History of Vietnam - Changing Names

Changing Names

See also: Names of Vietnam and List of Vietnamese dynasties

For the most part of its history, the geographical boundary of present day Vietnam covered 3 ethnically distinct nations: a Vietnamese nation, a Cham nation, and a part of the Khmer Empire. The Viet nation originated in the Red River Delta in present day Northern Vietnam and expanded over its history to the current boundary. It went through a lot of name changes, with Văn Lang being used the longest. Below is a summary of names:

Period Country Name Time Frame Boundary
Hồng Bàng Dynasty Xích Quỷ 2879–2524 BC Stretching from Dongting Lake (Hunan) to the southernmost area now called Quảng Trị, including the Kwangsi and Kwangtung provinces of China.
Hồng Bàng Dynasty Văn Lang 2524–258 BC Territory reduced to modern Northern Vietnam including the three modern provinces of Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh. The Red River Delta is the home of the Lạc Việt culture.
Thục Dynasty Âu Lạc 257–207 BC Red River Delta and its adjoining north and west mountain regions.
Triệu Dynasty Nam Việt 207–111 BC Âu Lạc, Guangdong, and Guangxi.
Han Domination Giao Chỉ (Jiaozhi) 111 BC - 39 AD Present-day north and north-central of Vietnam (southern border expanded down to the Ma River and Ca River delta), Guangdong, and Guangxi.
Trưng Sisters Lĩnh Nam 40 - 43 Present-day north and north-central of Vietnam (southern border expanded down to the Ma River and Ca River delta).
Han to Eastern Wu Domination Giao Chỉ 43 - 229 Present-day north and north-central of Vietnam (southern border expanded down to the Ma River and Ca River delta), Guangdong, and Guangxi.
Eastern Wu to Liang Domination Giao Châu (Jiaozhou) 229–544 Same as above
Anterior Lý Dynasty Vạn Xuân 544–602 Same as above.
Sui to Tang Domination Giao Châu 602–679 Same as above
Tang Domination An Nam 679–757 Same as above
Tang Domination Trấn Nam 757–766 Same as above
Tang Domination An Nam 766–866 Same as above
Tang Domination, Autonomy (Khúc family, Dương Đình Nghệ, and Kiều Công Tiễn), Ngô Dynasty Tĩnh Hải quân 866–967 Same as above
Đinh, Anterior Lê and Lý Dynasty Đại Cồ Việt 968–1054 Same as above.
Lý and Trần Dynasty Đại Việt 1054 - 1400 Southern border expanded down to present-day Huế area.
Hồ Dynasty Đại Ngu 1400–1407 Same as above.
Ming Domination and Posterior Trần Dynasty Giao Chỉ 1407–1427 Same as above.
Lê, Mạc, Trịnh–Nguyễn Lords, Tây Sơn Dynasty, Nguyễn Dynasty Đại Việt 1428–1804 Gradually expanded to the boundary of present day Vietnam.
Nguyễn Dynasty Việt Nam 1804–1839 Present-day Vietnam plus some occupied territories in Laos and Cambodia.
Nguyễn Dynasty Đại Nam 1839–1887 Same as above
Nguyễn Dynasty and French Protectorate French Indochina, consisting of Cochinchina (southern Vietnam), Annam (central Vietnam), Tonkin (northern Vietnam), Cambodia, and Laos 1887–1945 Present-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
Republican Era Việt Nam (with variances such as Democratic Republic, State of Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam, Socialist Republic) Democratic Republic of Vietnam (1945–1976 in North Vietnam),
State of Vietnam (1949–1955),
Republic of Vietnam (1955–1975 in South Vietnam),
Socialist Republic of Vietnam (1976–present)		 Present-day Vietnam.

Almost all Vietnamese dynasties are named after the king's family name, unlike the Chinese dynasties, whose names are dictated by the dynasty founders and often used as the country's name.

The Hồng Bàng Dynasty was a dynasty of the ancient Vietnamese nation before recorded history. The Thục, Triệu, Anterior Lý, Ngô, Đinh, Anterior Lê, Lý, Trần, Hồ, Lê, Mạc, Tây Sơn, and Nguyễn are usually regarded by historians as formal dynasties. Nguyễn Huệ's "Tây Sơn Dynasty" is rather a name created by historians to avoid confusion with Nguyễn Anh's Nguyễn Dynasty.

Read more about this topic:  History Of Vietnam

Famous quotes containing the words changing and/or names:

    “The snake that cannot shed its skin perishes. Likewise those spirits who are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be spirits.”
    —Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)

    “Nor youth, nor strength, nor wisdom spring again,
    Nor habitations long their names retain,
    But in oblivion to the final day remain.”
    —Anne Bradstreet (c. 1612–1672)