Maritime rescue under the Nguyen Dynasty in the first half of the 19th century: a view from commercial ports in the North-central regions

Abstract

In the early 19th century, the Nguyen dynasty administered a broad maritime territory. This created many opportunities for the dynasty in terms of maritime economic development as well as challenges for protecting the country's sovereignty. The Hue court maintained and built upon the seafaring and maritime traditions passed down from previous dynasties. The Nguyen possessed a strong sense of maritime awareness and management which manifested itself in its protection of national sovereignty and integrity. As a strong example of this, maritime policies and marine rescue activities were established with specific and comprehensive regulations for each object and each region in question. Historically, the northern central maritime coasts were not only a trading destination for Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese traders... but also areas frequently damaged by severe storms causing significant losses to people and property for both Vietnamese and foreigners alike. By analyzing historical documents, this article studies the maritime rescue activities of the Nguyen Dynasty in the North Central Sea zone from the perspective of the coastal ports to demonstrate firstly (1) how the position of the North Central Sea has created opportunities and challenges for maritime control and sovereignty. Secondly, (2) through the rescue policy, the Nguyen Dynasty has demonstrated its capacity for successful maritime governance despite facing many challenges, and finally (3) the North Central ports played a crucial role in the rescue operations and maritime governance of the Nguyen Dynasty during the first half of the 19th century.