Trịnh Doanh

Who was Trịnh Doanh?

Trịnh Doanh ruled northern Vietnam from 1740 to 1767. Trịnh Doanh was a younger son of Trịnh Cương, and belonged to the line of Trịnh Lords who ruled northern Vietnam. His rule was spent putting down rebellions against rule by the Trịnh.

Trịnh Doanh took over from his brother, Trịnh Giang, who, through financial mismanagement and bad behavior, provoked a wave of revolts against his rule. This was a time of increasing peasant revolts in both the north and the south under the Nguyễn Lords. In the north, some of the revolts were apparently led by members of the royal Lê family.

The rebellions which broke out in Tonkin during this period, were almost without number. Princes belonging to the royal family, generals, civil mandarins, common people, and out-casts from the hills, all rose in the provinces against the tyranny of the Trịnh, as well as for their personal interests. Chapter 16

Despite the many revolts, Trịnh Doanh defeated them all and passed the rule of Vietnam to his son, Trịnh Sâm.

As far as the Lê Dynasty was concerned, there was just one king, Lê Hien Tông, who occupied the royal throne in Hanoi.