sứ quân
Definition
- Historical Noun:
- A warlord or feudal lord: In Vietnamese history, specifically during the 12th-century Anarchy of the 12 Warlords, a "sứ quân" was a regional military governor or feudal lord who controlled a territory and commanded private armies, often in defiance of the central royal court.
- A local magnate with autonomous power: The term denotes a powerful figure who exercised de facto political and military authority over a region.
Usage Examples
- Historical Noun:
- Thời kỳ loạn 12 sứ quân là một giai đoạn hỗn loạn trong lịch sử Việt Nam. (The period of the Anarchy of the 12 Warlords was a chaotic phase in Vietnamese history.)
- Vị sứ quân đó cai trị vùng đất này một cách độc lập. (That warlord ruled this land independently.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is almost exclusively used in a historical context to describe the specific feudal lords from the 12th century in Vietnam. It carries a connotation of fragmentation and conflict against a weak central authority.
Variants and Related Words
- Loạn 12 sứ quân (n): The Anarchy of the 12 Warlords, the specific historical period.
- Phiên trấn / Thổ hào: Related terms for local feudal lords or strongmen.
Synonyms
- Warlord: A military commander exercising civil power in a region.
- Feudal lord: A lord in a feudal system holding land and authority.
- Local magnate: A person of great influence and power in a locality.
Related Idioms
- While there are no direct idioms, the phrase "thời 12 sứ quân" (the time of the 12 warlords) is sometimes used metaphorically to describe a situation of chaotic division or many competing factions.
- Công ty giờ như thời 12 sứ quân, ai cũng muốn tự xưng. (The company is now like the time of the 12 warlords, everyone wants to declare their own rule.)