation by HsuehTsung in the 3rd century:“When an elder brother dies, a younger brother marries his widow; this has been going on forgenerations thereby becoming an established custom, so district officials give in and allow it, notbeing able to stop it…In short, it can be said that these people are on the same level as bugs”“women are untrustworthy and promiscuously wander about; for this reason they are made towear tinkling pendants in their ears to keep them at home”

- Evidence 3: The Case of the Trung SistersThe tomb and spirit temple of the Trung sisters’ mother has survived but nothing remains of the father: the namesand biographies of over fifty leaders of the uprising are recorded in temples dedicated to their cult, and a largepercentage of these are women1.2 What is the status of women during Phase II?”There are two

competing trends: - Trend 1: Since the period of the Lê Dynasty coincided with Confucian institutions, wo