The use local people as officials of Southern Administrations in the early period of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1832)

Abstract

Southern Vietnam is the central region of the Nguyen Dynasty. It occupies an important position in national defense and foreign affairs. The region has had the huge economic potential and can create a breakthrough for Vietnam's economic development up to now. However, due to the historical conditions and geographical location, political upheaval was tremendously popular during the period of the Nguyen Lords and early Nguyen Dynasty. Besides, the economic factors of international trade and the development of commodity production (specific social foundations) were high above the national standard. As a result, the central government had to use a special method of selecting and using local officials/mandarins. The officials selected must have been good in ``handling the statecraft'', who could understand and have/had a process of living and working in the South. As two eminent political kings, Gia Long and Minh Mang applied flexible measures, not taking the aristocratic nature of candidates very seriously. Both kings completely removed the ``hereditary'' regime, not following the Confucian model as in the North and the Central regions in selecting and using mandarins in the local government apparatus. This policy helped the Nguyen Dynasty build a dedicated, competent service bureau in the region. The policy is an exception in the history of recruiting mandarins under the Confucian perspective in the country/Vietnam, and to a certain extent, it has successfully promoted local socio-economic development. This paper aims to argue that it is difficult to apply a unified but rigid policy in Vietnam on issues related to the locality and that Southern Vietnam always demands more special attention in state policies.