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As early as JuIy 1407, the Ming emperor had incorporated Dai
Viet into the Chinese empire under the title of Giao Chi
Province, set up a central administration, and divided the
country into phu and chau, trying to reach
down to village level by 1419.
The high-ranking
officials were all Chinese; only subaltern posts were given
to "natives". A general census revealed that there were
3,129,500 inhabitants and 2,087,500 man (barbarians) from
mountain-dwelling tribes, i.e. a total of more than 5.2
million. But many doubtless evaded the census. "Order" was
maintained throughout the country by large military
garrisons, joined by a tight network of relays. All
opposition was harshly suppressed.
There was a very
heavy system of taxation, which included land tax on rice
fields and mulberry fields, and a poll-tax. The occupiers
held a monopoly over the salt trade. All able-bodied people,
aged 16 to 60, were subject to military service and multiple
corvee: road-building, mining, pearl-oyster fishing,
hunting, etc. In 1419, family records were made obligatory
for control over the population.
Thousands of
skilled craftsmen and intellectuals were taken to
China,
among them Nguyen An, who was to become the architect of the
Imperial
City
in
Beijing.
The Ming also confiscated personal property, animals
(elephants, buffaloes and horses) and other valuables.
The people were
forced to adopt the Chinese style of dress and Chinese ways
and customs. Ming troops sought to destroy all traces of the
nation's culture, they burned confiscated books that were
specifically Vietnamese. This was a true cultural disaster;
almost all literary works from before the 15th century were
destroyed.
Lam Son Insurrection and the war of independence
Le Loi, a land-owner from Lam Son in
Thanh
Hoa
Province
was born in 1385. Before launching the insurrection against
the Ming, he gathered about 1000 followers around him. On
February 7, 1418
in Lam Son, he proclaimed himself king under the name Binh
Dinh Vuong, and began gathering under his banner anyone who
oppose Ming domination. Nguyen Trai, a famous scholar,
became his closest adviser on strategy and politics. Working
together, the two men brought the insurrection to victory
after long years of struggle.
At first Le Loi
launched guerrilla operations in mountainous area of Thanh
Hoa. Although he inflicted losses to the Ming, he often
found himself in a critical, even desperate situation.
However, his forces held out thanks to the courage of the
men, the resolve of the leaders, and the dedication of the
officers. Other popular uprisings in various provinces
helped loosen Ming pressure on Le Loi. In 1420, his troops
were able to camp on the banks of the Ma River and threaten
the capital of
Thanh
Hoa
Province.
A Ming counter-attack, however, drove them back to the
mountains in 1423. But the Ming troops were also worn out,
and their command agreed to a truce proposed by Le Loi, who
resolutely resisted all attempts to buy him off with
promises of riches and honors. In 1424, the Ming again
attacked, but the insurgents had time to strengthen their
position.
On the advice of
Nguyen Chich, Le Loi took his troops to Nghe An and turned
it into a resistance base. The insurgents were
enthusiastically welcomed by the local people. Fortified
enemy positions fell one after another, and soon the whole
province was in Le Loi's hands. Next came Thanh Hoa, then
provinces south of Nghe An. By the end of 1425, the whole
southern part of the country had been liberated, with the
exception of the Nghe An and Tay Do (Thanh Hoa) citadels. A
vast rear base had thus been created for the war of national
liberation. In 1426, Le Loi was in a position to launch a
counter-offensive.
The Ming sent
50,000 reinforcements from
China
under the command of Vuong Thong. Even before they arrived,
Le Loi had started his offensive to seize back the Red River
Delta. In September 1426, he dispatched three armies
northward; one was to intercept Ming reinforcements coming
from
Yunnan,
the second coming through Lang Son, and the last was to
march on the capital. Everywhere the people rallied to his
banner with enthusiasm, while panic-stricken Ming troops
withdrew into their citadels and tried to hold out until the
reinforcements arrived.
In November,
Vuong Thong's troops joined the Ming troops who had shut
themselves up behind the walls of the capital, bringing
their strength to 100,000. They thought they were now in a
position to counter-attack, but instead they suffered a
crushing defeat at Tot Dong (west of the capital) and again
had to withdraw into the citadel. The Vietnamese troops had
gained control of the area. Le Loi left Thanh Hoa and
concentrated his forces round the capital. Vuong Thong
proposed a truce. In a letter to the Ming general, Nguyen
Trai said that the Vietnamese command would agree to a truce
if Vuong Thong were to withdraw his troops from the country,
thus "sparing our people the ravages of war and the Chinese
troops the sufferings of battle".
But for Vuong
Thong the truce was just a strategy to gain time and obtain
more reinforcements. While maintaining the siege and
eliminating isolated outposts, the Vietnamese Command, on
Nguyen Trai's recommendation, conducted a campaign of
political persuasion directed at the Ming troops, driving
home to them the inevitability of defeat, the strength of
the Vietnamese national movement and the vulnerability of
the Ming Empire. This seriously demoralized them.
In October 1427,
Ming reinforcements came in two columns: one was 100,000
strong and led by Lieu Thang through the Lang Son pass; the
other, 50,000 strong, was led by Moc Thanh via the
Red River
valley. The Vietnamese command decided to destroy the more
important army. Lieu Thang's troops, overconfident about
their strength, were ambushed and routed at the Chi Lang
Defile. The commander was killed and several generals
captured together with 30,000 men. The other Ming column was
filled with panic on hearing of this disaster and fled in
disorder pursued by Le Loi's troops.
After the
destruction of these reinforcement, Vuong Thong who was
besieged in the capital, was forced to sue for peace. His
request was granted by Le Loi, who gave the Ming troops the
necessary food supplies and means of transport to get home.
It was
December 29,
1427.
The war of
independence led by Le Loi and Nguyen Trai had lasted ten
years. Starting with few resources, the movement had
expanded, gradually establishing powerful bases and forces,
and eventually destroying huge enemy armies. The command had
combined guerrilla warfare with mobile warfare and attacks
on fortified position, political struggle with military
action, and had shown kindness toward the enemy and avoided
pointless massacres. Le Loi, from the land-owning class
rather than the landed aristocracy, and Nguyen Trai, a
Confucian scholar with an encyclopedic knowledge, had
succeeded in bringing about national unity and inspiring
patriotism. As well, they had shown resolve and wisdom at
critical and decisive moments. The war was both national and
popular in nature and conducted with appropriate strategy
and tactics. Never again would the Ming try to reconquer Dai
Viet. The following period of peace between
China
and Dai Viet was to last for over three centuries |
