Lesson 1: Mai Thuc Loan - hometown and family background

(Baonghean)Editor's note: Towards the 1,300th anniversary of the Hoan Chau uprising and the 2013 King Mai Festival, in order to help readers understand a glorious uprising on Hoan Chau land, and the life and career of the uprising leader Mai Thuc Loan (King Mai), Nghe An Newspaper respectfully introduces to readers an overview of the Hoan Chau uprising that took place 1,300 years ago.

1. Homeland

Mai Thuc Loan was an emperor, national hero, and leader of the Hoan Chau uprising against the Tang Dynasty in the early 8th century. Born, raised, and established his career in Nghe - Tinh, his life and illustrious career left a strong mark on his homeland Nghe.

The book "Imperial Vietnamese History Without Supervision" of the National History Institute of the Nguyen Dynasty recorded Mai Thuc Loan as "a native of Mai Phu, Thien Loc district". Mai Phu village has long belonged to Mai Phu commune, Loc Ha district, Ha Tinh province. From Mai Phu, his mother, the Mai family, moved to Ngoc Trung, now Nam Thai commune, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province. Many folk legends, genealogies, funeral orations, Chau Van singing... all confirm that the Mai family's homeland moved from Mai Phu to Ngoc Trung.

Mai Thuc Loan was born and raised in Con Chem cave (Ngoc Trung village, Nam Thai commune, Nam Dan) - where he accepted all the bitterness and humiliation of an orphan boy until he became the supreme leader of the Hoan Chau uprising.

In Nam Thai, Van Dien communes and Nam Dan town, many precious relics are still preserved such as the tomb of King Mai's mother, Mai Hac De temple, Van An citadel relic and many documents and folk festivals associated with King Mai's uprising and resistance with the honor of the people.

Originating in the Nga Son - Thanh Hoa region, associated with the legend of "Watermelon" and the character Mai An Tiem from the early days of the country's founding, the Mai family has now had direct lines in almost all provinces and cities in the country. In Nghe An and Ha Tinh, up to now, the Mai family in Vietnam has gathered 26 branches, spread evenly across the two provinces. Like many other families in the Nghe - Tinh region, the Mai family has contributed to embellishing the history and traditions of the people of Nghe.

Regarding Mai Thuc Loan's family background, there are still certain differences between legendary documents, genealogy and other historical sources that need further research and verification, but all reflect that he was a patriot, brave and intelligent, who early nurtured the will to destroy enemies to save the country and save the people.

According to the story of Huong lam Mai De ky in Tan chich hieu binh Viet dien u linh, Mai Thuc Loan's father was named Mai Sinh and her mother was Vuong Thi. When giving birth to Mai Thuc Loan, Mai Sinh's grandparents based on a dream she had when she was about to give birth. Her husband then named their child Phuong, with the given name Thuc Loan, to record the omen seen in the dream.

Nowadays, the people of Van Dien commune, Nam Dan district still tell each other: Mrs. Mai Mau's father was the head of the Thach Ha salt plantation. Mrs. Mai Mau got pregnant with the salt plantation worker, so according to the village custom, she was thrown into the river. Because he loved his daughter, her father arranged to make a scarecrow, dressed her in clothes like hers, and put her in the river to release her. But because he was afraid that the villagers would find out, he secretly took her to a remote mountainous area (Van Dien commune, Nam Dan today) to take shelter and give birth.

Most documents state that when Mai Thuc Loan was 10 years old, his mother was killed by a tiger while collecting firewood. Not long after, his father died, leaving the future king an orphan. Fortunately, a friend of Mai Thuc Loan's father, Dinh The, took Mai Thuc Loan in and raised him as his own son, and later married his daughter Ngoc To to him.

According to sources from family tree, genealogy... Mrs. Ngoc To gave birth to the first daughter Mai Thi Cau, the next pair of twins Mai Bao Son, the younger one Mai Ky Son. The youngest child died young, early. Shortly after that, out of pity for her children, she fell ill and also died early. Their children were obedient children early on, later growing up to become talented, ambitious, patriotic, and people-loving people. According to field data at Duc Anh temple, in Hoa Muc (Trung Hoa ward, Cau Giay district, Hanoi), at Dieu Yeu temple, in An Lao, Hai Phong, and the splicing of research materials by a number of other authors, it can be confirmed that King Mai's second wife was Mrs. Pham Thi Uyen. To facilitate the plot of national affairs, traveling everywhere in the country with the purpose of connecting like-minded people, Mai Thuc Loan took a second wife outside his hometown. Duong Lam (hometown of Pham Thi Uyen) was actually a base of the uprising led by Mai Thuc Loan.



Mai King Festival in Nam Dan. Photo: Sy Minh.

King Mai's children later became generals commanding the fronts in the Hoan Chau uprising. The Dieu Yeu area (Quoc Tuan commune, An Duong district, Hai Phong) still preserves the sacred relics and some legends about the activities of Mai Thuc Loan's three children: Mai Thi Cau, Mai Bao Son, and Mai Ky Son.

The stele on Mai Mau's tomb recorded the merits and contributions of Mai Thuc Loan's extended family to the country: "... Her descendants such as King Mai, first daughter-in-law Dinh Thi Ngoc To, second daughter-in-law Pham Thi Uyen, grandchildren: First Prince (Mai Bao Son), Second Prince (Mai Ky Son), Mai Thuc Huy, Mai Thi Cau sacrificed heroically...". Mai Thuc Loan's extended family all contributed to the Hoan Chau uprising and finally, one after another, at the Hoan Chau front or Tong Binh, Northeast, devoted their lives to the nation, protecting their homeland and country, maintaining their integrity for the independence and autonomy of Vietnam.

The Hoan Chau uprising led by Mai Thuc Loan broke out in the year of Quy Suu, the first year of the Khai Nguyen era under the reign of Emperor Duong Huyen Tong, or 713. Regarding the year of failure, also from the above historical sources, it can be concluded that it was the year of Nham Tuat, the 10th year of the Khai Nguyen era under the reign of Emperor Duong Huyen Tong, or 722. These are also the new research results that have been concluded from the National Scientific Conference "Mai Thuc Loan and the Hoan Chau Uprising" organized by the Faculty of History of Vinh University in collaboration with the Vietnam Institute of History in 2008.
(To be continued)

Faculty of History - Vinh University