At the present day that part of the French possessions which occupies the eastern coast of Asia is divided into Tonkin, Annam and Cochin China.  The Annamites are predominant in all three provinces and the language and religion of all are the same, except that Cochin China has felt the influence of Europe more strongly than the others.  But before the sixteenth century the name Annam meant rather Tonkin and the northern portion of modern Annam, the southern portion being the now vanished kingdom of Champa.

Until the tenth century A.D.[900] Annam in this sense was a part of the Chinese Empire, although it was occasionally successful in asserting its temporary independence.  In the troubled period which followed the downfall of the T’ang dynasty this independence became more permanent.  An Annamite prince founded a kingdom called Dai-co-viet[901] and after a turbulent interval there arose the Li dynasty which reigned for more than two centuries (1009-1226 A.D.).  It was under this dynasty that the country was first styled An-nam:  previously the official designation of the land or its inhabitants was Giao-Chi.[902] The Annamites were at this period a considerable military power, though their internal administration appears to have been chaotic.  They were occasionally at war with China, but as a rule were ready to send complimentary embassies to the Emperor.  With Champa, which was still a formidable antagonist, there was a continual struggle.  Under the Tran dynasty (1225-1400) the foreign policy of Annam followed much the same lines.  A serious crisis was created by the expedition of Khubilai Khan in 1285, but though the Annamites suffered severely at the beginning of the invasion, they did not lose their independence and their recognition of Chinese suzerainty remained nominal.  In the south the Chams continued hostilities and, after the loss of some territory, invoked the aid of China with the result that the Chinese occupied Annam.  They held it, however, only for five years (1414-1418).

In 1428 the Li dynasty came to the throne and ruled Annam at least in name until the end of the eighteenth century.  At first they proved vigorous and capable; they organized the kingdom in provinces and crushed the power of Champa.  But after the fifteenth century the kings became merely titular sovereigns and Annamite history is occupied entirely with the rivalry of the two great families, Trinh and Nguyen, who founded practically independent kingdoms in Tonkin and Cochin-China respectively.  In 1802 a member of the Nguyen family made himself Emperor of all Annam but both he and his successors were careful to profess themselves vassals of China.