Abstract

Following the major geographical discoveries of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, Asian countries began to face the penetration of Western powers. In East Asia, alongside traditional powers such as the Ming and Qing, Siam (Thailand) and Burma (Myanmar) also emerged as influential regional states. Over two centuries, in order to avoid the threat of invasion from the North and pressure from southern powers, and to concentrate resources in responding to Western powers, the Le-Trinh government in Dang Ngoai, following the policies of the Mac dynasty, clearly recognized the transformations of the age and implemented a relatively proactive foreign policy. This policy helped protect the political position of the dynasty and expand economic and diplomatic relations with regional countries. Based on multiple sources and field surveys, the article analyzes the internal political dynamics of Dai Viet in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, regional and international factors, the political responses of the Mac dynasty and the Le-Trinh government, and the immediate and long- term consequences of these policies for the country in subsequent centuries.

Keywords: Dai Viet, Dai Viet economy, Dai Viet politics, East Asia, sixteenth-seventeenth centuries.