Annam (Chinese province)

For the French protectorate, see Annam (French protectorate). For other uses, see Annam (disambiguation).

History of Vietnam (geographical renaming)

2879–2524 BC Xích Quỷ 2524–258 BC Văn Lang 257–179 BC Âu Lạc 207–111 BC Nam Việt 111 BC – 40 AD Giao Chỉ 40–43 Lĩnh Nam 43–299 Giao Chỉ 299–544 Giao Châu 544–602 Vạn Xuân 602–679 Giao Châu/An Nam 679–757 An Nam 757–766 Trấn Nam 766–866 An Nam 866–967 Tĩnh Hải quân 968–1054 Đại Cồ Việt 1054–1400 Đại Việt 1400–1407 Đại Ngu 1407–1427 Giao Chỉ 1428–1804 Đại Việt 1804–1839 Việt Nam 1839–1887 Đại Nam 1887–1945 French Indochina (Tonkin, Annam, & Cochinchina) from 1945 Việt Nam Main template {{History of Vietnam}}

Annam was the name of the southernmost province of China after the Tang dynasty. The name is the Vietnamese form of the Chinese name "the Pacified South" (Chinese: 安南; pinyin: Ānnán; Vietnamese: An Nam), a clipped form of the full name, the "Protectorate General to Pacify the South" Chinese: 安南都護府; pinyin: Ānnán Dūhùfǔ; Vietnamese: An Nam đô hộ phủ. This was one of a number of such protectorates formed by Tang China.

Before the establishment of the protectorate, the area was governed as Jiaozhou (交州, Jiāozhōu) or Jiaozhi (Chinese: 交趾; pinyin: Jiāozhǐ; Vietnamese: Giao Chỉ). From its placement, it is now also sometimes known as Tonkin.

History

Predecessors

The territory was conquered for the Qin dynasty by Zhao Tuo after the death of Qin Shi Huang. In the chaos surrounding the Chu–Han Contention, he declared its independence as Nanyue and ruled from Panyu (modern Guangzhou). Jiaozhou was the Han dynasty country subdivision formed from the annexation of this tributary kingdom in 111 BCE and it initially comprised the areas of modern Guangdong, Guangxi, and northern Vietnam.

During the Three Kingdoms era, Eastern Wu split from Liangguang as Guangzhou in 222 CE.

The territory of Tang-era Annam is now part of present-day Vietnam.^[1]

China under the Tang dynasty c. 660 (bright yellow).

Tang Protectorate

In 679, the Tang dynasty established Annam as their military government in Jiaozhi, but were not immediately successful because the local people didn't recognize the Tang Dynasty and instead led a series of protective wars against Tang Dynasty rulers. This is known in Vietnam as the "Third Northern Domination" of the country.

It was to remain Annam for the next 600 years, seemingly living up to its name. A peaceful territory, part of a succession of Chinese kingdoms: Eastern Wu, Jin, Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang, Chen, Sui and the Tang. However, there were still revolts from time to time and periods of weaker government control.

Finally in 939, Ngô Quyền successfully expelled the Chinese at the Battle of Bạch Đằng where he beheaded the Commanding Admiral and Prince of Southern Han dynasty, Liu Hongcao (劉弘操) and re-established the independent state of Đại Việt. This was the effective end of Annam as a Chinese province. Several attempts were made by various Chinese governments to retake Vietnam, one succeeded (Ming rule of Vietnam) but only for 20 years (1407–1427).

French Protectorate

In the 1860s, the French government under Napoleon III conquered first southern and then central Vietnam. The central portion of the country they ruled as the protectorate of Annam.

See also

• for the type of ceramic ware called An'nan see Vietnamese ceramics
• Southward expansion of the Han dynasty

References

1. John King Fairbank (1978). The Cambridge History of China. Cambridge University Press. p. 693. ISBN 0-521-21446-7.