“An Expedition to Saigon” is an excerpt from the journals of early nineteenth century Scottish traveller and naturalist George Finlayson (1790-1823). Born in Thurso, on Scotland’s north coast, Finlayson worked for the British East India Company in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Bengal in British India. From 1821 to 1822 he accompanied a trading mission dispatched by the British Governor of India, Lord Hastings, to Siam (Thailand) and Cochin China (southern Vietnam). The expedition was led by John Crawfurd (1783-1868).
In this excerpt, Finlayson describes his visit to Saigon, the biggest city in southern Vietnam. The southern parts of what are now Vietnam were originally inhabited by the Khmer (Cambodian) people. The Cham state of Champa was a little further north in south-central Vietnam. Ethnic Vietnamese people lived in what is now northern Vietnam. In the 15th century the Vietnamese conquered Champa, and by the 17th century Vietnamese settlers had begun to replace the Khmer occupants of southern Vietnam. The city of Saigon was originally a Khmer fishing settlement called Prey Nokor or Preah Reach Nokor. After it was occupied by the Vietnamese, it became known as Saigon. In 1975 it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honour of the Vietnamese Communist leader.
For most of the 18th century, Vietnam was under the nominal rule of Le Dynasty emperors. But in reality 2 competing feudal families, the Trinh lords in the north and the Nguyens in the south, competed for power. In the late 18th century the Taysons overthrew the Le emperors and defeated both the Trinh and Nguyen lords. But at the start of the 19th century, a Nguyen prince named Nguyen Anh defeated the Taysons and brought all of Vietnam under his rule. He crowned himself Emperor Gia Long in 1802, founding the Nguyen Dynasty that ruled from the city of Hué,
From the mid to late 19th century, France conquered Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. These territories became known as French Indochina. Europeans divided Vietnam into 3 separate regions- Cochinchina or Cochin China in the south, Annam in the centre, and Tonkin or Tonquin in the north. The French allowed the Nguyen emperors to remain on the throne as nominal monarchs during the colonial era. The last Vietnamese emperor was Bao Dai.
In World War II the Vichy French regime collaborated with the Nazis, and Vietnam was occupied by the Japanese. Towards the end of the war, Vietnamese nationalist and communist Ho Chi Minh set up the Viet Minh movement to push for independence after the war. When the French tried to restore colonial rule, the First Indochina War broke out, pitting France against the Viet Minh. After a defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the French withdrew from Vietnam.
The Geneva agreement in 1954 partitioned the country between Communist-ruled North Vietnam, and pro-western South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese regime, based in Hanoi was backed by the USSR and China in the Cold War, while the U.S. backed the anti-communist regime of Ngo Dinh Diem in Saigon, South Vietnam. Eventually full-scale war broke out, with Hanoi and the Communist Viet Cong guerrillas trying to reunite Vietnam under Communist rule. Meanwhile the US sent troops to try to block the spread of Communism in the Vietnam War. Eventually the US withdrew its troops and South Vietnam fell to the Communists in 1975. Saigon was then renamed Ho Chi Minh City by the victorious Communists.
In this excerpt, Finlayson describes his visit to Saigon, the biggest city in southern Vietnam. The southern parts of what are now Vietnam were originally inhabited by the Khmer (Cambodian) people. The Cham state of Champa was a little further north in south-central Vietnam. Ethnic Vietnamese people lived in what is now northern Vietnam. In the 15th century the Vietnamese conquered Champa, and by the 17th century Vietnamese settlers had begun to replace the Khmer occupants of southern Vietnam. The city of Saigon was originally a Khmer fishing settlement called Prey Nokor or Preah Reach Nokor. After it was occupied by the Vietnamese, it became known as Saigon. In 1975 it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honour of the Vietnamese Communist leader.
For most of the 18th century, Vietnam was under the nominal rule of Le Dynasty emperors. But in reality 2 competing feudal families, the Trinh lords in the north and the Nguyens in the south, competed for power. In the late 18th century the Taysons overthrew the Le emperors and defeated both the Trinh and Nguyen lords. But at the start of the 19th century, a Nguyen prince named Nguyen Anh defeated the Taysons and brought all of Vietnam under his rule. He crowned himself Emperor Gia Long in 1802, founding the Nguyen Dynasty that ruled from the city of Hué,
From the mid to late 19th century, France conquered Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. These territories became known as French Indochina. Europeans divided Vietnam into 3 separate regions- Cochinchina or Cochin China in the south, Annam in the centre, and Tonkin or Tonquin in the north. The French allowed the Nguyen emperors to remain on the throne as nominal monarchs during the colonial era. The last Vietnamese emperor was Bao Dai.
In World War II the Vichy French regime collaborated with the Nazis, and Vietnam was occupied by the Japanese. Towards the end of the war, Vietnamese nationalist and communist Ho Chi Minh set up the Viet Minh movement to push for independence after the war. When the French tried to restore colonial rule, the First Indochina War broke out, pitting France against the Viet Minh. After a defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the French withdrew from Vietnam.
The Geneva agreement in 1954 partitioned the country between Communist-ruled North Vietnam, and pro-western South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese regime, based in Hanoi was backed by the USSR and China in the Cold War, while the U.S. backed the anti-communist regime of Ngo Dinh Diem in Saigon, South Vietnam. Eventually full-scale war broke out, with Hanoi and the Communist Viet Cong guerrillas trying to reunite Vietnam under Communist rule. Meanwhile the US sent troops to try to block the spread of Communism in the Vietnam War. Eventually the US withdrew its troops and South Vietnam fell to the Communists in 1975. Saigon was then renamed Ho Chi Minh City by the victorious Communists.
