Definition

1. Verb (historical/political):
   • To rule as a feud; to establish a regional separatist regime: The act of a local warlord or military leader seizing and exercising autonomous control over a portion of territory, effectively creating a personal fiefdom independent of the central authority. This term is primarily used in historical contexts, especially regarding feudal periods or times of weakened central power.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Trước đời Đinh, mười hai sứ quân cát cứ mỗi người một địa phương. (Before the Dinh dynasty, twelve warlords ruled, each establishing a separatist regime in a different region.)
  • Các lãnh chúa phong kiến cát cứ, chia cắt đất nước. (The feudal lords established separatist regimes, dividing the country.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "cát cứ" carries a strong connotation of illegitimacy, fragmentation, and defiance against a unifying central government. It is often used to describe chaotic periods in history, such as the era of the Twelve Warlords in Vietnam or the period of regional warlords in Chinese history.

Variants and Related Words

• Phân liệt (n/v): fragmentation; to fragment. Refers to the state of being divided.
• Địa phương quân phiệt (n): local warlord. The person who engages in "cát cứ".

Synonyms

• To carve out a domain/territory: To seize and control an area by force.
• To rule autonomously: To govern a region independently.
• To establish a separatist regime: To set up a governing authority that breaks away from the central state.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Thời kỳ cát cứ: The period of feudal fragmentation/warlordism.
  • Lịch sử Trung Quốc từng trải qua nhiều thời kỳ cát cứ. (Chinese history has gone through many periods of feudal fragmentation.)

verb

1. To rule as a feud
   • trước đời Đinh, mười hai sứ quân cát cứ mỗi người một địa phương
     before the Dinh dynasty, twelve warlords ruled each a region as his feud