In the process of expanding territory to the South, Nguyen Lords appreciated the importance of the Southwestern sea and islands for the cause of establishing a “kingdom” of his own. The process of establishing sovereignty over the Southwestern seas and islands was carried out from 1708 to 1757. This article focuses on clarifying the main features of the process of establishing sovereignty over the Southwestern seas and islands to fully recognize: (i) the difficulties and challenges faced by the Nguyen Lords and the Mac family, (ii) the strategic vision of Nguyen Lords for domestic and foreign activities, (iii) the contributions of the Mac family in the process of establishing sovereignty over the Southwestern sea and islands.
