Mining Activities in Nghệ An under the Nguyễn Dynasty and French Colonial Rule (1802-1939)

Abstract

Based on an extensive examination of various types of sources, this article seeks to reconstructe the history of mining exploitation in the Nghe An region in the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. Under the Nguyen dynasty and especially during the French colonial period, mining exploitation in the Nghe An region was carried out most extensively. The central governments as well as the local authories implemented various policies to promote the exploitation of mineral resources and strengthen the control of the government over the profits obtained from mining in the region. In order to have a broader view of the mining situation in the Nghe An region, the authors first examine the general mining policies of the Nguyen dynasty and the French colonial government, as well as the mining exploitation activities in other places in Central Vietnam and in Vietnam in general. Particular attention will be given to the situation of mining
exploitation in the Nghe An region and the efforts of the Nguyen dynasty and the French colonial authorities to control this activity. Through this research, the authors seek to provide some suggestions for the management of mining exploitation in Nghe An today.