Which king in Vietnamese history received an ant as tribute?

That was King Tran Du Tong (1336-1369), whose given name was Tran Hao, the 7th emperor of the Tran dynasty.

Trần Dụ Tông ascended the throne in 1341 at the age of 5, taking the reign name Thiệu Phong. In the early years of his reign, all affairs of state were handled by the retired Emperor Trần Minh Tông. It was not until Trần Minh Tông's death in 1357 that Trần Dụ Tông officially took control of the court.

In the early years of his reign, Tran Du Tong accomplished many beneficial things, but later he became increasingly lazy in governing, only indulging in pleasure and entertainment, and the Tran dynasty's power weakened from then on.

King Tran Du Tong was famous for his extravagant lifestyle; he once accepted an ant as a tribute from a foreign country. (Illustrative image)

According to the Complete Annals of Dai Viet, on a summer night in June of the year Bing Ngo (1366), the king traveled by small boat to visit the house of Lieutenant Tran Ngo Lang in Me So village, returning at three o'clock in the morning. Upon returning to the Chu Gia River (the section of the river at Chu Xa beach, Khoai Chau, Hung Yen ), his royal seal and precious sword were stolen. Knowing he could not live much longer, the king indulged in excessive revelry.

Despite the Trần Dynasty's laws stipulating severe penalties for gambling, Trần Dụ Tông still organized gambling sessions right in the palace. The king's extravagant lifestyle led contemporary historians to comment that "even the kings of the North couldn't match his debauchery."

During the reign of King Tran Du Tong, there was a strange story that has been passed down to this day. Once, the Champa people offered tribute to the king. Usually, the tribute would consist of precious items, pearls, and rare herbs, but this time it was completely different.

The book Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (Complete Chronicle of Đại Việt) states: “In March 1352, Chế Mỗ of Champa fled to our country, offering one white elephant, one white horse, and one large ant (1 thước 9 tấc long), along with other tributes, requesting our country to send troops to attack Trà Hòa Bố Để and enthrone him as king.” Even stranger, the king accepted these tributes.

Due to his dissolute lifestyle, King Tran Du Tong's health deteriorated rapidly. He died in the year Ky Dau (1369) at the age of 33, having reigned for a total of 28 years.

Kim Nha

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/vi-vua-nao-trong-su-viet-tung-nhan-cong-pham-la-mot-con-kien-ar902001.html