Mạc dynasty

Mạc dynasty
House of Mạc 莫朝
1527–1592
The Mạc still control northeast Vietnam and Later Lê dynasty reclaim the rest of territory after 1592
Capital		Thăng Long (1527–1592) Cao Bằng (1592–1677)
Languages		Vietnamese, Mandarin
Religion		Neo-Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism
Government		Monarchy and Autonomy state
Emperor
•	1483–1541	Mạc Đăng Dung (first)
•	1638–1677	Mạc Kính Vũ (last)
History
•	Established	1527
•	Disestablished	1592
Currency		Văn
Preceded by Later Lê dynasty

The Mạc dynasty (Vietnamese: Nhà Mạc; Hán Việt: , Mạc Triều), ruled the whole of Vietnam (then known as Đại Việt) between 1527 and 1533 and the northern part of the country from 1533 until 1592, when they lost control over the capital Hanoi for the last time. Later Mạc representatives ruled over the province of Cao Bằng (with the direct support of the Ming and Qing dynasties) until 1677.

The founder of the Mạc dynasty was a man who was related to a famous Trần dynasty Confucian scholar named Mạc Đĩnh Chi. The Ming's ethnic Vietnamese collaborators included Mac Thuy whose grandfather was Mạc Đĩnh Chi who was a direct ancestor of Mạc Đăng Dung. Unlike his ancestor, Mạc Đăng Dung chose to enter the military and ascended the ranks to become the senior general in the Vietnamese army. Later he seized power in a coup d'état and ruled Vietnam from 1527 till his death in 1541. Officially he resigned his position as Emperor in favor of his son but the reality was, he continued to rule.

Mạc Đăng Dung, famed for his strength and cunning, got his start as a bodyguard for the cruel and reviled Lê Emperor – Lê Uy Mục (around 1506). Over time, despite the deaths of several emperors, Mạc Đăng Dung increased his power and gained many supporters. However, he also gained the enmity of other rivals for power.

Around 1520, a civil war started. This war would last, with occasional breaks, for the next 150 years. Apparently fearing the growing ambition of Mạc Đăng Dung, the young Emperor, Lê Chiêu Tông, fled to the south. A revolt started with the Trịnh and the Nguyễn families claiming to support the Emperor against the power of Mạc Đăng Dung. Mạc Đăng Dung responded by proclaimed the Emperor's younger brother, Prince Xuan, was now the true Emperor and installed as Emperor under the name Lê Cung Hoàng. The revolt was ended, temporarily, when Mạc Đăng Dung's forces captured and executed Lê Chiêu Tông along with the leaders of the revolt.