Thiệu Trị (Hanoi: [tʰiəw˧˨ʔ t͡ɕi˧˨ʔ], chữ Hán: , lit. "inheritance of prosperity"; 6 June 1807 – 4 November 1847), personal name Nguyễn Phúc Miên Tông or Nguyễn Phúc Tuyền, was the third emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty. He was the eldest son of Emperor Minh Mạng, and reigned from 14 February 1841 until his death on 4 November 1847.[1]

Emperor Thiệu Trị
紹治帝
Emperor of Đại Nam
Reign11 February 1841 – 4 November 1847
PredecessorMinh Mạng
SuccessorTự Đức
Emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty
Reign11 February 1841 – 4 November 1847
PredecessorMinh Mạng
SuccessorTự Đức
Born(1807-06-16)16 June 1807
Imperial City, Huế, Việt Nam
Died4 November 1847(1847-11-04) (aged 40)
Imperial City, Huế, Đại Nam
Burial
SpouseEmpress Từ Dụ
more than 200 concubines
Issue64 including 29 princes and 35 princesses, including:
Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Bảo
Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Nhậm
Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Y
Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Cai
Names
Nguyễn Phúc Miên Tông (綿)
Nguyễn Phúc Tuyền ()
Era name and dates
Thiệu Trị (): 1841–1847
Posthumous name
Thiệu thiên Long vận Chí thiện Thuần hiếu Khoan minh Duệ đoán Văn trị Vũ công Thánh triết Chương Hoàng đế (紹天隆運至善純孝寬明睿斷文治武功聖哲章皇帝)
Temple name
Hiến Tổ ()
HouseNguyễn Phúc
FatherMinh Mạng
MotherEmpress Tá Thiên
ReligionRuism, Buddhism

Biography

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Imperial edict of emperor Thiệu Trị (written in Classical Chinese).

Emperor Thiệu Trị was much like his father, Minh Mạng, and carried on his conservative policies of isolationism and the entrenchment of Confucianism. Highly educated in the Confucian tradition, Thiệu Trị had some curiosity about the West, but like his father was very suspicious of all non-Vietnamese outsiders. At this same time, the French were in a colonial race with Great Britain in Southeast Asia and were pushing hard for stronger relations with Indochina. This, just as in the reign of Minh Mạng, also brought up Christian missionaries, mostly Spanish and French, who ignored the ban. When Trị began to imprison the missionaries, it prompted an immediate response from France. In 1843, the French government sent a military expedition to Indochina with orders to protect and defend French interests, free the illegal missionaries, if possible without causing an international incident.[2][3]

 
Gold lạng (Tael) of Thiệu Trị

Trị's determination to eliminate all Roman Catholic missionaries from his country could not be reconciled with a peaceful relationship with France. In 1845, this almost prompted a clash between Vietnam and the American warship USS Constitution which attempted to force Trị to free the missionary Dominique Lefèbvre, who had repeatedly come to Vietnam illegally multiple times. The French task force reached Tourane on 23 March 1847, and demanded that the safety of French nationals be assured and for Thiệu Trị to cease the persecution of missionaries.

The imperial mandarins put off delivering the emperor's reply and fighting broke out. Thiệu Trị had fortified the coast, but the French forces easily defeated the Vietnamese due to the Nguyễn dynasty's inferior equipment. All of the Vietnamese coastal forts were destroyed and three Nguyễn junks were sunk before the French squadron sailed away. Thiệu Trị called all missionaries enemy spies and demanded that all Christians should be executed on the spot. The mandarins did not put this order into effect and Emperor Thiệu Trị died shortly afterwards; no missionaries were actually ever executed during his reign.[4]

Family

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Rank Title Name Year of birth-dead Note
Consort Quý Empress Nghi Thiên Chương

The Empress Dowager Từ Dụ

The Great Empress Dowager Từ Dụ

The Great Grand Empress Dowager Từ Dụ

Phạm Thị Hằng 1810–1902 Hometown Gò Công

Phạm Đăng Hưng's daughter

From palace lady before the emperor coronation, she becomes the second rank consort Thành, now there are no one be the first rank consort so she was the highest rank of the harem.

She was Emperor Tự Đức's mother.

3 years later, she becomes the first rank consort Quý, the highest rank of the harem, just under Imperial Noble Consort (the title for the official wife of the Emperor instead of The Empress)

After he son became the emperor, he promoted her the title The Empress Dowager Từ Dụ. Emperor Hàm Nghi promoted her the title The Great Empress Dowager Từ Dụ. And Thành Thái Emperor promoted her the title The Great Grand Empress Dowager Từ Dụ

Consort Lệnh The first rank consort Lệnh Nguyễn Thị Nhậm Her hometown is An Giang

Nguyễn Văn Nhơn's daughter

From palace lady before the emperor coronation, she becomes the second rank consort Trinh, just under Consort Thành of Phạm Đăng family.

3 years later, she becomes the first rank consort Lệnh, now she under Consort Quý Phạm Đăng family and Consort Lương of Võ family.

Consort Lương The first rank Consort Lương Võ Thị Viên 1815–1880 Her hometown is Thừa Thiên province.

Nguyễn Hữu Linh's daughter.

From palace lady before the emperor coronation, she becomes the third rank concubine Lương, under consort Thành and Consort Trinh at the second rank, and the third rank concubine Quý who died before. After 3 years she became the first rank consort Lương just under the first rank consort Quý of Phạm Đăng family

Consort Thục The second rank consort Thục Nguyễn Thị Xuyên Her hometown is Quảng Bình province. Nguyễn Văn Phụng's daughter and Concubine Nhu's young sister.

From palace lady before the emperor coronation, she becomes the third rank concubine Đức. After 3 years she became the second rank consort Thục, she was the only one who had the title of Second rank consort now. Her son, Hồng Y, emperor Dục Đức's father, and emperor Great grand father of Thành Thái emperor.

Concubine Quý The third rank concubine Quý Đinh Thị Hạnh 1808–1885 She died before her husband became the emperor. Her son is the first and the oldest prince of the emperor, who was feed by The great grand empress dowager Thuận Thiên, the emperor's grand mother, Gia Long's wife. Her son was expected to become the next emperor but The emperor change d his mind at the end.
Concubine Thụy The Third rank concubine Thụy

The Great consort dowager

The third rank concubine Đoan

Trương Thị Thận 1817-18889 She is Hiệp Hòa emperor's mother.

From palace lady before the emperor coronation, she becomes the fourth rank concubine Huy, then become The third rank concubine Thụy.

Hiệp Hòa emperor promoted her the title The Imperial noble consort dowager, her position now just under Empress Dowager Từ Dụ, after her son was deposed, she was stripped the consort dowager title and comeback to the position of the concubine.

Concubine Đức The Third rank concubine Đức Nguyễn Thị Huyên 1816–1892 From palace lady before the emperor coronation, she becomes the fourth rank concubine Ý, then become The third rank concubine Đức
Concubine Kỷ The Third rank concubine Kỷ Trương Thị Vĩnh She was the maid palace with no title, but she born Prince Hồng Cai, so she is grandmother of Kiến Phúc emperor, Hàm Nghi emperor and Đồng Khánh emperor and Khải Định Emperor great-grandmother, Bảo Đại Emperor great-great-grandmother, so he promoted her the title of Third rank concubine Kỷ
Concubine Nhu The fourth rank concubine Nhu Nguyễn Thị Yên She was The second rank consort Thục's old sister
Concubine Nhàn The fifth rank concubine Nhàn Phan Thị Kháng
Concubine Thuận The fifth rank concubine Thuận Hoàng Thị Dĩnh
Lady The sixth rank lady Nguyễn Đình Thị Loan
Hồ Thị Nghi
The seventh rank lady Ngô Thị Xuân
Lady The ninth rank lady Trương Thị Thúy 1810–1894
Nguyễn Thị Kinh
Mai Thị Tiêm 1814–1877
Võ Thị Duyên
Phan Thị Diệu
Nguyễn Thị Phương
Nguyễn Thị Vị
Trần Thị Sâm
Phan Thị Thục
Đỗ Thị Trinh
Trương Thị Lương
Nguyễn Thị Khuê
Phan Thị Quý
Maid Palace Nguyễn Viết Thị Lệ ?-1872
Nguyễn Hòa Thị Hân
Bùi Thị Bút
Nguyễn Thị Huệ
Hồ Thị Ý Nhi
Nguyễn Thị Hương Nhị
Nguyễn Đức Thị Ân

References

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  1. ^ Erica J. Peters – Appetites and Aspirations in Vietnam: 2011 -Page 32 "Tự Đức (1847–1883) Minh Mạng's eldest son, Thiệu Trị, ruled from his father's death in 1841 until his own demise in 1847. Thiệu Trị passed over his eldest son to leave the throne to his second son, who ruled from 1847 to 1883"
  2. ^ Jacob Ramsay Mandarins and Martyrs: The Church and the Nguyen Dynasty 2008 "The start of Thiệu Trị's reign saw, for example, an immediate revival of Buddhism at court. A devout Buddhist, Thiệu Trị ordered elaborate mourning rites for his father's funeral."
  3. ^ Nghia M. Vo Saigon: A History −2011 Page 59 "In March 1843, the Heroine arrived in Đà Nẳng harbor, asking for the release of five imprisoned missionaries. King Thiệu Trị complied."
  4. ^ Charles Keith – Catholic Vietnam: A Church from Empire to Nation −2012 Page 46 "The French raids at Đà nẵng in 1847 ended Thiệu Trị's more relaxed policies toward Catholics, and his successor the Tự Đức emperor, who came to power shortly thereafter, issued in the late 1840s and early 1850s a new wave of edicts ..."
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Thiệu Trị
 Died: 1847
Preceded by Emperor of Đại Nam
1841–1847
Succeeded by