Birth milestones and names of some districts in Nghe - Tinh
On August 10, 2024, Thanh Chuong district will solemnly hold a grand ceremony to celebrate the 555th anniversary of the name Thanh Chuong. Interestingly, many localities in Nghe An - Ha Tinh provinces also have a milestone of birth from 1469 - associated with the largest-scale administrative reform in our country under feudalism.
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On August 10, 2024, Thanh Chuong district will solemnly hold a grand ceremony to celebrate the 555th anniversary of the name Thanh Chuong. Interestingly, many localities in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces also have a milestone of birth from 1469 - associated with the largest-scale administrative reform in our country under feudalism.
Tran Manh Cuong • August 9, 2024
In history, the division of administrative units and names is a very important matter for any country or nation. The development history of our country from the time of founding the country to the present day, the division of administrative units, the change of names in each period is different, but all stem from the need to manage, protect and build that state regime, representing a sovereign nation, marking the profound history and culture of the nation. Therefore, finding out and determining the year of "birth" of place names is the earnest desire of many localities across the country.
During the Tran Dynasty, some localities in Nghe - Tinh had the following names:
Nha Nghi, now Nghi Xuan
Phi Loc, the current Can Loc
Do Gia, now Huong Son
Chi La, present-day Duc Tho
Tho Du, present-day Thanh Chuong
Giang shelf, a part of Thanh Chuong today
Tho Hoang, now Huong Khe
Ha Hoang, a part of present-day Thach Ha
Ban Thach, a part of present-day Thach Ha
Ha Hoa, now Ky Anh
Ky La, part of Ky Anh today
Thach Duong, a part of Nam Dan today
Dong Ngan, Dong Thanh today
Lo Binh, Hung Nguyen today
Sa Nam, part of present-day Nam Dan
Later, the above titles under the Tran Dynasty were all changed and renamed after the event of King Le Thanh Tong mapping the whole country in the 10th year of Quang Thuan (1469). And to mark this event of great influence, in the year of Canh Dan, King Le Thanh Tong also changed the era name from Quang Thuan to Hong Duc.
Reforming the local government system has always been a matter of concern for Vietnamese feudal dynasties. In the history of our country, the reform of the local government system under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong (Le Dynasty) and the Minh Mang Dynasty (Nguyen Dynasty) is considered to be the largest and most successful and has almost lasted until today.
Unfortunately, the Complete Annals of Dai Viet - the oldest and most important official history of Vietnam that still exists intact today, compiled by many generations of historians in the History Office of the Later Le Dynasty, only recorded general information about that event without specifically mentioning the localities that had changes in name. But fortunately, this event was mentioned in the official history book of the National History Office of the Nguyen Dynasty, the Complete Annals of Dai Viet.
This is a national history compiled late around the end of the 19th century, but the system of reference documents of the Cuong Muc is about 200 sets, including unofficial history, poetry, works of Le Quy Don, Phan Huy Chu... In particular, the Cuong Muc also consulted and based on many other history books such as Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu, Dai Viet Su Ky Tuc Bien, and consulted Chinese history books and other Vietnamese history books.
This book is written in the "cuong muc" style of Chu Hi of the Song Dynasty, divided into "cuong" (a concise and clear summary) and "muc" (a more specific and extensive copying), in order of year, month, and day recording historical events, biographies of characters, careful judgments on a number of events, characters, and dates based on the examination of historical books and documents of Vietnam and China, notes on names of people, places, examination systems, administrative organizations, and scattered comments by King Tu Duc.
Therefore, the Complete Annals of Dai Viet and the Complete Annals of Kham Dinh Viet are the second largest historical works of Vietnam, which have both absorbed many achievements of previous historians and, at the same time, made many valuable contributions to historiography. Researchers today consider the Complete Annals of Dai Viet and the Complete Annals of Kham Dinh Viet are two important historical works as starting points for studying related issues of Vietnamese history. The Annals have “carefully investigated” many large and small events in history that previous historical works did not record, or recorded but were mistaken.
For example, the event of the retired Emperor Tran Minh Tong personally leading the attack on Ai Lao, the Complete Book records the location as "Kien Chau", but the stele "Ma Nhai ky cong bi van" states that the location is "Mat Chau"; the Complete Book records the time as the year Giap Tuat, but the stele "Ma Nhai ky cong bi van" states it as the year At Hoi. The data that the Cuong Muc wrote is the same as the stele in the field, so the cautionary words from the Cuong Muc are completely accurate. We believe that the event of King Le Thanh Tong mapping the whole country in the 10th year of Quang Thuan (1469) in the Cuong Muc is completely scientifically based and reliable.
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The Cuong Muc clearly states that, in the third month of the year Ky Suu, the 10th year of the Quang Thuan era (1469), King Le Thanh Tong determined the map of the country, establishing 12 governorates. Of which, Nghe An governorate governed a total of 8 prefectures, 18 districts, and 2 states. Specifically as follows:
1. Duc Quang Palace governs 6 districts: Thien Loc, La Son, Chan Phuc, Thanh Chuong, Huong Son and Nghi Xuan;
2. Dien Chau Palace governs two districts: Dong Thanh and Quynh Luu;
3. Anh Do Palace governs two districts: Hung Nguyen and Nam Duong;
4. Ha Hoa Prefecture governs two districts: Thach Ha and Ky Hoa;
5. Tra Lan Prefecture governs 4 districts: Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Vinh Khang and Hoi Ninh;
6. Quy Chau Prefecture governs two districts: Trung Son and Thuy Van;
7. Ngoc Ma Palace governs 1 district: Trinh Cao;
8. Lam An Prefecture governs 1 district: Quy Hop.
Most notably, a little-noticed piece of information that is crucial in confirming the time of birth of some localities is that almost all the names of districts in Nghe An and Ha Tinh such as: Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Quynh Luu, Nam Duong (Nam Dan), Thanh Chuong, Hung Nguyen, Quy Hop, Nghi Xuan, Huong Son, Thach Ha, Ky Hoa (Ky Anh), were born in 1469.
Up to now, many people agree that the name Thanh Chuong was born after 1729 to avoid the taboo of Lord Trinh Giang, so it was changed from Thanh Giang to Thanh Chuong. As commented by researcher Ho Sy Huy (published in Nghe An Social Sciences and Humanities Journal, August 2021): "It is not by chance that there are 6 documents recording the name change of Thanh Giang to Thanh Chuong. The elaborate research work "lays the foundation for the study of avoiding taboos in Vietnam" according to the assessment of Professor Ha Van Tan, studying Vietnamese taboos through the dynasties of Ngo Duc Tho (Culture Publishing House 1997), the section on Avoiding Taboos in Changing Place Names during the Le Trung Hung period states: "Thanh Giang 青江 is the name of a district in Nghe An, after 1997,In 1729, it was changed to Thanh Chuong. Now it is Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province". As mentioned above, we believe that the name Thanh Chuong only appeared in 1729 or after this year. The works that recorded the place name Thanh Chuong before this milestone were edited by later generations, as stated by Professor Ha Van Tan.
Because it is quoted from the elaborate and valuable research works of two great figures in the academic world, this viewpoint is easily accepted and spread. However, we find that the above comments are not sufficiently grounded and inaccurate. Because based on the existing original documents including types of administrative documents of the two dynasties Le and Nguyen, such as: Stele, Royal Decree, Degree, Order, Order, Family Decree, Deputy... which are being kept in the clans right in the land of Thanh Chuong today, the two words "Thanh Chuong" have been recorded very clearly since before 1729. Here are some specific examples:
At the National Historical and Cultural Relic: the tomb and temple of Tran Hung Hoc and Tran Hung Nhuong in Thanh Xuan commune, preserves the royal decree for Tran Van Xa, for his merit in following Phu Quan Cong Trinh Can to defeat the army of Thuan Quang, bearing the reign name of Vinh Tho year 3, or 1660, clearly stating: "Sac Thanh Chuong district, Bich Trieu commune Tran Van Xa..."; and the royal decree for Tran Van Lam to be granted the title of Kim Nghia Marquis bearing the reign name of Chinh Hoa year 8, or 1687, clearly stating: "Sac Thanh Chuong district, Bich Trieu commune Tran Van Lam..."; the royal decree for Tran Hung Chuy to be promoted to the position of Do Thiem, bearing the reign name of Vinh Thinh year 10, or 1714, clearly stating: "Sac Thanh Chuong district, Bich Trieu commune, Chinh team leader Hoang Tin Dai Phu Thuc Dung Marquis Tran Hung Chuy...".
In addition to paper documents, local stone inscriptions also recorded similar content. The Kien Nghia stele, currently located at the temple of the famous general Tran Hung Hoc, Thanh Xuan commune, Thanh Chuong district, wrote about the martial arts of the two generals Tran Hung Hoc and Tran Hung Nhuong in the 5th Trinh - Nguyen war (1655 - 1660). This stele was erected on "Hoang Trieu Chinh Hoa van van nien chi thap cuu Mau Dan trong ha coc nhat" (Auspicious day in the middle of Summer, Mau Dan year, Chinh Hoa year 19), which is the year 1698, in which there is the sentence: "... Dinh Dau 6th month, bandits invaded Thanh Chuong/ June 6th year Dinh Dau, bandits invaded Thanh Chuong...". The year Dinh Dau mentioned here is converted to the solar year 1657.
The stele "Hầu thần bia" is currently located at the temple of the famous general Tran Hung Nhuong, Thanh Xuan commune, Thanh Chuong district, erected on "Hoang trieu Chinh Hoa van van nien chi thap cuu Mau Dan quy ha" (The auspicious day at the end of Summer, Mau Dan year, Chinh Hoa year 19), that is, 1698. In the stele there is a sentence: "...Mau Thanh Marquis's surname was Tran, his given name was Van Canh, he was from Thanh Chuong Bich Trieu/Mau Thanh Marquis's surname was Tran, his given name was Van Canh, he was from Bich Trieu, Thanh Chuong...".
Through these original documents, all have confirmed that the name "Thanh Chuong" existed before 1729. Thus, the statement "the name Thanh Chuong only appeared in 1729 or after this year" is completely incorrect.
History is the past, so no one can see or hear with their own eyes what happened in the past. Thus, if we want to know what history is like, we can only rely on reliable documents and evidence through original evidence and primary documents. "Original" means that the document has never been copied or rewritten. And more importantly, the document must directly participate in the event being mentioned. All the historical evidence in the 6 books confirming that Thanh Chuong existed since 1729 mentioned above, did not directly participate in the events that it mentioned. Thus, the reliability is much lower than that of original evidence and primary documents.
Through the data we have presented above, all are original written artifacts recorded at the exact time they appeared. This is truly original evidence that has never been copied or rewritten by later generations. Therefore, historical science, like forensic science, must take the saying "more important than testimony" as the first step. Only then can we correctly perceive the events that took place in history.
Thanh Chuong is one of the lands bearing the identity of the thousand-year-old culture of Nghe An, a land rich in cultural, historical and revolutionary traditions. That is the place name Dung - Rang, where the vestiges of the glorious Son Vi culture in the dawn of human history in our country are still preserved. In the history of the nation, Thanh Chuong has always been an important area, the "fence" of the country, the "spiritual land, talented people, where the elite gather", the start-up of many talented people in many fields, many famous families such as: Nguyen Duy, Nguyen Sy, Dang family...
Thanh Chuong is also blessed by nature with many beautiful landscapes, charming mountains and rivers, but it is also a land that is notorious for poverty. People living there, their temperament also becomes simple, talented and perhaps because "poor land nurtures heroes", it is difficult to count all the outstanding children of Thanh Chuong land, from the past to the present, all have contributed greatly to glorifying the beautiful mountains and rivers of Vietnam.
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