Lê Quý Đôn (scholar)

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Lê Quý Đôn (* 1726 , † 1784 ) was a Vietnamese scholar at the time of the Lê dynasty . In addition to his work as a senior civil servant, he made a name for himself as a historian and author on scientific or geographical topics.

origin

Lê Quý Đôn came from a village in the Thai Binh province. He was the son of a scholar who himself had passed the highest grade of civil service examination. In 1752 he passed his exams in the capital, which enabled him to enter the mandarinate .

Civil service

Lê Quý Đôn made it up in the hierarchy to provincial governor and later to finance and war minister at the court. Due to rivalries at court, he withdrew into private life once for several years. In 1762 he became chairman of the Crown Council appointed by the Trinh Prince Trịnh Doanh .

As a civil servant, he was known for his strict adherence to Confucian principles. He also made a contribution to the suppression of rebellious movements. He also tried to improve the administration by reducing corruption and mismanagement and thereby acquired the reputation of a popular mandarin.

In 1762 he took part in a diplomatic mission to the imperial court of the Qing Dynasty . This marked his exclusion from the actual center of power at court. Modern history sees Lê Quý Đôn as an official at the center of power who, through his connections, was out for his personal gain. There are known reports and accusations of corruption, and Lê Quý Đôn obtained his position by participating in bribes, among other things. His son was imprisoned for corruption in 1775.

Literary work

He wrote an overall history of the Lê Dynasty entitled Dai Viet Thong Su . In the various chronicles of the pacified borders ( Phu Bien Tap Luc ) he provided detailed descriptions of central Vietnam. In addition to his historical works, he also left behind writings on agronomy, science, morality and philosophy. He also distinguished himself as the editor of an encyclopedia at the court.

His memory was reflected in numerous folk tales and anecdotes that emphasize his intelligence and poetic expressiveness.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Hữu Ngọc: Viet Nam: Tradition and Change. Ohio University Press, Athens (Ohio) 2016, pp. 141–143 (entry "Lê Quý Đôn")
  2. ^ A b c d Bruce L. Lockhart, William J. Duiker: Historical Dictionary of Vietnam. Oxford 2006, p. 209
  3. ↑ a b K.W. Taylor: A History of the Vietnamese. Cambridge 2013, pp. 362-373
personal data
SURNAME Le, Quy Don
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Vietnamese intellectual and mandarin
DATE OF BIRTH 1726
PLACE OF BIRTH Thai Ninh Province
DATE OF DEATH 1784