The Trịnh lords (; 1545–1787) were a series of rulers of Vietnam who controlled the powers of government while leaving a figurehead as king. They have been referred to as the Vietnamese shoguns. The Trịnh Lords traced their descent from Trịnh Khả, a friend and advisor to the Medieval Vietnamese Emperor Lê Lợi, and, for nearly a decade, the real power behind the throne of the Boy-Emperor Lê Nhân Tông. During the reign of the great Vietnamese Emperor Lê Thánh Tông, one of his top generals was Trịnh Văn Sái.