Trade Exchanges of Dai Viet During the Ly-Tran Time (From the 11th to the 14th Century)

Abstract

As one of countries in the region, Dai Viet became a strong state in Southeast Asia under Ly and Tran dynasties (r. from the 11th to the 14th century). Thanks to her favorable geographical position, Dai Viet was the attractive venue in the trade activities to many countries in the worlds. Many merchant-ships came to Dai Viet from China, Southeast Asian states the other foreign countries...

It is true that in her medieval history, Dai Viet based on the agricultural economy, but that does not mean that the foreign trade of the kingdom was restricted during Ly and Tran dynasties. Historical facts indicate that foreign trade of Dai Viet gained some certain developments in this time.

Commodities were not only brought to abroad through normal trading ways but also through political and diplomatic exchanges, like gifts or things exchanging through tributary relations. That was the common remarks of Vietnam and other kingdoms in East Asia.

It was possible to say that the foreign trade developed continuously under the Ly-Tran dynasties and the trading activities of Dai Viet with foreign countries was quite eventful. In this context the poligical and diplomatic relations did pave the ways and supported the trading activities.

The participants in those foreign trading activities were the pepole of various classes. The development of the foreign trade in the Ly-Tran time belonged to the common trend of the region in the time from the 11th to the 14th centuries.