Nguyen Kim
Encyclopedia : N : NG : NGU : Nguyen Kim
Nguyen Kim (also called Nguyen Krai) 1476 - 1545; ruled part of Vietnam from 1533 - 1545.
Nguyen Kim is the founder of the famous Nguyen Lords who later ruled south Vietnam (and much later, all of Vietnam). During his rule, the war with the Mac Dynasty started.
Nguyen Kim claimed decent from Nguyen Trai, one of the top aides of Le Loi. He was the son of Nguyen Hoang Du, one of the leaders of the first revolt against Mac Dang Dung). After the first revolt was crushed and his father executed, a second revolt against Mac Dang Dung took place in response to Dung's usurpation of the throne in 1527. This second revolt was lead by Nguyen Kim and his son-in-law, Trinh Khiem.
At first, the Mac army was too powerful and the rebels had to flee to Laos. From their base in Laos they managed to raise an army and they attacked into Vietnam. This attack was successful to the point where the Nguyen-Trinh army captured the Western Palace (Tay Do) and enthroned their own King, Lê Trang Tông, in 1533.
The Nguyen-Trinh alliance then sent a formal embassy to China in 1535 on behalf of the new king. The embassy denounced the usurpation of Mac Dang Dung and asked for help. In 1536, the Chinese delegation concluded that Dung had usurped the throne of the Le king. After hearing the report, the Jiajing Emperor dispatched an army to set things right, it arrived on the border of Vietnam in 1537. However, with protestations of loyalty to the Ming Dynasty and the offer of a piece of north Vietnam to the Chinese, Mac Dang Dung was able to get the Chinese army to leave. The official position of the Chinese government was, the Mac should rule in the north, and the Le should rule in the south. The Nguyen-Trinh alliance refused to accept this settlement, and so the war continued. By 1540, the Nguyen-Trinh army had captured Nghe An Province.
In 1545, Nguyen Kim was assassinated by a governor of a province who had surrendered to the Nguyen-Trinh army under secret orders from Mac Dang Dung. Nguyen Kim had two young sons (Nguyen Hoang and Nguyen Uong) but it was Trinh Khiem who took control of the Royal army.
See also
Sources
- Encyclopedia of Asian History, Volumn 3 (Nguyen Lords) 1988. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.
- [Geneology of the Royal Nguyen Family]
- [Annam and it Minor Currency] Chapter 16 (downloaded May 2006)
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