The Reforms of the Ruler of Dai Viet Trinh Cuong and Their Negative Consequences

Abstract

Chua Trinh Cuong, the de facto ruler of Northern Vietnam at the beginning of the 18th century, is considered in historiography to be an active reformer who sought to establish order in Vietnamese society, achieve its stability and sustainable development. All the blame for the subsequent brutal civil wars is usually placed on his successor, Chua Trinh Giang (ruled 1730–1740), who departed from his father's line and stopped dealing with socio-economic issues. The article, based on primary sources, contains a substantive analysis of the reforms carried out by Chinh Cuong, and proves that in essence they became one of the reasons for the large-scale and long-term social crisis in the country in the middle of the 18th century, which almost led to the fall of the Trinh regime.