The Study On The Senior Emperor Of Vietnam(968-1759)

As a political phenomenon once lived in ancient Vietnam, the Senior Emperor in the Tran dynasty has been the long-term focus of study in the academic circle. This thesis regards the Senior Emperor in each dynasty as the main object for study in order to gain a fully understanding of the senior emperor of Vietnam. This thesis is composed of the following parts: first, the author explained the connotation and origin of the Senior Emperor from the perspective of horizontal development of history and with the ancient Chinese Culture Circle as the background history settings; then explained the Senior Emperor of China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam respectively to secure the development and status of senior emperor of Vietnam in the Chinese Culture Circle. Second, the author discussed the origin, develop and decline of the Senior Emperor of Vietnam from the perspective of longitudinal development of time, and the process maybe roughly categorized into three stages: Stage I is the period of the beginning of the Senior Emperor in Vietnam, and it lasts from the establishment of the Dinh dynasty in 968 till the extinction of the ly dynasty in 1225; during this period the idea of the Senior Emperor from China is gradually accepted by the lords of Vietnam, and the one in Vietnam is quite similar to that in China. Stage II is the golden time for the Senior Emperor in Vietnam and it lasts from the establishment of the Tran dynasty in 1125 till the extinction of the Ho dynasty in 1407. During this period, the former irregular succession of Senior Emperor is normalized and institutionalized with the establishment of the Senior Emperor system, thus creating the specialized system of Senior Emperor in the Tran dynasty and the Ho dynasty. Such phenomenon indicates: the idea of Senior Emperor from China is now combined with the political reality of Vietnam, and thus achieving the localization of the Senior Emperor in Vietnam. Stage III is the period where the Senior Emperor further developed and gradually came to extinction, and it lasts from the establishment of later Tran dynasty till the death of Le Y-Tong, the last emperor of Vietnam, in 1759. During this period, the Senior Emperor changed greatly compared with that in the Tran and Ho dynasties, and the major difference being the weakened power of the Senior Emperor. Except for Senior Emperor Mac Dang Duang, all the Senior Emperors within this period changed from powerful ruler to powerless figurehead. From then on, the political status and function of Senior Emperor in Vietnam begins to diminish. The Senior Emperor was expelled from Vietnam after the death of Senior Emperor Le Y-Tong.On the whole the Senior Emperor of Vietnam has the following characteristics: first, the Senior Emperor of Vietnam did not only inherit from the Chinese version, but also developed its own features; second, the Senior Emperor of Vietnam holds the power all the time; third, the Senior Emperor of Vietnam frequently involves himself in diplomatic matters, thus creating the so called “Senior Emperor’s diplomacy”; fourth, the Senior Emperor of Vietnam was once institutionalized. From the earliest officially recorded Senior Emperor of Vietnam in 1129 till the death of the last one in 1759, the Senior Emperor existed in Vietnam for nearly 630 years, and has brought profound impact on the politics, society, economy and diplomacy of ancient Vietnam, and the details are as followed: First, from the perspective of political development, the long-term existence of the Senior Emperor in Vietnam achieved the consolidation of royal power, thus facilities the further development of the autocratic centralization in Vietnam. Second, from the perspective of society and economy, the Senior Emperor has greatly eased the political and military conflicts brought by royal cabinet and change of dynasty, thus facilities the long-term social stability and continuous economic development of ancient Vietnam. Last but not the least, from the perspective of diplomatic matters, the “Senior Emperor’s diplomacy” derived from the senior emperor played an important role in the diplomatic matters(especially with China) of ancient Vietnam, thus allowing Vietnam to protect its national interests and major appeals while maintaining diplomatic status(especially the tribute-paying relation with China).