The process of assertion and defense of the sovereignty over the Vietnam’s South West waters during the Nguyen lords and Nguyen dynasty (from the 17th to 19th centuries)

Abstract

The process of establishment, assertion and defense of the sovereignty over the Vietnam’s South West waters by the Nguyen Lords and Nguyen Royal Dynasty is a long process undergoing many complicated upheavals during the period from the 17th to 19th centuries. Through the consistent, flexible and resolute policies and measures issued by the Nguyen Lords and Nguyen Royal Dynasty, the sovereign power of Vietnam extended over all of the South West waters up to Ha Tien and Ca Mau Cape, including offshore islands in the East Sea and Gulf of Thailand. Besides the Paracel Flotilla guarding the archipelagos in the East Sea, the Nguyen Lords also established the Bac Hai Flotilla (under the command of Paracel Flotilla) with the responsibility to exploit fossils, inspect and control Vietnam’s sovereignty implementation in the areas of “Bac Hai zones, Con Lon island and other islands in Ha Tien”. From the enforcement of Vietnam’s sovereignty and sovereignty rights, the Nguyen Lords turned the South West waters into one of the most critical sites in international exchange which made contribution of vital significance to the construction and protection of national security.