Thành Thái

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Emperor Thành Thái
成泰帝
Ruism, Buddhism

Thành Thái (Hanoi: [tʰajŋ̟˨˩ tʰaːj˧˦], chữ Hán: ; 14 March 1879 – 20 March 1954) born Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Lân (阮福寶嶙), was the son of Emperor Dục Đức and Empress Dowager Từ Minh.[1][2] He reigned as emperor for 18 years, from 1889 to 1907. Thành Thái was one of the three "patriotic emperors" in Vietnamese history, along with Hàm Nghi and Duy Tân (his son), for their actions and views against French colonial rule in Vietnam.[3]

Biography

Early life

While the emperor Tự Đức was alive, Prince Quang Thái was placed under house arrest with his family for having connections with those who opposed him. When the emperor Đồng Khánh died, however, the French colonial authorities and the high-ranking mandarins decided that Quang Thái was the ideal successor and enthroned him as the new Vietnamese emperor, Emperor Thành Thái.

  • Young emperor Thanh Thai in 1892
    Young emperor Thanh Thai in 1892
  • Young emperor Thanh Thai's enthronement
    Young emperor Thanh Thai's enthronement
  • Young emperor Thanh Thai on throne
    Young emperor Thanh Thai on throne
  • Thanh Thai on throne
    Thanh Thai on throne

At the age of 10, Thành Thái was recognized as being very intelligent and was already realizing that the French were keeping watch over him through palace spies. Whereas Đồng Khánh had tried to be friendly with the French, Emperor Thành Thái took a course of passive-resistance. Although he refrained from outright rebellion (which would have been political suicide), he made his feelings clear in other ways, symbolic gestures and biting remarks. He was also a man of the people, and a monarch who cared deeply for his country. The emperor would often slip out of the Forbidden City dressed in the clothes of a commoner to talk with his people directly and see how they were being affected by government policies.

Opposing French authority

To show that he was friendly with Western civilization, Thành Thái was the first Vietnamese monarch to cut his hair in the French style and learn to drive a car. He encouraged French-style education, but maintained bitter feelings over their control of his country.[4] He also supported numerous building projects and took an interest in the everyday lives of his subjects. When traveling among his people, he would hold impromptu "town hall meetings" where the Emperor sat on a mat with his subjects in a circle around him, discussing the issues of the day and hearing their point of view.

Thành Thái watching the battle between elephant and tiger published in Le Petit Journal in 1904
Oil painting "Les Mandarins et les Autorites Françaises Attendant L’Arrivee de l’Empereur Thanh Thai”, 1903.

Slowly, as the emperor began to realize how thoroughly his palace had been infiltrated with French spies, he had to feign insanity to escape their constant scrutiny. With his enemies believing he was a harmless lunatic, Thành Thái was able to push more forcefully for Vietnamese

abdicate
.

In 1907, his son was installed as Emperor

Réunion Island
in 1916.

Unlike Hàm Nghi, the lives of Thành Thái and Duy Tân were tough. They even had no money to pay for rent. In 1925, Emperor Khải Định knew his situation and sent 1,000 piastres to him. Khải Định later occasionally gave him money.

He never gave up hope for the liberation of his country. In 1945, just after the death of Duy Tân, he was allowed to return home, but was kept under

Thừa Thiên Huế Province
, at the age of 75.

There are now roads in Vietnam named in his honour.

Honours

Cabinet

Gallery

  • Thanh Thai with French Indochina governor Paul Doumer
    Thanh Thai with French Indochina governor Paul Doumer
  • Emperor Thanh Thai
    Emperor Thanh Thai
  • Emperor Thanh Thai
    Emperor Thanh Thai
  • Emperor Thanh Thai
    Emperor Thanh Thai
  • Emperor Thanh Thai
    Emperor Thanh Thai
  • Emperor (seat) and his siblings.
    Emperor (seat) and his siblings.
  • Emperor Thanh Thai(purple) and his younger brother Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Tán.
    Emperor Thanh Thai(purple) and his younger brother Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Tán.
  • Thanh Thai riding bicycle in French press.
    Thanh Thai riding bicycle in French press.

References

  1. ^ "Log In | Prezi".
  2. ^ "My familial origins : Nguyễn Phước - Thanh Thai (Lepelerin.info)".
  3. ^ Vietnamese Royal Exile in Japan Page 97 "The young, rebellious Duy Tân vas exiled to Reunion, to join his deposed father, ex-Emperor Thành Thái, or the “mad king” ..."
  4. ^ Van Dan Nong, Churchill, Eden and Indo-China, 1951–1955 2011 Page xiii "Thành Thái founded the 'Hué national school' and the traditional mandarinate examinations were allowed by the French to ...

External links

Media related to Emperor Thành Thái at Wikimedia Commons

Thành Thái
Nguyen dynasty
Born: 14 March 1869 Died: 24 March 1969
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Emperor of Vietnam

1883–1907
Succeeded by