Trần Minh Tông
Encyclopedia
Trần Minh Tông given name
Trần Mạnh (陳奣), was the fifth emperor of the Trần Dynasty who ruled Đại Việt from 1314 to 1329. After ceding the throne to his son Trần Hiến Tông
, Minh Tông held the title of Thái thượng hoàng for 29 years. As the last emperor in the prosperous period of Trần dynasty, Minh Tông was known for his successful reign of Đại Việt with the assistance of many talented mandarins. Minh Tông was also the longest-reigning retired emperor in history of Vietnam
when he acted as a regent and co-ruled with Hiến Tông and Dụ Tông
. His death marked a significant turning point in the history of the Trần Dynasty, as the country began to decline and soon fell into troubled times.
and imperial consort Huy Tư, who was the daughter of general Trần Bình Trọng
. According to Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, the precise birthday of Prince Trần Mạnh was 21 August in the Lunar calendar
, only one day after the death of Trần Hưng Đạo who was the most important minister in the early Trần dynasty and the main commander of second and third wars of resistance
by Đại Việt against Mongol Empire
, which made him one of the most famous heroes of Vietnam. The other sons of Anh Tông all died at a young age so the Emperor had his relative and important figure of the Trần clan, Trần Nhật Duật
, raise Trần Mạnh in the hope that he would survive and began a key figure in the family. Indeed Prince Trần Mạnh was well looked after due to the wholehearted devotion of Trần Nhật Duật.
In 1312, during the campaign against Champa
personally commanded by Anh Tông, the 12-year-old prince Trần Mạnh was temporarily entrusted to the throne with assistance from Trần Nhật Duật and Trần Quốc Tú. Two years after, Anh Tông officially ceded his throne to Trần Mạnh, who ruled as Emperor Trần Minh Tông, but continued to hold the title Retired Emperor (Thái thượng hoàng).
, Đoàn Nhữ Hài, Mạc Đĩnh Chi
and Chu Văn An
. His biggest mistake, as often cited in historical records, was the death of Trần Quốc Chẩn, the Emperor's father-in-law and a prominent general.
In contrast to his father, Minh Tông had many sons. The first, prince Trần Vượng
, was born not by Queen Lê Thánh but the Emperor's second consort Anh Tư. That led to a struggle between two parties in royal court, one that supported prince Trần Vượng for the position of Minh Tông's successor, while the other suggested that the position of crown prince
must be reserved for the Queen's son. As a consequence, leader of the former, Trần Khắc Chung, who was the mandarin responsible for the escape of Princess Huyền Trân
from Champa
, launched a defamation campaign against Trần Quốc Chẩn who was not only the Queen's father but also a prominent general with many victories in battle. Believing the information provided by Trần Khắc Chung, Minh Tông ordered the imprisonment of his father-in-law, Trần Quốc Chẩn, who was deprived of food and ultimately died in 1328.
Continuing the foreign policy created by Anh Tông, Minh Tông kept friendly relations with Yuan Dynasty
while reinforcing the southern border to deal with the increasing hostility from the kingdom of Champa
. In 1318, the Đại Việt army led by Trần Quốc Chẩn and Phạm Ngũ Lão won a campaign in Champa in which many Champa soldiers were killed. King Chế Năng had to flee from the capital but a Trần marquis named Lý Tất Kiến also died in action.
In 1329, Minh Tông decided to pass the throne to prince Trần Vượng, now emperor Hiến Tông, and took the position of Thái thượng hoàng. During his reign, Minh Tông had two era names, which were Đại Khánh (大慶, great jubilee, 1314–1323) and Khai Thái (開泰, prosperous bloom, 1324–1329).
Hiến Tông died in 1341 leaving no heir. Minh Tông therefore passed the throne to his tenth son, Trần Hạo
, now Dụ Tông. For the next sixteen years, the Retired Emperor continued to wield real power over Trần Dynasty while the Emperor reigned only nominally. Minh Tông was died in 1357, and he was posthumously named
as Chương nghiêu văn triết hoàng đế (章堯文哲皇帝). The death of Minh Tông also marked the end of a prosperous and stable era of Đại Việt under the Trần Dynasty, and the country began to decline as the royal court and Trần clan soon fell into chaos.
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese names generally consist of three parts: a family name, a middle name, and a given name, used in that order. The "family name first" order follows the system of Chinese names and is common throughout the Sinosphere , but is different from Chinese, Korean, and Japanese names in having a...
Trần Mạnh (陳奣), was the fifth emperor of the Trần Dynasty who ruled Đại Việt from 1314 to 1329. After ceding the throne to his son Trần Hiến Tông
Trần Hiến Tông
Trần Hiến Tông , given name Trần Vượng , was the sixth emperor of the Trần Dynasty who reigned Đại Việt from 1329 to 1341. Enthroned by Minh Tông when he was only a ten-year-old boy, Hiến Tông ruled Đại Việt with the regent of the Retired Emperor Minh Tông during his thirteen years of reign...
, Minh Tông held the title of Thái thượng hoàng for 29 years. As the last emperor in the prosperous period of Trần dynasty, Minh Tông was known for his successful reign of Đại Việt with the assistance of many talented mandarins. Minh Tông was also the longest-reigning retired emperor in history of Vietnam
History of Vietnam
The history of Vietnam covers a period of more than 2,700 years. By far Vietnam's most important historical international relationship has been with China. Vietnam's prehistory includes a legend about a kingdom known as Van Lang that included what is now China's Guangxi Autonomous Region and...
when he acted as a regent and co-ruled with Hiến Tông and Dụ Tông
Trần Dụ Tông
Trần Dụ Tông , given name Trần Hạo , was the seventh emperor of the Trần Dynasty, and reigned over Đại Việt from 1341 to 1369...
. His death marked a significant turning point in the history of the Trần Dynasty, as the country began to decline and soon fell into troubled times.
Background and during Anh Tông's reign
Minh Tông was born in 1300 as Trần Mạnh, the only surviving son of emperor Trần Anh TôngTrần Anh Tông
Trần Anh Tông , given name Trần Thuyên , was the fourth emperor of the Trần Dynasty, reigning over Đại Việt from 1293 to 1314. After ceding the throne to his son Trần Minh Tông, Anh Tông held the title Thái thượng hoàng for six years...
and imperial consort Huy Tư, who was the daughter of general Trần Bình Trọng
Trần Bình Trọng
Marquis Bảo Nghĩa Trần Bình Trọng was a general of the Trần Dynasty who was well-known for his heroic action in the war of Dai Viet against second Mongol invasion...
. According to Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, the precise birthday of Prince Trần Mạnh was 21 August in the Lunar calendar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
, only one day after the death of Trần Hưng Đạo who was the most important minister in the early Trần dynasty and the main commander of second and third wars of resistance
Mongol invasions of Vietnam
Mongol invasions of Vietnam or Mongol-Vietnamese War refer to the three times that the Mongol Empire and its chief khanate the Yuan Dynasty invaded Đại Việt during the Trần Dynasty and the Kingdom of Champa: in 1257–1258, 1284–1285, and 1287–1288. The Mongols were defeated by Đại...
by Đại Việt against Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
, which made him one of the most famous heroes of Vietnam. The other sons of Anh Tông all died at a young age so the Emperor had his relative and important figure of the Trần clan, Trần Nhật Duật
Trần Nhật Duật
Prince Chiêu Văn Trần Nhật Duật was the sixth prince of Trần Thái Tông, first emperor of Trần Dynasty. Being younger brother of the Emperor Trần Thánh Tông, Trần Nhật Duật was one of the most important figures of Trần family and royal court during the reigns of four successive emperors Thánh Tông,...
, raise Trần Mạnh in the hope that he would survive and began a key figure in the family. Indeed Prince Trần Mạnh was well looked after due to the wholehearted devotion of Trần Nhật Duật.
In 1312, during the campaign against Champa
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
personally commanded by Anh Tông, the 12-year-old prince Trần Mạnh was temporarily entrusted to the throne with assistance from Trần Nhật Duật and Trần Quốc Tú. Two years after, Anh Tông officially ceded his throne to Trần Mạnh, who ruled as Emperor Trần Minh Tông, but continued to hold the title Retired Emperor (Thái thượng hoàng).
As emperor
According to history scholars, Minh Tông was a ruler of good intent but had no long-term vision of nation building. Despite that shortcoming, the Emperor still successfully governed Đại Việt with the assistance of many capable mandarins like Phạm Ngũ LãoPhạm Ngũ Lão
Phạm Ngũ Lão was a general of the Trần Dynasty during the reigns of three successive emperors Nhân Tông, Anh Tông and Minh Tông. His talent was noticed by Prince Hưng Đạo Trần Quốc Tuấn who married his adopted daughter to Phạm Ngũ Lão and recommended him for the royal court...
, Đoàn Nhữ Hài, Mạc Đĩnh Chi
Mạc Đĩnh Chi
Mạc Đĩnh Chi was a renowned Vietnamese Confucian scholar who was the highest-scoring graduate in the palace examinations at the age of only twenty-four. He served three Tran dynasty emperors — first Trần Anh Tông till 1314, then his son Trần Minh Tông from 1314 to 1319, and finally the grandson...
and Chu Văn An
Chu Van An
Chu Văn An was a Confucian, teacher, physician and high-ranking mandarin of the Trần Dynasty in Đại Việt.- Biography :...
. His biggest mistake, as often cited in historical records, was the death of Trần Quốc Chẩn, the Emperor's father-in-law and a prominent general.
In contrast to his father, Minh Tông had many sons. The first, prince Trần Vượng
Trần Hiến Tông
Trần Hiến Tông , given name Trần Vượng , was the sixth emperor of the Trần Dynasty who reigned Đại Việt from 1329 to 1341. Enthroned by Minh Tông when he was only a ten-year-old boy, Hiến Tông ruled Đại Việt with the regent of the Retired Emperor Minh Tông during his thirteen years of reign...
, was born not by Queen Lê Thánh but the Emperor's second consort Anh Tư. That led to a struggle between two parties in royal court, one that supported prince Trần Vượng for the position of Minh Tông's successor, while the other suggested that the position of crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
must be reserved for the Queen's son. As a consequence, leader of the former, Trần Khắc Chung, who was the mandarin responsible for the escape of Princess Huyền Trân
Huyen Tran
Princess Huyền Trân , was a princess during the Trần Dynasty in the history of Vietnam. She was the daughter of Emperor Trần Nhân Tông and the younger sister of Emperor Trần Anh Tông...
from Champa
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
, launched a defamation campaign against Trần Quốc Chẩn who was not only the Queen's father but also a prominent general with many victories in battle. Believing the information provided by Trần Khắc Chung, Minh Tông ordered the imprisonment of his father-in-law, Trần Quốc Chẩn, who was deprived of food and ultimately died in 1328.
Continuing the foreign policy created by Anh Tông, Minh Tông kept friendly relations with Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
while reinforcing the southern border to deal with the increasing hostility from the kingdom of Champa
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
. In 1318, the Đại Việt army led by Trần Quốc Chẩn and Phạm Ngũ Lão won a campaign in Champa in which many Champa soldiers were killed. King Chế Năng had to flee from the capital but a Trần marquis named Lý Tất Kiến also died in action.
In 1329, Minh Tông decided to pass the throne to prince Trần Vượng, now emperor Hiến Tông, and took the position of Thái thượng hoàng. During his reign, Minh Tông had two era names, which were Đại Khánh (大慶, great jubilee, 1314–1323) and Khai Thái (開泰, prosperous bloom, 1324–1329).
As retired emperor
The new emperor Hiến Tông was only a ten-year-old boy, so Minh Tông still kept real power behind the scenes in the royal court. In the period of Hiến Tông's reign, Đại Việt's army was defeated several times in skirmishes with Laos and Champa because of the lack of capable generals after the deaths of many capable officials like Phạm Ngũ Lão in 1320, Trần Quốc Chẩn in 1328 and Trần Nhật Duật in 1330. In the operation against Laos in 1335, Minh Tông personally commanded the military but the Đại Việt army continued to lose, while an important mandarin, Đoàn Nhữ Hài, was drowned in battle. Otherwise, there were increasing numbers of incompetent or corrupt officials in the royal court of Minh Tông and Hiến Tông and they became a significant factor in the growing instability of the later phase of the Trần dynasty.Hiến Tông died in 1341 leaving no heir. Minh Tông therefore passed the throne to his tenth son, Trần Hạo
Trần Dụ Tông
Trần Dụ Tông , given name Trần Hạo , was the seventh emperor of the Trần Dynasty, and reigned over Đại Việt from 1341 to 1369...
, now Dụ Tông. For the next sixteen years, the Retired Emperor continued to wield real power over Trần Dynasty while the Emperor reigned only nominally. Minh Tông was died in 1357, and he was posthumously named
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
as Chương nghiêu văn triết hoàng đế (章堯文哲皇帝). The death of Minh Tông also marked the end of a prosperous and stable era of Đại Việt under the Trần Dynasty, and the country began to decline as the royal court and Trần clan soon fell into chaos.
Family
- Minh Tông had one queen, one other wife and one concubine:
- Queen Lê Thánh, eldest daughter of Trần Quốc Chẩn
- Imperial consort Anh Tư
- Imperial concubine Lê Thị
- Minh Tông had nine sons and two daughters:
- Trần Vượng (1319–1341), who eventually became emperor Trần Hiến TôngTrần Hiến TôngTrần Hiến Tông , given name Trần Vượng , was the sixth emperor of the Trần Dynasty who reigned Đại Việt from 1329 to 1341. Enthroned by Minh Tông when he was only a ten-year-old boy, Hiến Tông ruled Đại Việt with the regent of the Retired Emperor Minh Tông during his thirteen years of reign...
- Prince Cung Tĩnh Trần Nguyên Trác (1319–1370)
- Prince Cung Định Trần PhủTrần PhúTrần Phú was the first general secretary of the Indochinese Communist Party, later renamed to Communist Party of Vietnam. He was born on May 1, 1904, at the village an An Tho, now part of An Dan Commune, Tuy An District, where his father, Tran Van Pho, was as teacher...
(1321–1394), who eventually became emperor Trần Nghệ TôngTrần Nghệ TôngTrần Nghệ Tông , given name Trần Phủ , was the eighth emperor of the Trần Dynasty who reigned Đại Việt from 1370 to 1372. Nghệ Tông was credited with the re-establishment of Trần clan's ruling in Đại Việt from Hôn Đức Công who kept the throne in nearly two years after the decease of Trần Dụ Tông... - Prince Cung Mẫn Trần Nguyên Hú (?–1347)
- Prince Cung Giản Trần Nguyên Thạch (?–1350)
- Prince Cung Túc Trần Nguyên Dục (?–1364)
- Prince Cung Tín Trần Thiên Trạch (?–1379)
- Trần Hạo (1336–1369), who eventually became emperor Trần Dụ TôngTrần Dụ TôngTrần Dụ Tông , given name Trần Hạo , was the seventh emperor of the Trần Dynasty, and reigned over Đại Việt from 1341 to 1369...
- Prince Cung Tuyên Trần Kính (1337–1377), who eventually became emperor Trần Duệ TôngTrần Duệ TôngTrần Duệ Tông , given name Trần Kính , was the ninth emperor of the Trần Dynasty who reigned Đại Việt from 1373 to 1377. Duệ Tông succeeded the throne from his brother Trần Nghệ Tông who was credited with the re-establishment of Trần clan's ruling in Đại Việt from Hôn Đức Công...
- Thiên Ninh Princess Trần Ngọc Tha (Bạch Tha)
- Huy Ninh Princess (?–1370), wife of Hồ Quý Ly
- Trần Vượng (1319–1341), who eventually became emperor Trần Hiến Tông