A preliminary study of the governmental administration of Tran 陳 period Vietnam

Vietnamese Tran dynasty (1225-1400) is known for its having repulsed Mongol invaders, but there has-been no true study of the nature and structure of its governmental organization. General scholarly opinion has adopted the interpretation that the Ly 李 dynasty (1010-1225), the earliest enduring imperial dynasty of Vietnamese history, had established a "Chinese-model state"--a "centralized feudal state", in other words ; and that the Tran dynasty further developed this style of government. However, according to the Sakurai Yumio's recent research, the Ly dynasty was only the head of a federation of semi-independent local powers. Assuming this, what was the nature of the Tran dynasty? In this essay, I will first make a preliminary investigation of the following two problems from the perspective of institutional history : regional control and the organization of persons holding governmental authority. My conclusions concerning the fundamental structure of the Tran dynasty are that control of the important area surrounding the Hong Ha (Red River) delta was a major aim of the imperial family ; and that it concentrated all authority into the imperial family. Such a system where the imperial family monopolizes control can not be called a "Chinese model state." Thirdly, however, concomitantly, the imperial family, which had sunk bound the area together. This had the effect of supporting and strengthening the central government authority. Fourthly, following the wars against the Yuan, a class of officials, absorbed from the local powers advanced into the pivotal positions of governmental authority. This class advocated the establishment of a "Chinese model state" with a centralized authority. From the above-mentioned points, it may be seen that the Tran dynasty structure of autocratic imperial control brought the Ly dynasty system of a federation of semi-independent local powers to culmination under the control of a single clan. The historical significance of this governmental organization is seen in its having formed a transition to the fifteenth century Le 黎dynasty state system of centralized authority