Peasant rebellion in Vietnam flares from time to time throughout the first half of the nineteenth century, fueled by government repression and such calamities as floods, droughts, epidemics, and famines.

Minority groups, including the Tay-Nung, Muong, and Cham, are also in revolt.

Although they are primarily peasant rebellions, some of these movements find support from, or are led by, disaffected scholars or some of the surviving pretenders to the Le throne.

Vietnam's foreign relations are also a drain on the central government during this period.

Tributary missions are sent biennially to the Qing court in Beijing, bearing the requisite six hundred pieces of silk, two hundred pieces of cotton, twelve hundred ounces of perfume, six hundred ounces of aloes wood, ninety pounds of betel nuts, four elephant tusks, and four rhinoceros horns.

Other missions to pay homage (also bearing presents) are sent every four years.

At the same time, Vietnam endeavors to enforce tributary relations with Cambodia and Laos.

In 1834, attempts to make Cambodia a Vietnamese province lead to a Cambodian revolt and to Siamese intervention, with the result that a joint Vietnamese-Siamese protectorate will be is established over Cambodia in 1847.

Other foreign adventures include Vietnamese support for a Laotian rebellion against Siamese overlord- ship in 1826-27.