THE WORLD CIVILIZATIONS AND INDIA , PART-131

VIETNAM ( SERIES -49 )

EMPEROR TU DUC OF VIETNAM

TU DUC was the fourth Emperor of the NGUYEN DYNASTY of VIETNAM . He ruled the country from 5th October 1847 to 19th July 1883 . He was the son of Emperor THIEU TRI who was born on 22nd September 1829 as Prince NGUYEN PHUC HONG NHAM and reigned under the title of TU DUC . But his reign started with family troubles . It was because of the fact that Emperor THIEU TRI had passed over his more moderate eldest son known as HONG BAO to give the throne to TU DUC who was a staunch CONFUCIANIST and opposed to foreigners and innovation . It caused a great deal of dissatisfaction with the NGUYEN rule in the country . So, Prince HONG BAO became a leader of rebellion against Emperor TU DUC . He organized CONFUCIAN scholars who were angry because the family hierarchy had been dishonored by passing over the eldest son of the royal family . The rebellion by Prince HONG BAO was also supported by some of the alive Princes of the LE DYNASTY (who thought that it was their birthright to rule over VIETNAM) , annoyed and corrupt mandarins , angry peasants who were against of NGUYEN taxation and CATHOLIC missionaries . However , Emperor TU DUC suppressed the rebellion without late . He also wanted to execute his elder brother Prince HONG BAO . But he was dissuaded by his mother DOWAGER QUEEN TU DU . And it is said that Prince HONG BAO killed himself in the prison .

CHOLERA PANDEMIC AND OTHER NATURAL CALAMITIES HIT VIETNAM DURING EMPEROR TU DUC

The cholera pandemic hit VIETNAM only one year after coronation of Emperor TU DUC . In summer 1849 , as per royal archives , about 600,000 peopke lost their life due to cholera . According to a historian like CHRISTOPHER GOSCHA , the overall death tall was about 800,000 . Heavy precipitation was recorded in the country between 1847 to 1861 . This was followed by a period of extremely driest and severe droughts between 1864 to 1889 . Typhoons ravaged TONKIN in 1880-81. And a plague of locusts devastated SON TAY and BAC NINH Provinces of VIETNAM in 1854 . All during Emperor TU DUC .

AN ERA OF REBELLION

Internal rebellions were commonplace for the NGUYEN DYNASTY . There were literally hundreds of smal rebellions and uprisings against the NGUYEN rule . Ineffective approach to execute the ban imposed on CHRISTIAN missionaries was the biggest source of trouble in VIETNAM during the period of Emperor TU DUC . Such troubles reached its zenith when a SPANISH bishop was executed . It justified the SPANISH and FRENCH invasion that led to the fall of SAIGON . By an order of 1848 , Emperor TU DUC commanded all VIETNAMESE CATHOLIC converts to renounce CHRISTIANITY , otherwise they would loose all of their rights and privileges. This rallied most of the EUROPEAN powers against VIETNAM . When further rebellions broke out in the country and the FRENCH were advancing towards the capital , in view of such developments Emperor TU DUC preferred to make a deal with the FRENCH, so that he crush the rebellion . He signed away the southernmost of VIETNAM to be a FRENCH colony and accepted the status of a FRENCH protectorate for his country . This caused a huge uproar in VIETNAM . A famous mandarin TRUONG DINH refused to recognize the treaty and denounced Emperor TU DUC for surrendering the southernmost part of the country called COCHINCHINA . With MARIE JULES DUPRE, the third FRENCH governor of COCHINCHINA signed the treaty of SAIGON with NGUYEN VAN TOUNG , an official of HUE court in 1874 , according to which VIETNAM became a Vassal of FRANCE . However , VIETNAM’S status quo in foreign relationships was maintained . But in 1876 , Emperor TU DUC sent a delegation to BEIJING for reassessing VIETNAM’S tributary status for the CHINESE Empire . Another VIETNAMESE delegation went to CHINA in 1880 to pay homage to the QING court . In the same year , the CHINESE Ambassador in PARIS announced that DAI NAM (VIETNAM) was still a Vassal of CHINA . So, he rejected the FRANCO–VIETNAMESE treaty of 1874 . FRANCE retaliated by barring VIETNAM from joining the PARIS INTERNATIONAL FAIR . Viewing gravity of the situation and in anticipation of a new FRENCH incursion , Emperor TU DUC requested CHINA for a military aid . As a result , in September 1882, more than 200,000 CHINESE troops had been sent to Northern VIETNAM (TONKIN) .

EMPEROR TU DUC’S ATTEMPTS ON REFORMS

Despite prosecution against CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS , some high ranking officials in the royal court were devot CATHOLIC . NGUYEN HUU THO was one such official who with another FRENCH priest was sent to FRANCE by Emperor TU DUC to plan the creation of a school of SCIENCES AND ARTS AND CRAFTS in HUE . But shortly , Emperor TU DUC abandoned this plan due to lack of interest . In 1866 , NGUYEN TRUONG TO , another CATHOLIC official was sent to EUROPE on VIETNAMESE third mission to recruit teachers and technicians for a Western-style school foundation in VIETNAM . But that project was also cancelled in 1887 when FRANCE annexed the rest of COCHINCHINA . On the other hand NGUYEN TRUONG TO launched a campaign against the traditional CONFUCIAN educational system in VIETNAM . To him , CONFUCIANISM was “the evil that has been brought on CHINA and our country by the CONFUCIAN way of life .” However , according to a VIETNAMOLOGIST like LE MINH KHAI , Emperor TU DUC had ordered the CHINESE edition of several classic books on science and industry from the west to be read by mandarins and soldiers of VIETNAM . It shows that VIETNAMESE elites were ready to adopt modern ideas of the west but very slowly .