Văn Thân movement
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The Văn Thân Movement (
- Vietnamese society had been stagnating for centuries. The Văn Thân were conservatives who longed to uphold tradition and rejected the new western influence.
- The Văn Thân studied only Confucius' teachings and related fields. Their livelihood was tied to Confucianism, thus the new change brought economic hardship to them.
The Văn Thân blamed the Emperor and the pacifists of Vietnam for the Treaty of Saigon, which ceded three provinces and one island to the French.
History
It started in 1862 following the
The Văn Thân Movement is often referred to as the Scholar's Revolt or Scholar's Rebellion.
1864
The Văn Thân boycotted the examination and claimed the Christians were stockpiling weapons, training with them, and forcing people into Christianity.
The Văn Thân began plans to kill pacifists, force the emperor to follow their way or be forcefully removed from the throne, kill Christians, then take back ceded territory. The plan was exposed and the leaders were persecuted. Despite this, the rumor that Christians were stockpiling weapons scared the government enough to investigate. Ultimately, no evidence was found from these rumors, and the emperor declared the Christians innocents.[3]
1865 - 1884
Văn Thân movements attacked Christian villages in
Christian villages with pro-French army pastors (who were often French born) tended to be attacked more brutally than villages with non-partisan pastors. Places with French pastors were more likely to receive protection from the French Army, causing many villages with native pastors to protect themselves.
1885
The Cần Vương Movement started, which many people of the Văn Thân Movement claimed to follow. Activities among the Văn Thân increased.
A notable revolutionary Phan Đình Phùng, proclaimed 'religious equality', but this idea did not become popular.[4][5]
Legacy
The Vietnamese government took no official stance on Văn Thân. Schools rarely teach this movement.
Modern historians often consider Văn Thân a misguided nationalist movement, as it failed to fight against the French or unify Vietnamese people. Instead the movement's priority on preserving Confucian values ended up pushing the Christians toward the French.[5]
References
- ^ "Phong trào Văn Thân". conggiao.info. 2014-11-21. Retrieved 2019-04-25.
- ISBN 9780190627300.
- ^ Phan Phát Huồn (1965). Việt Nam Giáo Sử – Quyển I (in lần thứ hai). Page 513.
- ^ Những Vụ Thảm Sát Người Công giáo Do Phong trào Văn Thân Khởi Xướng
- ^ a b Trần Văn Giàu, Sự phát triển của tư tưởng ở Việt Nam, tập I, Hệ ý thức phong kiến và sự thất bại của nó trước các nhiệm vụ lịch sử, Nhà xuất bản tổng hợp TPHCM, 1993.