Princess Huyen Tran and Her Marriage to the King of Champa
In 1288, Đại Việt’s third victory over the Mongol Empire resonated throughout the nation. This triumph is believed to have caught the attention of the Cham people, known as the Chăm-pa, who resided south of Đại Việt at the time.
According to the Đại Việt Sử ký toàn thư, the Buddhist Emperor Trần Nhân Tông visited Champa and witnessed its advanced civilization. Impressed, he sought to establish a diplomatic relationship by offering his daughter, Princess Huyen Tran, in marriage to the Cham king, Che Man.
Folklore holds that Princess Huyen Tran accepted this arrangement to maintain peaceful relations and because Champa agreed to cede two districts, Ô and Lý, to Đại Việt.
Princess Huyen Tran Statue
Author Hoang Quoc Hai, in his book Bão táp triều Trần, argues that this marriage was not solely about territorial gain but also a diplomatic gesture. In 1301, a Cham delegation abruptly returned from Đại Việt, prompting Thái thượng hoàng Trần Nhân Tông, who was practicing asceticism on Yên Tử mountain, to descend and travel to Champa. Despite his commitment to a life of austerity, the emperor interrupted his retreat, indicating the significance of this diplomatic matter.
Hai further analyzes that after three victories over the Mongol Empire, Đại Việt’s military power was at its peak, and some generals desired to conquer Champa to expand their territory. This ambition caused unease in Champa, leading them to send an embassy to negotiate. When these negotiations failed, Emperor Trần Nhân Tông, known for his benevolence, took it upon himself to travel to Champa to prevent a potential war between the two nations.
In 1301, historical records indicate that Thái thượng hoàng Trần Nhân Tông stayed in Champa for nine months, likely negotiating with King Che Man for the cession of the two districts, Ô and Lý, to Đại Việt. Only then did the Đại Việt generals abandon their plans for war. Che Man agreed to these terms because, although Champa could have lost more than just the two districts in a war, it was still a difficult decision for the king to make in front of his people. Thus, the marriage of Princess Huyen Tran was seen as a diplomatic solution to a political dilemma.
Princess Huyen Tran on a Book Cover
A Short-Lived Marriage and the Near-Fatal Tradition
Princess Huyen Tran was betrothed to King Che Man in 1301, but the marriage did not take place until 1306. This delay was likely due to opposition from both the Cham people and Đại Việt’s court and generals, who questioned the need to offer a princess in marriage when their country was in a position of strength. Only two people supported this union: Trần Khắc Chung and Trần Nhật Duật. King Trần Anh Tông, Princess Huyen Tran’s brother, had no choice but to agree with his father’s decision.
Princess Huyen Tran’s marriage to King Che Man lasted just over a year before he passed away. Following Cham tradition, the king’s wives were to be cremated alive to serve him in the afterlife. However, Đại Việt sent Trần Khắc Chung and an An Phu envoy to rescue the princess. Champa’s navy was formidable, so the Đại Việt delegation claimed that, according to custom, the princess had to go out to sea to perform a ritual for her ancestors before being cremated. Under the cover of night, they smuggled Princess Huyen Tran and her infant son, Prince Che Na Da, onto a boat and escaped. The Cham people may have been aware of Đại Việt’s intentions but chose not to pursue them, fearing a potential war and unwilling to go against their own traditions.
Upon her return to Đại Việt, Princess Huyen Tran settled in Thái Bình, where she recruited displaced people to cultivate new land. Later, she distributed the land to the locals and moved to Vụ Bản in Nam Định, where she lived in a temple.
Today, a temple in Vụ Bản is believed to be the place where Princess Huyen Tran practiced Buddhism, and a shrine was erected in her honor after her death.
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