Trần Dynasty

The Trần Dynasty (陳朝 Trần Triều; or vernacularly "Nhà Trần", meaning "the Trần Family") was a Vietnamese dynasty that ruled Vietnam (at that time known as Đại Việt) from 1225 to 1400. They are credited with 3 victories over the Mongolian invasion, most notably a decisive battle at the Bạch Đằng River.

The dynasty began in 1225 when king Thái Tông ascended to the throne after overthrowing the Lý Dynasty. The dynasty ruled for a total of 175 years, ending in 1400 when king Thiếu Đế, then 5 years old, was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of his maternal grandfather Hồ Quý Ly.

History of Vietnam series

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History

The person who actually founded the Trần Dynasty was Trần Thủ Độ. When the Lý Dynasty was in a period of decline, much of the power fell into the hands of Trần Thủ Độ. After he forced Lý Chiêu Hoàng (then 7 years old) to abdicate the throne for her husband Trần Cảnh (then 8), the Trần Dynasty officially began. In their 175-year reign, the Trần rulers three times successfully led the Vietnamese people in their resistance against the invading Mongol forces of the Yuan Dynasty: in 1258, 1285, and 1288. However, in their later years (from king Dụ Tông on), the dynasty declined due to many reasons, foremost among them was the weakness and corruption of the civil service system. Finally, in 1400, Hồ Quý Ly usurped the throne, ending the Trầns' 175-year rule.

It was also under the Trần Dynasty that Vietnam started the southward expansion (Nam Tien) and a series of wars with its southern region, Champa. The Annam kingdom eventually emerged not only as winner in this series of wars but also prevented eastward expansion of the Indian-Thai influence.

Resistance against the Mongols

The first Mongol defeat (1257)

Initial Mongol attempts at invasion took place along the border North Vietnam region. As the Mongols' traditional style of warfare was raiding, also they did were not familiar with the hot Vietnamese weather, finally they were settled in a long fight with the Southern Song Dynasty who had huge, fortified cities. The Vietnamese held out and eventually the Mongols were forced to retreat, but they did not give up. During the fall of the capital, Thăng Long (today Hanoi), it is written that the young king asked the Prime Minister Trần Thủ Độ what must be done, he responded "...as long as my head is still on, please do not worry your majesty!"

The second Mongol defeat (1284-1285)

Once they had become the overlords of China, the Mongols grew more and more demanding towards Viet Nam. Despite concessions by the Tran, the Mongol court remained intransigent, dreaming of conquering both Vietnam and Champa.

In 1284, Kublai started a powerful expedition against Vietnam and Champa. Under the command of his son Toghan (Thoa't Hoan), 500,000 cavalrymen and infantrymen were to rush southward to push the frontiers of the Mongol empire to the southernmost part of the Indochina peninsula.

King Tran Nhan Tong was aware of the enemy's strategy. As early as 1282 he has assembled and consulted all the princes and dignitaries on the action to be taken; their unanimous response was to fight. Prince Quoc Toan, only 16 years old, recuited 1,000 men to go to the front. By 1283, all princes and dignitaries were ordered to put their troops under the command of General Tran Hung Dao. A congress of village elders from all over the country was convened, and the following question put to them: "Should we be capitulated or fight?" A great cry rose from the assembly: "Fight!"

At the close of 1284, the Mongols crossed the frontier. The Vietnamese force, totalling a mere of 200,000 men, was unable to withstand the first onslaught. General [Tran Hung Dao] ordered the evacuation of the capital and was asked by the king: "The enemy is so strong that a protracted war might bring terrible destruction down upon the people. Wouldn't it be better-to lay down our arm to save the population?" The general answered: "I understand Your Majesty's humane feelings perfectly, but what would become of our country ancestors' land, and of our forefather's temples? If you want to surrender, please have my head cut off first". The king decided not to surrender.

The Vietnamese retreated to the south after burning off most of their crops and facilities. Tran Hung Dao and other generals escorted the Royal Court, staying just ahead of the Mongol army in hot pursuit. When the Mongol army had been worn down with tropical diseases and lack of supplies, Tran Hung Dao launched a counter-offensive. Most of the battles were on the waterfronts, where the Mongols could not use their cavalry strength. Mongol commander Sogetu of the southern front was killed in the battle. In their withdrawal from Đại Việt, the Mongols were also attacked by the Hmong and Yao minorities in the northern regions.

The third Mongol defeat (1287-1288)

In 1287, Kublai Khan again sent Prince Toghan to lead another army into Đại Việt. The Mongol forces consist of infantry, calvary and a full fleet with the total strength estimated at 500,000 men according to the original Vietnamese history. Later Western historians put the Mongol force at a more modest number of some 70,000 to 100,000. ^{[citation needed]}

During the first stage, the Mongols quickly defeated most of the Đại Việt troops, stationed along the border. Prince Toghan's fleet devastated most of the force of General Trần Khánh Dư in Vân Đồn. Right before that, Prince Ariq-Qaya had led his cavalry to attack and capture Phú Lương and Đại Than, two important border stations in the north of Đại Việt. This ground force later met up with Prince Toghan's fleet in Vân Đồn. King Trần Nhân Tông called back General Trần Khánh Dư for court-martial, but this general delayed his return and regrouped his force in Vân Đồn. The cavalry and fleet of Prince Toghan continue to advance to Thăng Long (today's Hanoi), Đại Việt's capital. Unfortunately, the trailing supply fleet of Prince Toghan, arriving at Vân Đồn right after that, was ambushed and captured by the remaining forces of General Trần Khánh Dư.

This news together with the news that General Trần Hưng Đạo had recapture Đại Than in the north sent the fast advancing Mongol forces into chaos. Guerrilla tactics by the Vietnamese also started to cause a great deal of casualties to the Mongols. But the Mongols kept advancing to Thăng Long, which was already abandoned by Đại Việt's king. The following battle results were mixed: the Mongols won at Yên Hưng and Long Hưng but lost in the sea of Đại Bàng. Eventually, Prince Toghan decided to withdraw his army: he would lead the ground force through Nội Bàng while his fleet commander, Omar would direct the fleet back through Bạch Đằng River.

The Battle of Bạch Đằng

Main article: Battle of Bach Dang (1288)

The Mongol fleet however had no idea of an unconventional trap already set by General Trần Hưng Đạo on Bạch Đằng River. Trần Hưng Đạo, for months before that, had his soldiers and peasants place huge steel-tipped wooden stakes in some waters of Bạch Đằng River. During the retreat of Omar, the Vietnamese used small craft to aggravate and lure the Mongol vessels to those waters, in what first appeared to be a victorious pursuit of the Mongols. As the tide on Bạch Đằng River receded, the Mongol vessels got stuck and sunk by those embedded steel-tipped stakes. The Vietnamese led by Trần Hưng Đạo burned off almost 400 Mongol vessels and attack ships on this river. The entire Mongol fleet was destroyed, and Omar was captured and executed.

The ground forces of Prince Toghan were more fortunate. They were ambushed along the road through Nội Bàng, but managed to escape back to China by dividing their forces into smaller retreating groups.

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