Southeast Oceans: Coastal Kingdoms

The Nguyen family The Nguyen Lords (Chúa Nguyễn), who ruled southern Vietnam from the 16th to the 18th centuries occupied the territory and styled themselves as the Kings of Quang Nam; their military forces were even stronger than those of Annam.

Initially, during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty 1522–1566, the kingdom of Annam was usurped by Mac Dang Dung original: 莫登庸 (Mò Dēngyōng), founder of the Mac Dynasty. The King, Le Duy Dam, fled to seek protection in the four prefectures of Thanh Hoa and Thuan Hoa. It was not until the time of his grandson, Le Duy Tam, that troops were raised to crush the Mac and restore the kingdom. This restoration was actually accomplished through the power of his ministers, the Trinh and Nguyen families, who for generations had served as the Left and Right Assistants in the government.

Later, an Assistant of the Trinh family took advantage of the death of the Nguyen leader and the youth of his heir. He exiled the Nguyen family to Thuan Hoa, directing them to rule over Quang Nam while he himself monopolized state affairs at court. Consequently, the Nguyen and Trinh became hereditary enemies and were constantly at war.

When Trinh Dong original: 鄭棟 (Zhèng Dòng); this likely refers to the Trinh lords' line during the late 18th century grew increasingly autocratic, he plotted to usurp the throne entirely, yet he feared the military strength of Quang Nam. He therefore enticed the local chieftains Nguyen Nhac and Nguyen Hue Tay Son Brothers: leaders of a massive late 18th-century rebellion that overthrew both the Trinh and Nguyen lords to attack and destroy the King of Quang Nam at Phu Xuan The old name for the city of Huế.

Upon the death of Trinh Dong, Nguyen Hue turned the Quang Nam forces to attack and eliminate the Trinh family. Thus, the Nguyen Here referring to the Tay Son branch of the Nguyen again dominated the state. They seized all the treasures of the royal capital and brought them back to the Quang Nam region. They fortified the walls and moats at Phu Xuan and soon after dispatched their general, Nguyen Nhiem, with tens of thousands of troops to attack Tonkin original: 東京 (Dōngjīng), the "Eastern Capital," modern-day Hanoi. The reigning King, Le Duy Ky, dispatched an envoy and fled...