Dai Nam (Đại Nam) was the former name of Vietnam (Việt Nam) and refers to the Vietnamese state that existed from 1838 to 1945. It was one of the strongest countries in Southeast Asia in the mid-19th century, vying for power with the nearby Kingdom of Siam. Dai Nam was also in the sights of the neighboring Qing Empire. In 1836, the country had a population of 1.58 million, of which about 4% were literate. The capital of Dai Nam was the city of Hanoi. It was an absolute monarchy whose politics were dominated by conservative Royal Faction, under the ambitious Nguyễn dynasty.
The country was annexed for some time by Siam in the late 19th century, following the Dai Nam-Siamese War, before regaining independence. Dai Nam later became a colony of France, known as French Indochina.
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