vua quan
Definition
- Noun (Historical/Political):
- King and Mandarins: Refers collectively to the monarch (king/emperor) and the system of high-ranking officials (mandarins) in historical, feudal Vietnam. It denotes the ruling class and the administrative hierarchy.
- The Oppressive Ruling Class: Often used with a critical connotation to describe the feudal ruling elite as a single, exploitative entity or clique.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Chế độ phong kiến với hệ thống vua quan đã kết thúc. (The feudal regime with its system of king and mandarins has ended.)
- Truyện dân gian thường chế giễu sự tham lam của bọn vua quan. (Folktales often mock the greed of the oppressive ruling officials.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is frequently used in historical analysis, literature, and political discourse to critique the power structures of pre-modern Vietnam.
- It can be used metaphorically in modern contexts to criticize any perceived authoritarian or corrupt bureaucratic hierarchy.
Variants and Related Words
- Quan lại (n): The mandarin class; the bureaucracy of officials. This term focuses more on the officials than the monarch.
- Bộ máy quan lại thời xưa rất cồng kềnh. (The mandarin apparatus in ancient times was very cumbersome.)
Synonyms
- Feudal rulers: The dominant class in a feudal system.
- The royal court: The monarch and his governing officials.
- The ruling clique: A group exercising power, often with negative connotations.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Trên đe dưới búa, giữa vua quan: Literally "between the hammer and the anvil, and the king and mandarins"; meaning to be caught in an impossible situation with pressure from all sides, especially from powerful authorities.
- Người dân thường cảm thấy như trên đe dưới búa, giữa vua quan. (Common people often felt caught between a rock and a hard place, with the authorities bearing down.)