A diverse array of documents issued during the reign of the nation’s last feudal dynasty, the Nguyen dynasty, has been “unearthed” after being buried in a family’s ancestral possessions for generations.
The documents have been treasured by Nguyen Van Loc’s family in Dong Hoi city in the central province of Quang Binh .
They include decrees, ordinances, orders, dispatches and conferments issued by Kings Tu Duc, Thieu Tri, Thanh Thai and Khai Dinh as well as senior courtiers under their reign, according to Truong Quang Phuc, manager of the provincial club on ancient scripts who was asked to study and translate the documents.
“They concern appointments, praise and promotion for Nguyen Van Sung and Nguyen Doanh, generals of great merit under the Nguyen dynasty,” said Phuc, adding that Sung and Doanh are forefathers of Loc, the current custodian of the documents.
The documents praise Sung for his diligence, long service and skills in “managing boats and firing canons,” Phuc said.
Sung was appointed captain of a navy regiment in Nghe An province by King Tu Duc, while Doanh was entrusted to protect a strategic forbidden forest in Quang Binh province’s Bo Trach district by King Khai Dinh.
All the documents have undergone lots of wear and tear through time, and developed stains and wrinkles. However, the kings’ and courtiers’ seals on the documents are clear.
“They are of great relevance in studying the country’s last feudal dynasty which witnessed a lot of ups and downs with the interference of French colonialists,” Phuc said.
He said documents issued during the decline of the dynasty also carry seals and signatures of French Governors in the royal capital of Hue .
“Nguyen Van Loc’s family belongs to one of the two famous clans in Bo Trach district, noted for producing many talented generals through successive reigns of Nguyen Kings,” Phuc said./.
The documents have been treasured by Nguyen Van Loc’s family in Dong Hoi city in the central province of Quang Binh .
They include decrees, ordinances, orders, dispatches and conferments issued by Kings Tu Duc, Thieu Tri, Thanh Thai and Khai Dinh as well as senior courtiers under their reign, according to Truong Quang Phuc, manager of the provincial club on ancient scripts who was asked to study and translate the documents.
“They concern appointments, praise and promotion for Nguyen Van Sung and Nguyen Doanh, generals of great merit under the Nguyen dynasty,” said Phuc, adding that Sung and Doanh are forefathers of Loc, the current custodian of the documents.
The documents praise Sung for his diligence, long service and skills in “managing boats and firing canons,” Phuc said.
Sung was appointed captain of a navy regiment in Nghe An province by King Tu Duc, while Doanh was entrusted to protect a strategic forbidden forest in Quang Binh province’s Bo Trach district by King Khai Dinh.
All the documents have undergone lots of wear and tear through time, and developed stains and wrinkles. However, the kings’ and courtiers’ seals on the documents are clear.
“They are of great relevance in studying the country’s last feudal dynasty which witnessed a lot of ups and downs with the interference of French colonialists,” Phuc said.
He said documents issued during the decline of the dynasty also carry seals and signatures of French Governors in the royal capital of Hue .
“Nguyen Van Loc’s family belongs to one of the two famous clans in Bo Trach district, noted for producing many talented generals through successive reigns of Nguyen Kings,” Phuc said./.
