History of Vietnam
The Âns and Qins were among the earliest foreign aggressions of Vietnam, but the ancient Vietnamese regained control of their country soon after their invasions.
Once Vietnam did succumb to foreign rule, however, it proved unable to escape from it, and for 1,100 years, Vietnam had been successively governed by a series of foreign powers: the Hans, Eastern Hans, Eastern Wus, Cao Wei, Jins, Liu Songs, Southern Qis, Liangs, Suis, Tangs, and Southern Hans; leading to the losses of its writing system, language, and national identity. At certain periods during these 1,100 years, Vietnam was independently governed under the Triệus, TrÆ°ng Sisters, Anterior Lýs, Khúcs and DÆ°Æ¡ng Äình Nghệ - although their triumphs and reigns were brief.
During the foreign rule of North Vietnam, several Indianized civilizations flourished in the central and south of what we know as Vietnam, particularly the Funanese and the Chams. The founders and rulers of these governments, however, were not native to Vietnam. From the 10th century onwards, the Vietnamese, emerging in their heartland of the Red River Delta, began to conquer these civilizations.
When Ngô Quyá»n (King of Vietnam) (939–944) restored sovereign power in the country, the next millennium Vietnam was under a series of great dynasties: Ngôs, Äinhs, Prior Lês, Lýs, Trầns, Hồs, Posterior Trầns, Later Lês, Mạcs, Trịnhs, Nguyá»…ns, Tây SÆ¡ns and Nguyá»…ns again. At various points during these 1,000 years of imperial dynasties, Vietnam was ravaged and divided by civil wars and repeatedly attacked by the Songs, Mongol Yuans, Chams, Mings, Dutch, Manchus, French, and the Americans. The Ming Empire conquered the Red River valley for a while before native Vietnamese regained control and the French Empire reduced Vietnam to a French dependency for nearly a century and followed by an occupation by the Japanese Empire. Political upheaval and Communist insurrection put an end to the monarchy after World War II and the country was proclaimed a republic.