‘A Glimpse on the Life of Nguyễn Du’: A Reflection of the Age of Crisis from the late 18th Century to the early 19th Century Vietnam

Abstract

This study is an analytical survey on the history
of Vietnam from the late eighteenth century to the early
nineteenth century regarding to the life of Nguyễn Du,
one of the most famed poets of Vietnam. His life
spanned the turbulent, and critical periods in the
Vietnamese history; from the decades before the end of
the Lê dynasty, the rule of the powerful Trinh family,
the eclipse of the emperor’s power, the rise of Tây Sơn
Rebellion and the collapse of the Trịnh rule, the end of
the Lê dynasty, the emergence of the Tây Sơn dynasty
until its collapse, the rise of the Nguyen dynasty and its
rule over the unified Vietnam. These turbulent events
affected the life of Nguyễn Du as he abandoned the
official position while denying to serve the Tây Sơn,
then returning to work for the Nguyễn dynasty. This
study suggests that the political crisis in Vietnam at that
time might have an impact on the life and the famous
works of Nguyễn Du.