>>Feudal state apparatus structures in Vietnam State and Law Research Institute In face of the constant threat of foreign invasions and border troubles, the monarchical states of Vietnam had always to attach importance to consolidating the national defense with a strong and well-trained army. The strength of a feudal state in Vietnam lay not only in its capability to organize and manage the ruling apparatus from the central to grassroots levels but also in its capability to organize a strong army with high combativeness. The army structure under various feudal dynasties throughout nearly 10 centuries in Vietnam was characterized by the inheritance of the past experience and the new development as well which were suitable to the specific historical conditions of an agricultural country, thus having made the army an important component and mainstay of the centralized feudal state. 1. The organizational structure of the army The feudal army in Vietnam was composed of the royal court army and the local army. a/ The royal court army was in fact the regular army placed under the direct control by the court through "Bo Binh" (the Defense Ministry). Having consisted of the navy and the infantry, it was divided into two: - The royal guard tasked to directly protect the interests of the king, the State, the feudal aristocracy. It was carefully recruited from among the people who were most loyal to and closely associated with the court through common interests, from among royal family members and mandarins' children. It was placed under the command of military officers appointed by the court. - The stand-by force tasked to defend key areas throughout the country against possible foreign invasions as well as riots in order to maintain the political stability of the royal court and defend the national sovereignty. With such regular force, the central feudal government could control various localities and expand its influence thereto. The regular army of the royal court was staffed with career armymen who were provided with clothing, food, wages... by the royal court while their families were given land for tilling and exempt from public contributions and some kinds of taxes as prescribed by the State. It was organized into "ve" attached with "ty" and subordinated by "so", then "doi". No historical books give exact figures of the royal armymen stationed in the capital city during the period prior to King Le Thanh Tong's golden time known for a well-organized monarchical state. According to many historical documents, after the comprehensive reform initiated by King Le Thanh Tong, the royal guard army was organized into 66 "ty", 51 "ve", 300 "so" and more than 6,100 "doi" with a total strength of some 200,000 men. Meanwhile, the stand-by regular army force stationed in key localities was composed of 30 "ve", and 150 "so" approximately with around 61,000 men. b/ The local army: As far as the army strength is concerned, the local army was in fact the reserve force of the court's regular army. In case of wars, it constituted the on-spot combat force to check the enemy's advance, wear out their forces and create conditions for the court's regular army to annihilate the adversaries. The local army played a core role in building and consolidating the local administration, thus helping to strengthen the central administration. The local army was divided into two types: - The local regular army, which was organized at the provincial level and stationed in garrisons or provincial agencies and towns, and ready for mobilization by the local chief mandarins. It was organized into "ve", "co", "doi" and "ngu" under the direct command of the local chiefs. (From King Le Thanh Tong's time on, it was commanded by "do ty", the highest military command at the provincial level). Men having served in this force were entitled to regimes similar to those enjoyed by the royal court's regular army. - "Tho binh", which was organized at the district level and placed under the direct command of the local mandarins. Men serving in this force had to ensure their own uniforms, food and weapons. Upon the completion of their services, they were allowed to return to their home places for productive labor. While on active service in the force, men were exempt from poll-tax, corvee and some other obligations. In addition to the royal regular and local armies, feudal regimes in Vietnam also maintained the militia force called "huong binh" in villages and hamlets to maintain order and security therein and protect the grassroots administration. This was a traditional form of people's self-defense under the control and management of the local administration. In case of foreign invasion, "huong binh" become a core force in building, together with the local population, their respective villages or hamlets into fortresses against foreign invaders. The Vietnamese history has shown the great role played by each type of army and the great strength of the combination between the above-mentioned forces. Perhaps, this is the typical feature of the people's war in Vietnam. |