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Vietnam - Ngyuen Dynasty Government

The Kingdom of Annam was founded in 2874 BC. The modern Kingdom was unified in 1788 by the King of Hue, titled the Emperor of Annam since 1802. The Emperor's direct rule was limited to Annam proper, the old Kingdom of Ciampa. Touquin tne seat for two thousand years of the original Kiao-chi or Annamese people was practically under the direct rule of the French Governor General, assisted by a Kinh-luoc, or Royal Lord Lieutenant ; while Cochin China proper, and Cambodia or Khmer were totally separated in every sense from the Emperor's government.

The king corresponded directly with none of his ministers; he lived entirely surrounded by his wives rind concubines, who rivaled in number those of King Solomon. When once a woman was admitted to this charmed circle she abandons all direct communication with the outer world, but being surrounded by a crowd of servants, who acted as intermediaries, she found no difficulty in carrying on clandestine correspondence, and doubtless clandestine interviews. The position of these women was as humiliating and degrading as that of the favourites of a Turkish Sultan. In matters of State business, the king never granted an audience to his ministers. All questions were submitted to him in writing, and answered by some female amanuensis who had learned the Chinese characters. The woman who possessed a smattering of education occupied an important position in the royal seraglio - a position Annamite ladies were not slow to turn to account.

The king was assisted by a secret council consisting of six ministers:

• Minister of Religion (Le bo thuong then)
• Minister of Finance (Ho bo thuong then)
• Minister of War (Bin bo thuong then)
• Minister of Justice (Hin bo thuong then)
• Minister of Interior (Thai bo thuong then)
• Minister of Public Works (Cong bo thuong then)

On certain rare occasions of State ceremonial, such as the arrival of a foreign ambassador, or the despatch of the triennial tribute-bearing embassy to China, the Council of Six were admitted to the royal presence, and then received the royal commands on the question immediately at issue, but no other business was ever touched upon. It will thus readily be seen that though nominally an absolute monarch, the king possesses but little real power, and that if the secret council were in league against him, he might easily be kept in ignorance of all matters connected with the government of his kingdom.

The Mandarins formed two distinct classes. First, the Civilian class (Quan Van). These are selected from amongst the graduates of universities who have passed the most satisfactory literary examinations. To these are confided all the administrative posts, and occasionally they are entrusted with the direction of military affairs. The second or Military class (Quan Vo) are chosen from amongst the most distinguished soldiers, who have not only acquired a reputation for professional ability, but who have also passed a university test . In fact, Annam, like China, is the kome of competitive examinations. Mandarins, whether of the civil or military profession, are divided into nine great classes, each class containing members of both the army or civil service.

The army, an organisation for which existed on paper, consisted nominally of eighty battalions of 500 men each. There was also a provincial militia (link keu), the men of which can only be called upon for the defence of their own districts. It was generally supposed that, in an invasion of the country, the most determined resistance would be met with when facing the link keu. As regards drill, discipline, and armament, the Annam forces are on a par with other Eastern nations who had not adopted Western ideas.

The internal administration of the country is far in advance of its military administration. Each of the twenty-five provinces is ruled over by a governorgeneral or Tong Doc, who had under him a certain number of lieutenant-governors (Tuan Phu), according to the size and importance of the province. These officials were in charge of departments, which were again subdivided into districts and sub-districts, the latter comprising in rural parts a group of several villages.

Every male inhabitant at the age of twenty-one years, provided he was either possessed of a certain amount of property, or in pursuit of a profession, was entitled to a vote in the election of the village elders, who in their turn nominated certain of their own members as representatives in the administrative council of the sub-district. This council was presided over by an unpaid official: though elected by his confreres, he must be approved of by the lieutenant-governors of the district. He possessed the seals of authority, and, though he had no judicial power, was a very important personage both within and without the borders of his government.

These sub-district councils were self-governing, and had well defined powers of very considerable extent; any act of theirs could be vetoed by the lieutenant-governor, but it rarely happened that this prerogative was exercised. They were responsible for the execution and repair of all public works: roads, canals, and bridges were under the care of one committee; a second was entrusted with the management of the police; a third with financial arrangements, levying taxes not only for their own but also for Government purposes; a fourth supervises public education; a fifth regulated all commercial and agricultural disputes; in fact, the internal administration of the kingdom was carried on almost in its entirety by these little parliaments.

In Annam not only those chiefs are considered rebels who revolted in the provinces and held out for a longer or shorter time, but also those who succeeded in obtaining possession of the capital of the kingdom and took their seat upon the throne, without being recognized as true kings in the Annals. During the Tran Dynasty, as well as during the following Le and Nguyen Dynasties, there were insurgent chiefs without number who raised the standard of rebellion in the Annamese provinces.