Early life

He was the second son of Nguyễn Kim. When his father was assassinated by a Mạc supporter, his brother-in-law Trịnh Kiểm took command of the Lê royalist army. Sometime after his older brother (Nguyễn Uông) died (believed to have been poisoned), Nguyễn Hoàng requested his brother in law, and was appointed to govern the southernmost province of Vietnam. This land was formerly Champa territory which had been conquered by emperor Lê Thánh Tông and at the time was under control of Mạc force. Nguyễn Hoàng defeated the enemy commander Duke Lập and took over the province in 1558. In 1573 he was given the title Grand Master (Thai-pho) by Emperor Le The Ton. Later he was given the title Duke of Mon (Mon Cong).

Rule

In 1592, when Trịnh Tùng laid siege to the Eastern Capital (modern-day Hanoi), Nguyễn Hoàng lend him resources and troops. The Nguyen army joined the Royal (Trịnh) army and helped destroy the remainder of the Mac army. For reasons that are mysterious, when the new Emperor, Lê Kinh Tông, ascended the throne, Nguyễn Hoàng refused to recognize the new sovereign and instead took for himself the new title of Good Prince (Huu Vuong) in 1600. Perhaps an explanation is found in that his nephew Trịnh Tùng had been given a similar title just one year earlier: Pacifying Prince (Binh An Vuong). Nguyễn Hoàng had many children (10 sons) but most of them either lost their lives in the battlefields or stayed in the North. His 6th son Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên succeeded him upon his death in 1613. He ruled the south for 55 years.

The reason Trịnh Kiểm appointed Nguyễn Hoàng to the Southern provinces is not clear. As anecdote goes, Trinh Kiểm, being afraid of losing power to Nguyễn brothers, ordered the assassination of Nguyễn Hoàng's older brother. As for Hoang, Trịnh Kiểm wanted to take advantage of Mạc's southern garrison troops to eliminate his brother in law.

Legacy

Nguyễn Hoàng is considered as the founder of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) and Southern Vietnam. In 2013, his 400th anniversary was celebrated in Hue.

生平

1527年，阮潢之父阮淦因不满于莫登庸的篡位，率后黎朝遗臣逃往哀牢（今寮国）以图东山再起。阮潢被托付给太傅阮于己照顾。后来阮淦拥立黎庄宗反抗莫朝，阮潢也从军，在玉山县斩莫朝将领郑志，获得了黎庄宗的嘉奖。后因军功，封端郡公（）。

元和十三年（1545年），阮淦死后，由长子阮汪任左丞相、女婿郑检任右丞相，同时荫封阮潢为夏溪侯。不过郑检掌握了兵权，最终杀死了阮汪，独揽朝政。阮潢非常不安，与阮于己一起自称得病，再不上朝。阮潢为求自保，派人问阮秉谦该怎么办。阮秉谦告诉阮潢：「横山一带，万代容身」，建议阮潢在南方建立根据地。阮潢深以为然，透过姐姐阮氏玉宝的关系，要求姐夫郑检让他镇守顺化。正治元年（1558年），郑检同意了这个请求，阮潢便借守顺化之机在南方重新奠定起阮氏基业，当地人称之为仙主（）。

虽然阮潢身处顺化，但他仍旧向后黎朝朝廷效忠，并派兵协助郑检攻打莫朝，并两次率兵入朝，觐见黎帝。正治十二年（1569年）九月，阮潢入觐黎帝，正治十三年（1570年）正月返回顺化，黎帝召还广南总兵阮伯駉，以阮潢兼领顺化广南二处。嘉泰元年（1573年），黎帝晋封阮潢为太傅，令其向西都缴纳贡赋。光兴十六年（1593年）四月，黎帝还都东都升龙；五月，阮潢入觐。黎帝晋封中军都督府左都督掌府事太尉端国公。慎德元年五月，阮潢回到顺化，自此阮主不再前往升龙觐见黎帝。弘定五年（1604年），阮潢重划顺化广南二处行政区划，分为六府二十二县。弘定十二年（1611年），阮潢初置富安府，设立同春、绥和二县。

弘定十四年六月初三日（1613年7月20日），阮潢去世，寿八十八岁，黎帝追赠谨义公（）。阮福源諡为谨义达理显应昭佑耀灵嘉裕王（）。景兴五年四月十二日（1744年5月23日），阮世宗正式称王，改諡其为肇基垂统钦明恭懿谨义达理显应昭佑耀灵嘉裕太王（），庙号烈祖（）。

嘉隆五年六月初八日（1806年7月23日），阮世祖阮福映追尊其庙号为太祖（），諡号为肇基垂统钦明恭懿谨义达理显应昭佑耀灵嘉裕皇帝（），陵为长基陵（）。

阮潢是第一代阮主，为日后的阮朝建立了基础。并同时也开启了广南（大越）和日本的紧密关系，和当时日本战国时代的大名、江户幕府第一代征夷大将军，即日本（1598年至1616年）实际政治领袖德川家康达成贸易等方面的协议。并曾收日本武士船本显定（弥七郎）为义子。

家庭

妻室

子女

阮潢有10子2女。