Hồng Bàng Dynasty

The Hồng Bàng Dynasty, also known as the Lạc Dynasty, is a dynasty that supposedly ruled in Vietnam (then known as Văn Lang) for over 2000 years, until the third century BC. Its founder is said to have been Hùng Vương. There are many legends surrounding it, but little verifiable historical information is known about this dynasty.

How Vietnam Was Created

Vietnam, a nation located along the eastern coast of mainland Southeast Asia, has had a great and turbulent history. 5000 years ago, North Vietnam was a place with mountains, forests, and rivers where other natural things grew. In that natural environment, ancient Vietnamese inhabitant were living, from North Vietnam to South Vietnam and at other places in Vietnam, too. Most ancient people were living around the Hồng River and the Mã River.

The First Dynasty of Vietnam

According to the "Đại Việt Sử Ký Toàn Thư", after more than 1000 years after the ancient people (or we can call the time after the Stone Age "BC"), the inhabitant populations grew and spread to every part of Vietnam. Near the Hồng River, Cả River and Mã rivers 15 Vietnamese tribes were living. The 15 Vietnamese tribes were the strongest tribes at this time. The tribes compass were spread from Hồng River to the foot of the Ba Mountain to the foot of the Tam Bao Mountain. In the tribes there was the talented leader, he put together all the other tribes and became a great leader of the 15 tribes. He declared himself "king", creating the first Viet dynasty known as Hồng Bàng. That leader is Hùng Vương, a Vietnamese cultural hero who is credited with teaching the people how to cultivate rice. Hùng Vương is the first king in Vietnam in the years about 3000 BC and the founding father of the country. King Hùng has named his Kingdom "Văn Lang" (that means Vietnam in the present), and set up the capital at Phong Châu (Việt Trì, Vĩnh Phú ) on the cross-point of three rivers where the Red River Delta begins from the foot of mountains. [http://www.viettouch.com/whois/]

His sons followed the Hùng Dynasty. The throne was given from father to son, generation to generations. The Hùng Dynasty has stopped after 88 dynasties on the advent of the military leader An Dương Vương's conquest of Văn Lang. In total, the Hồng Bàng Dynasty was ruled by 88 successive kings (although only 18 names were recovered). Many great wars were fought in the beginning of the second dynasty.

The Hùng Vương era was thriving along with the water-rice civilization in the Red River Delta, at the mid-Bronze Age.

Organization

The first Hùng Vương established the first state of Viet nation from 15 tribes of Lạc Việt in responding the needs of co-operation in constructing hydraulic systems, and in struggle against the enemies. This is a very primitive form of a State with the King Hùng on top, under him is a Court consisted of assistants - the Lạc Hầu. The country composes of 15 Bộ (region), each ruled by a Lạc Tướng, usually Lạc Tướng was a member of King Hùng's family. Bộ comprised the agricultural hamlets and villages based on a matriarchal clan relationship and headed by Bộ Chínhs (usually an wise old man).

The east border of the country was to the sea (Tonkin Gulf now), the west to Ba Thục (Sichuan), the north to Dongting Lake, and the south to Hu Tun Kingdom (Champa).

Economy

The economy was based mainly on water-rice cultivation, and in addition were handicrafts, hunting and gathering, husbandry and fishing. Especially, the skill of bronze casting was at high level. The famous relics are Đông Sơn Bronze Drums on which depicted house models, clothing, custom, habits, and cultural activities of Hùng era. The Hùng kings ruled Văn Lang in feudal fashion with the aid of the Lạc lords, who controlled the communal settlements around each irrigated area, organized construction and maintenance of the dikes, and regulated the supply of water. Besides cultivating rice, the people of Văn Lang grew other grains and beans and raised stock, mainly buffaloes, chickens, and pigs. Potterymaking and bamboo-working were highly developed crafts, as were basketry, leather-working, and the weaving of hemp, jute, and silk. Both transport and communication were provided by dugout canoes, which plied the network of rivers and canals.

Đông Sơn Culture

By about 2000 B.C., the development of wet-rice cultivation and bronze casting in the Mã River and Hồng River plains led to the development of the Đông Sơn culture, notable for its elaborate bronze drums. The bronze weapons, tools, and drums of Đông Sơnian sites show a Southeast Asian influence that indicates an indigenous origin for the bronze-casting technology. Many small, ancient copper mine sites have been found in northern Vietnam. Some of the similarities between the Đông Sơnian sites and other Southeast Asian sites include the presence of boat-shaped coffins and burial jars, stilt dwellings, and evidence of the customs of betel-nut-chewing and teeth-blackening.

Final Moments

The last Hùng king was overthrown in the third century B.C. by Thục Phán (An Dương Vương), the ruler of the neighboring upland kingdom of Thục. An Dương Vương defeated the Văn Lang Confederacy and united Văn Lang with Thục to form Âu Lạc, building his capital and citadel at Cổ Loa, thirty-five kilometers north of present-day Hà Nội.

Kings of Hồng Bàng Dynasty

There were 88 consecutive Hùng reigns handed down from generation to generation, 18 titles of which are known:

External links

* [http://vnexpress.net/Vietnam/Xa-hoi/2004/04/3B9D2140/ Giỗ tổ] năm 2004 trên VnExpress
* [http://www.binhthuan.gov.vn/khtt/vanhoa/0005/0001/DTDH1.htm Danh sách 100 người con]
* [http://thuvienkhoahoc.com/tusach/Đồ_đồng_cổ_Đông_Sơn Văn minh Đông Sơn]
* [http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-Hs9HP9s5dLKB.RSrelidl5dECRRu?p=45 Vì sao 18 đời vua Hùng có thể kéo dài 2622 năm ?]
* [http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-Hs9HP9s5dLKB.RSrelidl5dECRRu?list=1 Một số bài viết về văn minh của người Việt cổ]
* [http://e-cadao.com/Vanminhco/anhsangmoi.htm Ánh sáng mới trên một quá khứ lãng quên]