ABSTRACT
The Nguyen family’s rule over southern Vietnam during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was an important historical period in the history of Southeast Asia. Many factors have been mentioned as having contributed to the development of Nguyen rule in southern Vietnam. Among these was the military capability of the Nguyen which included its superior cannons and elephant forces. The Nguyen gestures meant little. In many instances the Chinese were confused with the actual situation in Vietnam, especially with the two Vietnamese entities of Trinh and the Nguyen. The initiatives of the individual Nguyen Lords had very little bearing in effecting a change in the Chinese outlook on Nguyen southern Vietnam. The influence of Da Shan over Nguyen Phuc Chu and his successors can be seen from the new-found confidence they demonstrated. The Nguyen Lords gained more tangible results from their Chinese links in the development of the Buddhist religion and culture.
