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Coercive Power and State Formation in Northern Vietnam

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Feast, Famine or Fighting?

Part of the book series: Studies in Human Ecology and Adaptation ((STHE,volume 8))

Abstract

Archaeological researchers have long contemplated the origins of ancient states , and ongoing research has produced numerous theoretical explanations accounting for archaic state formation. Although the array of cases from varied geographic and temporal settings reflects localized, historical particularities and cultural variability, many researchers have noted general patterning and commonalities in contributing factors for political centralization. Garnering much scholarly attention is the phenomenon of warfare , along with attendant cultural practices related to coercion . A central question has centered on the relationship between coercive power and the political consolidation of persistent authority inherent to states . Using a case study from prehistoric northern Vietnam, this chapter explores the relationship between sociopolitical change and leadership strategies related to competition, militarism, and ideological influence. The case elucidates how coercive power was a vital and pivotal component of a sociopolitically transformative process, one which resulted in the establishment of permanent and institutionalized forms of political authority in Vietnam’s Red River delta over two thousand years ago. Specifically, this chapter deals with archaeological and textual data related to the Co Loa settlement, located in the Red River delta near present-day Hanoi. According to a mixture of folklore and textual accounts, the heavily fortified city was purportedly founded by the semi-legendary kingdom of Au Lac during the third century BC.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    According to textual sources, the kingdom of Au Lac was purportedly founded when An Duong Vuong conquered the Van Lang Kingdom at approximately 258 BC, with Au Lac’s rule ending at 208 BC upon its incorporation into the Nan Yueh (or Nam Viet) Kingdom. It must be noted that there are ongoing historiographical debates as to the accuracy and reliability of details within various narratives. See Taylor (1983) and Wheatley (1983).

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Acknowledgments

My appreciation goes to Rick Chacon for the invitation to write this paper. I would also like to extend deep gratitude to Bob Carneiro for serving as a source of personal inspiration for me many years ago, when I first began to contemplate many of the theoretical questions dealt with in this paper. He continues to serve as an important fount of knowledge for researchers.

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  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 5240 W. H. Sewell Social Science Building, 1180 Observatory Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Nam C. Kim

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  1. Soc & Anth Dept, Winthrop University Soc & Anth Dept, Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA

    Richard J. Chacon

  2. Social, Behavioral and Global Studies, CSU Monterey Bay Social, Behavioral and Global Studies, Seaside, California, USA

    Rubén G. Mendoza

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Kim, N.C. (2017). Coercive Power and State Formation in Northern Vietnam. In: Chacon, R., Mendoza, R. (eds) Feast, Famine or Fighting?. Studies in Human Ecology and Adaptation, vol 8. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48402-0_7

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