KNIGHTING IN AN GIANG – A PRECIOUS SOURCE OF DOCUMENTS NEEDS TO BE PRESERVED AND ITS VALUES SHOULD BE PROMOTED

Abstract

Knighting (sac phong) is one of the types of documents under a king’s authority, used to confer titles on and reward meritorious mandarins in fighting the enemy to defend the country or in reclaiming hamlets and establishing villages, legendary characters, and natural phenomena (Natural God). The knighting is not only a mark of a king's authority, but also a dynasty’s affirmation to the characters, who has made merit to the country and the people so that their descendants and clans are proud of them and their homeland and villages are famous for their merits. The article outlines the knighting and preservation methods and proposes some solutions to improve the preservation and promotion of this precious archival source in An Giang province